086:

Home was in Laguna. Tracy, the full time mom did her recording at Rocks, three days a week, and Raine taught flying lessons in San Diego, only forty minutes away daily from noon to three. Monday kept the twins at the studio and Coral kept the boys at her house when Tracy was working.

Bridget and Julian had moved back to Huntington beach the first of the year to be closer to Rocks, and to do some musical projects, although working together often ended in fond memories being shared, they didn't actually perform together, but worked on projects with other artists.

They spent a lot of time together, Bridget and Julian warming up to Raine, and he them. Raine became both Tracy and Bridget's personal trainer as well, giving them extra work outs in martial arts so they could defend themselves.

No leads had been forthcoming with the stalker, or would be assassin, but everybody was on high alert and security was tight at any place that Tracy frequented.

Tracy and Raine ran on the beach every morning, leaving Monday awake but listening for the children in her room. It was a quiet time, and fully enjoyed, a time for making plans, and saying soft things. Danny and Steven normally didn't get up till seven, so Tracy figured running on the beach at six would be a safe bet. She nursed the twins and then met Raine warming up on the patio where he was already stretching out.

"Megan was awake. She was fussy and I didn't want to leave Monday with a screaming banshee."

"That was kind of you." Raine said as they started out this January morning. They ran on the wet shore line where tennis shoes made an indentation but the sand didn't glum up their shoes and cause them to sink in. Raine, in way better shape than Tracy always slowed his pace somewhat and only occasionally outdistanced her.

They were both morning people and it was a good time to talk as well. They usually ran two miles down the beach and then back. It took about an hour.

"Are you going to see Coral today?" Raine asked.

"Yeah, it's Wednesday, right? She likes to keep the boys on Wednesday's."

"It gives you and Monday a little break as well."

"Wednesday at eight starts Monday's day off some weeks."

"She's an awesome nanny." Raine approved. "I don'tmnow how we'd do it all without her."

"Oh yeah. I agree."

"What's she normally do on her day off?"

"Hang out. She has friends in town. I think she hangs out with them."

"Family?"

"Her family is all in Kansas or something."

"Oh, so she doesn't get to see them very often?"

"She gets a couple of breaks. We talked about vacation times for her. She wants a break in June. I think that's when we're going to Alaska again."

"That'll be good." Raine said. "Okay, baby, here's the marker, keep going or turn back?"

This decision was usually made based on how her breasts felt and when the last time the twins nursed. If she was too full they turned back, not bad and they kept going.

"I think we're okay." Tracy said and instantly felt a prickling of fear race through her. She looked back toward the beach house, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Raine watched her eyes. "Feel something? Mother's instinct?"

"Not sure." She looked out to sea, the fog bank just off the shore, the morning light trying to break through. Her eyes turned to Raine, but she was listening inside to that still small voice of the Spirit. "No, I think we're okay." She said and turned to keep jogging.

Raine joined her. "I really believe that when you have stewardship for somebody you're entitled to inspiration for them. So if you feel like turning back..." He said this roughly every morning, and she gave him a saucy grin.

"Oh yeah, it wasn't that." She ran backwards looking into his handsome face. Gees, he was hot. "Do you know how hot you are?"

"So, my wife keeps telling me."

"Yeah." She faced forward. "You do know how to please a woman, Raine Maverick. You're the epitome of hot."

"Glad you think so."

"Did you take a look at my color ideas for the Park City place?"

"Oh yeah, I don't want it to be exactly like Austin's. But I do love his pink color." She knew he really, really disliked the mauve furniture in Austin's living room.

"It won't be pink for long, now that the twins have spit up all over it, and Steven's leaky diaper-----." She suddenly had a very strong sensation to turn around. She came to a crashing halt, craning her neck to see her house on the hill. They were too far away to actually see the house.

"Tracy..." His voice was firm. "Is it the spirit whispering?" He came to a halt a few feet away from her, watching her face.

"Raine...." She bit her lips. "I really don't know. I don't want to be jumping to conclusions, but-- oh-- Raine! Is that smoke?"

He ran a few steps and looked back at the house. In the area where their house was a thin plume of black smoke could be seen. Raine spun around to see her face, and then he grabbed her arm. A stairway to their left indicated somebody else's beach access. He pointed vehemently. "Call 911!"

Tracy stood rooted to the spot as her husband started running at full speed back the way they'd come. She took three halting steps and then grabbed the slippery railing and started forcing her legs to pump up. This couldn't be happening, not again! They can't do it again! It can't be my house! It can't be my kids!

Raine ran fast. He'd been a runner in school and in the military. He could really run, but for once, when speed was essential, he felt like he was swimming through mud. The heavy sand sucked at his feet, and kept him back. He tripped and went down, jumped up and ran again, all the while counting the seconds since she'd spotted the plume. His lips moving in a silent prayer. By the time he reached the cliff-side stairs, he was sure it was their home on fire, and he could see the smoke billowing out of the downstairs window they'd left open. He dashed up to the patio, and through the sliding glass doors, covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve, as he strained to see the landmarks of furniture and toys.

No time to think.

This was real.

The house was on fire.... If not smoldering , then some parts were engulfed. He could hear the babies screaming and all the smoke alarms going off. Black smoke clouded his lungs immediately as he plunged into super-heated hallways. Their living room was on fire, one wall completely engulfed. The wall near Richard's bedroom. Flames licked up the blinds and the sides of curtains. He could barely see, but knew the children would still be in their bedrooms. Up the stairs didn't seem as bad yet. He yelled for Monday and Danny, choked on his words and threw open the door to Danny's room. Danny wasn't in his bed, he had rolled on the floor wrapped in his blanket. There was smoke in the room, a lot of it, more than in the hall. How was that possible?

Vents.

He could see the floor vents gushing deadly black smoke. Raine grabbed Danny and left the room, running toward the nanny's apartment down the hall from his own room.

"Monday! Monday!" He yelled and then choked seriously again. "Get up! House on fire! Monday!" He didn't see her when he kicked open her door. He was struck however by the sudden heat. Inside the fire was licking the walls and the ceiling fan was on fire, the wires obviously about to break. He stared around, wasting precious time. Monday was not there.

Raine ran down the hall. With his fist wrapped around the blanket holding Danny he broke the window in his bedroom. He could hear the babies screaming in their cribs. The fresh air outside seared his lungs, and he closed his eyes and prayed again. He opened his eyes and saw Tracy and some other people running across the grass.

He leaned out the window and held Danny's still form as far as he could. "Tracy! Here! Catch Daniel! Don't go in the house! There's more than one fire! Don't go in the house!"

"I won't!" Tracy screamed, her eyes wide and afraid as she held up her hands to catch Daniel. Raine gave her one piercing look, heard something large crashing behind him and let go of his precious burden. He didn't wait to see if she caught him, but turned, taking a very large breath and plunged back into the smoky morass.

The babies were still screaming, and that was a good thing. He lifted each of them into his arms, and yelled out the hallway for Monday. Where could she have gone? Steven's room was across from hers, maybe she'd gone for him. He heard another crashing sound from deep in the house, and wondered slightly if it were a water heater. He had both babies in his arms and leaned once more out the window, coughing harder than he'd ever coughed in his life. One's lungs were just not made for breathing smoke. He couldn't see, his eyes were so watery and stinging, but he could make out the shapes below. Gently he let go of first one child, knowing that if she was to fall, and not be caught she'd be dead, but--- frankly staying in this house was a death sentence too.

"Tracy! Did Monday come out?"

"No!" came Tracy's scream. "I've got the baby! Raine! Drop the other one!" He did, leaning as far out as he could with the billowing smoke now all around him. His next thought was that if Monday had not made it out, then she must have passed out, the heat and the smoke would have robbed her of her ability to navigate. Then he realized he had to get Steven, no matter what. He staggered back the way he had come, down the ultra-heated hall, with flames licking at the walls and the carpeting, neon blue and gray. He couldn't breathe, and he couldn't make it. He pushed open the door, and found that Steven's room was not engulfed. Nor was Steven in his crib. He frantically looked around. Steven was famous for climbing out of his crib. He got down on his knees and looked under, whirled and looked into the closet, whirled again and looked behind the rocker, whirled again and looked in the toy chest. There was nowhere else to look.

He took a deep breath of half way smoky air and leaped back into the hall, feeling the instant heat and blackness. He doubled over, yelling for Monday.... Yelling for Steven.

He made it back to his bedroom, leaned far out and saw Tracy below, her hands up to receive the next child.

"I don't have him!" He choked. "Monday must have tried to go down the front stairs! Go around the back! I'll try and get to you!" He took a deep breath as the smoke swirled in and out of his vision, he could see her plainly one second and then blurry the next. "Did you hear me? Go around back!"

"Raine! No!" He heard her scream his name. Then he turned and ran back into the blackness to find Steven and Monday.

****