(Two days later... Cameron and Amanda's room)

Cameron lay in bed, not sleeping. He had not had a moment of rest since that instant on the patio at Paulina and Joe's a few days ago. He had been waiting, ready. For what he did not know. He rolled over and looked at Amanda who was curled up close to his side, sound asleep. Cameron watched her breathe, her breath going in and coming out. In, out. In, out. For the past few days he had watched both her and Ali like a hawk, not letting them out of his sight if he could help it. He was pretty sure that the 2 of them did not notice anything out of the ordinary. He certainly did not see anything to back up his feelings of dread. Cameron had checked on Haliday and David was still gone, and did not look like he was coming back any time soon. After Haliday, Cameron could not think of any enemy to his family. And that was the worst part, the not knowing what or who was coming.

Cameron watched Amanda for a few more minutes, then eased himself out from under her and slipped out of bed. Time to check on the other person he had to protect. He opened the door and left it open as he quietly went down the hall. He stopped at Ali's room and very cautiously opened the door and looked in at his sleeping step-daughter. Everything was fine there, Ali was sound as sleep. He shut her door and went back to his room. He shut the door quietly and walked over to the window. Cameron looked out at the cloudy night sky, not a star in sight. In fact, come to think of it, it had been cloudy since that day at the Carlino's. Cameron continued to scan the outside, looking for anything that shouldn't be there. He did not see Amanda sit up and watch him from the bed.

Amanda looked across the room at Cameron. She sighed to herself. For the past 2 days, it seemed as if Cameron was not really there, that his mind was something else. At first, she thought that she was imagining it, but now she was sure that something was wrong.

"Any UFOs out there tonight, Sinclair?" Amanda asked, causing Cameron to jump.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," Cameron said turning around.

"You didn't wake me."

"Then why aren't you asleep?" Cameron asked walking back to their bed.

"Because I'm awake."

"Always a smart remark from the spoiled Princess."

"Cameron, is something wrong?" Amanda asked, worried what his answer might be.

"Why do you ask?" Cameron sat on the bed and pushed some hair away from her face.

"For the past few days, it's like you've been on guard or something. You lay awake at night, and you haven't ran in the last few days. You really haven't eaten and it seems like your always either watching me or looking around for something."

Cameron didn't answer, he just continued to run his one hand through his wife's hair. He loved her so much. When he didn't answer, Amanda became more concerned.

"Cameron, there's something wrong, isn't there? Is it David? It is, he's back,"

Amanda had this scared look on her face and Cameron knew that he couldn't keep her in the dark any longer. She was scared that he thought David was up to something.

"No, it's not David. He's gone and he won't be back."

"Then there's something else. Tell me, please."

"It's just a feeling."

"A feeling?"

"Yeah, when we were at Paulina's and Joe's, I had a feeling like something is going to happen."

"What's going to happen?"

"I don't know, look, I didn't say anything because I didn't want to upset you. It's probably nothing."

"You don't think that it's nothing."

"I don't want you to worry. Look, let's just lay down and go back to sleep."

Cameron got back under the covers and Amanda slid up to him as close as she could. She put her head on his shoulder and he put his arm across her. Cameron could feel her, tense and afraid. He didn't want her to be afraid again. He rubbed her back.

"Amanda, it's nothing. I don't want you to worry. I'm here. Nothing is going to come between us."

He felt something wet on his chest and looked down. He turned on the light next to him and saw that Amanda had a few tears running down her face. He rolled over until his face was next to hers.

"Hey, hey. What's all this?" Cameron asked wiping away a few of the tears.

"What if something happens again? What if it all comes back and takes what we have away?' Amanda started to cry a little harder.

Cameron rolled over and hugged her and Amanda held on to him tighter than she ever had before. He held her for a few minutes before pulling his face away and stroked her hair, pushing away her hair and her tears. He looked her in the eye. Amanda tried to bury her face in his shoulder and hide again, but Cameron held her at eye contact.

"Amanda, I am only going to say this to you once. I will never let anything happen to you or Ali. You don't have to be afraid or worried."

Amanda sniffled and looked into his moss colored eyes. "You promise you'll always come for me?"

"You know I'll always come for you."

She held on to him for the rest of the night. Cameron laid there with her, never letting go.

The boy got of the bus and stretched. It had taken him 2 long days to get here because of the bad, stormy weather. Finally he was here, Bay City. He took the envelop he had been given out of his pocket and read his instructions carefully again. It said that when he arrived in town he was to report to the Pinao Factory Boarding House and there would be a room waiting for him. The address was listed below along with directions on how to get to the place. He picked up his bag and nap sack and started out.

About 15 minutes later he was there. He went in and went to the office. Nobody was there so he rang the bell. A woman walked out and up to the counter. She smiled at him and the boy did not return the gesture.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked.

"Yeah, I think you have a room waiting for me."

"Name please."

"The room should be under Howie," the boy lied.

"Oh, yes. You have apartment 11D. It's the last one on the 3rd floor. The elevators over there. Everything about rent has been taken care of. Here's your key."

The boy took it without another world and walked to the elevator. He pushed the button for the 3rd floor. And in no time he was opening the door to his new place. He threw down his bag and plopped on the couch. Putting his feet up on the coffee table and reached for the phone, he took the envelope that contained the directions out and dialed the number that was on the bottom of the page. He dialed and waited for someone to answer.

"Yes?" a female voice answered.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Are you in Bay City?"

"Yep, just strolled into town."

"Good. You know what to do next?"

"Yeah, I'll move on that, first thing tomorrow."

"Call back and report in tomorrow night."

"Will do," the boy said. He hung up the phone and walked over to the window. He looked out at the cloudy sky for a few minutes and then went back to the couch and opened up a larger envelope. In it, were pictures of Amanda, Ali, and Cameron. Some where professional done photos and others were what appeared to be photos taken through surveillance cameras, with out the Sinclair's knowledge. Some where at the park, others at the Harbor Club, Carlino's, Cory Publishing and other Bay City attractions. The 3 of them, blissfully unaware that they were being watched.

The boy put away the pictures. He laid down on the couch and closed his eyes. He was tired from the long trip. In now time he was asleep and dreaming.

"Quiet, you have to be quiet. Don't wake him up," a young boy's voice said.

"I won't wake him." the boy answered back. "Don't leave me! Don't send me away! Please don't leave me!" The boy was afraid. He didn't want to go away.

"You have to, it's the only way that you can be safe."

"Will you be safe?" the boy answered back.

"Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. Just remember, wherever you are, that your brother's love you. We love you. We love you....."

"I love you too Cameron. Cameron? Cameron? Don't leave me!"

But Cameron was gone, and the boy was all alone. He started to run. Something was coming after him, taunting him, calling his name.

The boy woke up with a start. He tried to catch his breath. He got up and picked up a glass vase that was on the desk next to the couch. He handled it for a minute before heaving it against the wall to shatter. He went back to the window and resumed his stare out at the bleak night sky.

"You should never have sent me away Cameron. You should never have left me alone. You should never have sent me away. Because I'm back. And with me after you, and her after Amanda, you two won't know what has hit you. Enjoy the country club while it lasts." The boy stood there, talking to himself and staring out at the dark night sky, thinking about what was going to happen in the next few days and what had happened to bring him here.

When she had approached him, he was alone and trying to make it on the streets. But then she approached him and told him all about himself. His real name, all the small crimes that he was responsible for. Things he had never told anyone, things he kept hidden in his soul. The truth. She had enough on him to turn him in to the police and put him away for a long time. But, that's not what she wanted.

"What is it you want from me?" he asked her, completely distrusting of this woman.

"I want you to go to Bay City and settle your self there. You will then start doing my little jobs. Will it be a problem to go after Cameron?"

"I owe him nothing. He owes me."

"Good."

"But just out of curiosity, what do you want with Cameron and, what did you say his broad's name was?" the boy asked.

"His broad as you so politely put it, is Amanda Cory. And it's from her I'll get what I'm after. Cameron is nothing to me. I just have to go through him."

"What do you want?"

"I want what I got coming to me. I want what is rightfully mine. And you are going to help me."

Standing there, he thought back to that meeting, the first time he was given instructions about the Sinclairs. He sighed and turned around. Time to get to work.

Since the night in the bedroom, when Cameron told Amanda that he was feeling that something is going to happen, the both were tense and watchful. But then after 2 days of nothing happening, Amanda began to relax, and so did Cameron, a little.

Amanda went in to the living room and picked up the pile of mail that was waiting for her on the desk. She had convinced him to go for a run, partly for his benefit as well as hers. He was starting to drive her crazy. Not that she didn't love the fact that he cared that much about her. She thumbed through the mail and sat down out on the patio with the mail and a glass of iced tea. Bills, bills, bills. Junk mail, junk mail, junk mail. "Not much here," thought Amanda to herself. And that's when she saw it. A legal sized envelope with her name scribbled across the front in big black print. No stamp, no return address.

Puzzled by the envelope, she opened it and pulled out the contents. She unfolded what it was and looked at it. Amanda suddenly found it hard to breath. She was looking at a picture of her and Cameron that had been taken while the were walking in the park. It was a close up of them, probably taken with a zoom lens. They were smiling at each other and at the bottom of the picture a word, scribbled in the same bold hand writing. The word was- SOON.......

Amanda sat down hard on the chair and said to herself the words that her husband mentioned to himself a few short days ago. "Something's coming."

Amanda continued you staring at the picture for a few moments, not really knowing what to do. Cameron had just left for his run and would not be back for about an hour. She took a shaky breath and put the picture back in the envelope and set them both down on the table. She pushed her chair back and looked at the white envelope laying on the table, waiting for it to explode or something. Someone had sent that picture, heck, someone had been watching them to take that picture. Watching them, watching them. They were out enjoying the day and each other's company when someone had been watching them, taking away their privacy. She bristled with embarrassment as she thought of what else this person could have seen.

"Amanda, I forgot to wear my watch so I had to come.........." Cameron had jogged up on to the patio without his wife's knowledge. However, Cameron didn't get a chance to finish what he was saying, at the sound of his voice, Amanda stood up and ran to him, throwing herself into him. Cameron instinctively knew that something was wrong and his arms went tight around her.

"Hey, what's this? What's all this?" Cameron leaned back and tried to get a look into Amanda's eyes. She had the shut tight and her head against his chest. She trembled against him, like a leaf on a branch. "Amanda, my God. What's wrong? Your shaking."

Amanda broke free of him and went to the table and handed him the envelope. Not a word passed between them as he opened it and looked at the picture. Very calmly, Cameron re-folded it and put it once again in the envelope. He set it back on the table and took his wife in his arms.

"Amanda, it's going to all right. I promise you."

"But who is it? What do they want?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. That you can take to the bank."

The Sinclairs stood there for a little bit longer and the heard the door bell ring. However neither one of them moved because they knew that Claudia would get it. She did and then moments later Claudia came to the patio and interrupted the two.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Sinclair."

"Yes Claudia, what is it?" Amanda asked.

"There's someone hear to see you."

"Can you tell them to come back later, I........."

"I'm sorry miss, but she said it was urgent."

"Okay, tell her I'll be right there." Claudia nodded and stepped back inside.

Amanda put her forehead against Cameron's chin and she took his hand and they walked inside. When she got the letter that day, Amanda thought that at that moment, nothing else in the world will surprise her. However she was very, very wrong. She saw who was standing in her living room and the speech left her, her mouth open.

Cameron saw the effect the women had on Amanda. It was a very unpleasant surprise and he immediately disliked this women. His arms went protectively around her waist from behind. The women stood there and smiled a somewhat unpleasant smile. When she saw that Amanda was unable to talk, the women started in. Her snobby voice just increased Cameron's contempt for her.

"Well Amanda, aren't you going to say anything to the woman who made a special trip to congratulate you on your marriage?"

Amanda still stood there, rooted to the spot, speechless.

"Well I see your new husband certainly is a handsome one Amanda. Aren't we going to be introduced?'

Still no response from Amanda. Cameron tightened his hold on her to let her know that he was there and if anything needed to be handled, he'll be the one to do it.

"Okay Amanda. Since your obviously speechless with joy from seeing me, I guess I'll have to introduce myself." The women walked over to Cameron and stuck out her hand. And with a phony smile started the introductions.

"You must be Cameron. Delighted to meet you. My name is Iris. I'm Amanda's sister."

continue