Lucky's grasp on Liz tightened momentarily.

"I don't want to be interrupted..." he groaned. His forehead just barely touched Liz's.

"But you feel a need to see what that was," she finished for him. She gave him a little push, backing toward the bench. "I'll wait here."

"No way," Lucky said instantly, forcefully. He stepped back toward Liz, who was now perched on the bench. His eyes had darkened almost imperceptibly.

"Lucky-"

"I'm not leaving you alone. Not right now. Not *here*." Lucky's voice insisted that he wouldn't take no for an answer.

A tender smile somehow wound up on Liz's face. She tilted her head to one side and gazed up at him.

"Go. Get out there. I'll be fine."

Lucky's indecisive emotions warred. They showed on his face. Liz waved him away.

"Would you hurry up?"

Lucky made his choice. He tried for a reassuring smile and turned away. He jogged off into the shadows, emerging from the archway into the light on the other side.

Liz bounced her good leg nervously up and down, biting her lip. "I'm a big girl," she whispered to herself, starting when the wind picked up. It tossed her hair.

"I can do this. Think Lucky thoughts," she said to herself, sighing.

Lucky tapped the arm of a man standing on the edge of a crowd around the punch bowl area.

"What's going on?" he asked the man, motioning to where the disturbance was happening. The man answered in a heavy accent.

"Oh, that was just Mrs. Bradsbury. She's a little over-excitable. I do believe she saw a crab in the punch bowl."

Lucky snorted, shaking his head. "Sounds like Elizabeth to me," he muttered. He looked up at the man, smiling. "Thanks," he said, before bounding off, back toward Liz.

A firm hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to excuse himself.

"I do hope you'll forgive me for butting in," the strange man said simply. His eyes glittered dangerously. He stood taller than Lucky, and thin.

"Can I help you with something? Is there something that you need?"

The man's mouth moved. It looked like he was attempting to smile. It didn't comfort Lucky at all.

"Ah, you know, I've learned a lot about you recently. But your most admirable quality is the protectiveness that Elizabeth loves so much."

Lucky tensed at the man's mention of Liz.

"I don't understand," Lucky put in innocently, shooting a glance at the group still clustered around Mrs. Bradsbury. "Do you know Elizabeth?"

The man leered towards the archway. "Oh, not as well as I'd like. But I think I might be able to fix that."

Lucky's adrenaline pumped. He felt anger rise to the surface, blinding him, controlling him. "What do you mean?" he forced a calm tone into his voice.

"You know, I have to give you credit. You tried. You really tried to protect her. And you did a fine job. But leaving her alone like that..."

Lucky began to bolt, panic overriding even his anger. Soft, taunting words from the mysterious man halted him.

"Don't, or she'll be sorry."

Lucky didn't turn to face him. "What?"

"Did you really think I would operate alone? Really?"

Lucky swallowed, rage clouding his mind.

"What do you want from her?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Well, then what do you want from me?"

"You'll see. This way, Mr. Spencer."

Lucky turned, following the man to an obscure stairway that led down to the beach. He took one look back at Liz and prayed that the man was bluffing. That Liz would actually have a chance to survive all this.

**

Liz shivered. She couldn't explain the sudden empty feeling she was having. She glanced at her watch. Surely Lucky should have been back. Ten minutes had passed. Liz clenched her fists. At a noise from nearby, she jumped off of the bench, standing and nearly crying out.

Andy and Joey Sweeney stepped from the shadows, into the moonlight.

"Hey, it's ok. It's just us," Joey soothed, taking a step nearer but not getting too close.

"We won't hurt you," Andy said quietly.

"Where's Lucky?"

The brother's glanced to each other and back at Liz, confusion on their faces. "He was talking to some guy, and he just disappeared," Andy offered.

Liz's heart thudded. Something was wrong. She ran a hand over her face. "Okay. Lucky disappeared. Strange man. Oh, no." Her breath came in short gasps. "Where's the closest way to get down to the beach?" she demanded, her eyes showing her fear.

The boys eyes widened. "This way," Joey said, taking the lead. Andy followed them both to the very same stairwell that Lucky and the man had taken just moments ago.

Liz broke past Joey upon reaching it, panic on her face and in her hurried steps. She felt no pain from her hurt foot, her whole being was concentrated on Lucky.

She reached the beach, the brothers in tow, and looked to the right, then the left. She froze.

---

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