"Is this some kind of SICK JOKE, MACALLAN? I mean really? A last will and testament?"

Lacy threw the crumpled paper with it's blood covered envelope to the floor.

Macallan 's fists balled up at his sides.

"You know Macallan, this has to be the meanest thing you've ever done to me, and I oughta know because you've pulled a lot of pranks on me through the years!"

"Lacy please, lower your voice," Macallan begged her.

"Oh hell no! Not a chance in hell! First you tell me my dad got killed and then you tell me he isn't dead? Then you give me this piece of blood covered shit and it's a will? Why? Why should I whisper?"

Macallan had enough. "I didn't know it was a will Lacy!" He turned in a huff and started to stalk away from her.

They had come downstairs and into the bar area to talk. Daylight was just beginning to fill the sheer curtained windows of The Brown Jug Pub but daylight wouldn't afford the kindness it once had to anyone here.

Macallan had wanted privacy when he told Lacy about her dad. He expected her to take it hard but he never expected her not to believe a word of it. At this point he had no idea how to handle the situation. Maybe once she had time to think it through. . .

"Oh no you don't," she walked behind him. "You are NOT going to just walk away! You owe me Macallan Crete! My dad was good to you and you are going to take care of me."

Macallan turned around and his face was stiff with anger. "I owe YOU? YOU OWE ME LACY."

"OWE YOU?!" she spat back. "What could I possibly owe you!"

"YES owe me." He bit the words out from clenched teeth. "You owe me some consideration. And to believe in me. My God Lacy I wouldn't, no, I couldn't, make up something like this. And why would I? And Dylan was right there too. What kind of people do you think we are? Your dad was more of a dad to me than my own dad! So no, it's not a sick joke. It's real. It's the truth."

From the edge of his sight he saw James approaching and bit off his heated conversation with Lacy but giving her a hard, shut the fuck up look, before addressing James with a careful gaze wondering if he had overheard their arguing. Apparently he had, and made no effort to hide the fact.

James held up a hand. "Do you think I could talk to y'all real quick in private?"

Macallan sighed. "Look, James, I don't know how much you heard but this is just between me and Lacy."

James put a hand on Macallan's shoulder.

"Believe me, I'm not trying to get in your business but I need to share something with you. And I need to do it while Jonna is occupied. She and Dylan are in the store room grabbing some waters for us."

Macallan shrugged and looked at Lacy but her expression wasn't revealing much. "Okay, James. I guess."

"Come with me," he said walking toward a door which led to a small office beneath the stairwell.

Once inside he shut the door and turned right to Macallan. "Look, I know you noticed my reaction when Jonna hugged me and it was kinda hard not to hear what your girl here was saying,"

"Oh no, hell no. I am NOT his girl." Lacy snorted rudely.

Macallan gave her a disgusted look.

James went on like he hadn't even heard her comment. "It's strange. Jonna's behavior I'm talking about. And her touch Macallan, it's cold as ice. And, now knowing this about Deputy Storey. I've known them both for a long damn time and I'm telling you it doesn't pass the sniff test."

Macallan was intrigued. "Do you think it has something to do with you know, what's going on?"

James nodded. "I absolutely do."

Macallan nodded slowly.

"I do too James," he took a deep breath to steady himself and spilled his whole story to James.

"I mean, Dylan and me, we were right there. We didn't imagine this up out of thin air." He looked at Lacy who was now glaring with contempt. "Somehow, and I hate to put it like this, but somehow they have. . .or someone has, has taken over their bodies. I just gotta say it. I'm sorry it sounds so canned, but if we aren't careful we'll end up just like them." Macallan gained momentum in his thoughts. "Now I'm thinking we need to find a way to get out of here, without Jonna." he confided.

"Not gonna be easy," James replied turning his attention to Lacy. "You, can not, say a word about this, understand?"

Her face began to pucker and Macallan knew the water works were coming. He grabbed her and pulled her close to him feeling the hot tears she shed trickle down his arm. She buried her face in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders holding her as she wept.

He looked at James whose eyes were filled with compassion.

"This can't be easy for her," James acknowledged gently. "But we have to make a plan. Our lives depend on it."

The door swung open and James jerked around as Jonna burst in with Dylan close behind.

"What's going on in here," she asked looking around the tiny room suspiciously, her gaze coming to rest on Lacy in Macallan 's arms. "Awe poor thing," she purred handing the bottled waters to James and going straight over to her. "C'mon little darlin, let me get you settled down." Jonna took Lacy by the arm pulling her from Macallan's embrace.

Lacy reluctantly went along to Macallan's frustration. He followed as did the others.

Dylan was crunching on chips and offered Macallan a bag.

He waved it away. "How can you even eat at a time like this?"

Dylan shrugged. "I'm hungry."

Macallan rolled his eyes, right on Jonna's heels as she led Lacy back upstairs to the small sitting room and put her on the couch where she'd been before.

"Um Jonna, I think I'm going to take Lacy back home. I think she'd be more comfortable-"

"That's a great idea," Jonna interrupted absently. "Yeah, I'll just grab some clothes. Shes going to need some feminine understanding and I can go along to help her."

Macallan looked at James in disbelief.

"Noooo, I don't think that's necessary Jonna. I plan to stay with her if it's all the same I'll just take care of her myself. Besides she barely knows you."

Jonna shook her head. "No, Lacy doesn't 'just barely know me,' Macallan. She's known me as long as you have. Don't be ridiculous," she sniffed. "Her dad is missing and she needs all the support she can get right now. We all need to stick together. Don't you think so James?"

"Honestly I'd think the boys can handle it just fine. You know you didn't really want them here in the first place and I think Lacy had been staying at her grandparents old place. That's a little further from town than I want to be right now."

"Hey! I'm right here!" Lacy stood up from the couch with her hand on her hips, having heard enough. First Macallan was warning her to keep quiet, then James. Now this. "Y'all stop talking about me like I can't decide for myself!"

"Well that's fine hon, you can stay here with us. They can go," Jonna stated lifting her brow sarcastically. "Better yet, after they leave, the three of us can go to my house. There's plenty of room and, you can have your own room as well."

Lacy looked at her like she'd lost her senses. She was starting to think James may just be right to feel something was off. She watched as James walked slowly over to Jonna.

"Let'em go Jonnie," he stated firmly. "Lacy wants to go home. None of this is really your business or mine," he added.

Jonna's eyes narrowed. She squared up to James and her head cocked a little. "If I didn't know better James, I'd say there was something more going on here than just taking Lacy home. Like you all have a little something up your sleeves and I'm not included."

"And I'd say your blowing this all out of proportion now," James countered her easily.

"Is that what you think?" she asked with a sugary tone. "I wasn't born yesterday. I know a brush off when I see one."

"That what you see here Jonnie?" James asked mimicking the same tone of voice Jonna had used.

Instantly her arm shot out and gripped James by the throat. He was thrown off guard by the suddenness but only momentarily as his military training kicked in and he clasped his hands together and brought them up in one swift action knocking free of her vice grip and slamming her back into the wall.

"Gooo!" James shouted over his shoulder.

Macallans eyes went dark with trepidation and he took Lacy by the elbow ushering her toward the apartment door hollering at Dylan, whose eyes were bugging out of his head, to come on!

Dylan tightened his hold on the bag of chips and took off behind them.

In a moment of sheer flashback induced insanity James wanted to neutralize the enemy where she lay knocked out against the wall of his apartment but as his heart rate went down the desire to protect the young people stomping down the stairs won out and he turned to follow them taking the stairs two at a time.