Kaminski was a feared name around Seventh Street for anyone looking to cause trouble. The Kaminski brothers, Paul and Porter, were twin “bruisers”, and they helped keep the old neighborhood safe. Tony had gone to high school with their father, and the kids had reached six feet tall and 200 pounds by the time they were thirteen. As instructed, they arrived at 69 Thornway Road and did not park in the driveway, but in the bushes down the road blocking in Silas’ rental car. They hung back as they looked for Quint, and they checked on the status of Tony Reardon, who informed them he was almost there. Quinton was relieved when the guys finally arrived for back up. If he hadn’t known they had come to help him, he would have been quite intimidated by the brothers.

Nola was completely exhausted and in spite of the situation occasionally slipped into a fitful doze. In one brief moment of unconsciousness, she dreamt she saw the face of a beautiful young girl who appeared to her to be about eight or nine years old, but who inexplicably possessed a maturity. Her chestnut brown or auburn hair--Nola wasn’t sure which--glowed in a bright light. She did not recognize the girl, but there was a definite familiarity which she could not put her finger on. Her skin was porcelain which strikingly contrasted with her sparkling deep blue eyes. She knew those eyes. Even though the child was at a distance from Nola, she could not miss those eyes as they shined as blue as the bright lights on a Christmas tree. In her dream, Nola moved closer to the little girl, fascinated by her youth, beauty and intrigued by her familiarity, but the child did not seem to see her and moved further away faster than Nola could get to her. In frustration, Nola continued to move toward the beautiful child, feeling naturally drawn to her. The child had turned from her, but the vision of her eyes was still burned in her mind as Nola followed in amazement, all the while being almost hypnotized as her ivory lace dress fluttered behind her. The dress, she was sure, she had also seen before. Finally the child stopped, turned and looked right towards Nola and then deep into her eyes, as if she was trying to possess her. Her blue eyes grew wider and wider and brighter and brighter, if that was even possible, and a heart-stopping familiar half grin spread across her angelic face. Nola suddenly recognized that the child had Quinton’s eyes and smile, and as the light grew brighter around her face, the auburn highlights in her hair seemed to illuminate her face even further, creating a heavenly effect. Nola held her breath for a few moments, as she was overwhelmed with emotion, but not fully comprehending her attraction and reaction to this child.

Then with unabashed glee, the girl started to run full speed toward Nola, holding her arms out. As she got closer, Nola noticed a small piece of heather in the child’s hair. It was then that she knew for sure who the child was, and she felt a powerful, almost supernatural tug at her heart and a growing lump in her throat, as she ran equally as fast toward her baby girl.

“Beatrice baby!!!” she called out with joy.

“Mama!!” the little girl called out, as she finally rushed into Nola’s open arms.

Nola picked her up off her feet and buried her face in the sweetness of her thick silky hair. “I missed you so much. I thought you were gone forever. Where have you been?” Nola cried tears of joy. The most beautiful miracle had occurred; her baby had come back to her.

“I’m right here, Mama. I’m right here with you all the time.”

“I was so scared. I couldn’t find you, and I don’t want to lose you again,” Nola whispered in her ear, still not letting her go, clutching her beloved child tightly, unable to stop her tears.

“Just trust in your heart, Mama. I promise I’ll be here.”

“Who has been taking care of you?” Nola said with worry.

“My grandma and my grandpas are here with me. Then you take care of me too, Mama,” Beatrice answered matter-of-factly.

“How did you find me?” Nola asked confused.

“It was easy. I had to bring Daddy to you. He’s coming to help you.”

“But your Daddy isn’t here. I hurt him when I shouldn’t have, and he isn’t here.” The lump in her throat almost made it almost impossible and painful to speak.

“Daddy is very near, Mama,” the little girl emphatically stated.

“I don’t understand, Beatrice,” and with that the image of Beatrice started to fade away. “Honey, don’t go away. I love you with all my heart; I need you; please stay with me.”

As Nola started to wake up, she was only barely able to hear the very quiet and distant voice of the child, “I’m always here, Mama. Remember that I love you, Daddy, Stace and AJ.” Then the voice was completely gone, and she saw Olivia looking at her with concern in her eyes.

“What just happened?” Nola groggily asked Olivia.

“You fell asleep, Aunt Nola, but you were crying. Did you have a bad dream?”

“No, actually it was the most beautiful dream ever,” Nola whimpered as she recalled the miraculous dream, committing every precious detail to memory. As she regained full consciousness again, her eyes were drawn to Silas, who was half asleep in the chair behind the desk. “Has he been sleeping too?” Nola whispered to Olivia.

“I think he is more passed out drunk than sleeping,” Olivia whispered back. “What were you dreaming about, Aunt Nola?”

“I was dreaming about my baby.”

“Your baby?”

“Yes, Beatrice”

Olivia had been very young when Beatrice died, but she was able to imagine what it must have been like for her, “I’m sorry, Aunt Nola.”

“She knew we were in trouble, and she told me something very interesting.”

“What?” Olivia glanced over to make sure Silas was still asleep.

“She kept insisting that her Daddy was here, that Quinton was here.”

“You know, I think you were really communicating with her. I told you that kind of thing is real. That happens to me all the time. If she told you that Uncle Quinton is here, then I bet he is.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Silas slurred from across the room.

“Nothing, Aunt Nola just had a bad dream.”

“The two of you shut up before I shut you up.” Silas hissed as the dogs started barking ferociously outside. “What the hell are those damned dogs barking at?” He staggered over to the window to see what was causing the disturbance.

Outside, Quint saw someone move toward the window and quickly ducked down, as he gestured for the brothers to take cover as well. Quint quietly instructed, “We need to get away from this window. On the other side of the house, there’s a window through which we can get into the house. We need to get over there and wait for Tony.” The brothers nodded in agreement.

They waited for Silas to disappear from the window, and then moved toward the other side of the house. On their way over, they came upon Tony. Quint was relieved to see his brother-in-law and gave him a quick hug.

“What’s going on?” Tony queried.

“I saw Silas through the window; they’re in the study, I think,” Quint replied.

“Did you hear the dogs barking?” Tony asked.

“Yes, what was going on?”

“It’s going to be rough getting past those dogs. They were going after me,” Tony anxiously said.

“Yo, Tony,” one of the brothers interrupted, “Paul and I will go in there and let the dogs come after us. There are vicious rotts and pitts all over Seventh Street that we have to deal with.”

“Are you guys sure? Those dogs look like they could tear a guy up.”

The brothers were absolute steel tanks and had no fear. “No prob, Tony, we got it covered for you. The Reardons are like family to us.”

‘See that window over there, Tony?” Quint indicated to the open window by the servant’s entrance. “I’m sure that is how Silas got in, and that is how we are going to get in.”

“OK, brother, let me know when you’re ready to go,” Tony said with forced confidence, as he patted Quint on the back.

“I need to get to her now, Tony,” Quint responded with certainty.

Tony nodded to the Kaminsky brothers, as they effortlessly leapt over the fence causing the dogs to go wild. They both firmly took hold of the dogs, while Quint and Tony quickly jumped over the fence and in through the window.

Inside, Silas reacted to the racket of the dogs. “That’s it! This is the end of the line for you, little Nola.” Silas pulled out his switchblade and grabbed Nola just as Tony made it into the study. “Stop it right there, Mr. Reardon, before I have to take care of your sister and your darling little daughter. Which one should I kill first? Or maybe I’ll let you pick which one lives just to make things more interesting.”

Tony held up his hands, “Crocker, I’m sure we can work this out.”

“That’s pretty funny, Reardon,” Silas hissed as he roughly grabbed Olivia’s arm with one hand and held the sharp blade to Nola’s neck with the other.

“Daddy,” Olivia cried.

“Let Livvie go.” Nola pleaded as her voice shook.

At that moment, Quint quietly crept, knife in hand, into the study through the other set of doors to take Silas by surprise. As Quint approached, Silas spun around pressing the knife right to Nola’s neck. A tear-shaped drop of blood coursed slowly down her neck, as the sharp blade pierced her delicate skin.

“Now, isn’t this just perfectly poetic?” Silas sneered.

Nola and Olivia turned to look at Quint. As Nola and Quint’s eyes met for the first time in almost a year, time seemed to slow down.

“Quinton,” Nola gasped, frightened that he was there, yet so reassured that he was. Her eyes flashed at him the words she was unable to say.

“Nola,” Quint quietly responded, for a moment, almost letting down his guard from finally being this close to her.

“I’d say that I was touched by this loving, tender reunion, but I’d be lying!” Silas spat. “If either of you cowboys gets one step closer, these two lovely ladies will find out just how serious I am.”

“Silas, listen. I will throw away my knife and let you take me if you let Nola and Olivia go,” Quint negotiated.

Silas laughed out loud at the outrageous request. “Quint, if there’s one thing I have learned from being unable to have a normal life with a family, as you have freely enjoyed, it’s that the lives of loved ones often outrank self-preservation. I think you’re already aware of that, Quint, so while your offer is interesting, I think I’ll stick with my current hostages. They’re much prettier too.” Silas mockingly brushed his free hand in a deliberately sexual way across the breasts of both women, as the knife remained firmly at Nola’s throat. “You know, seeing you two old men after all these years actually kind of warms my cold heart. Now, you two get over there, so you can have a perfect view of me slitting their throats.” Silas indicated with his knife an area on the other side of the room. Both Nola and Olivia cried quietly.

Tony and Quint followed Silas’ instructions as Porter Kaminski made his way into the study.

“Who the hell is that goon?” Silas snapped.

“Hey old man, like a gentleman, I think you should let those two nice ladies go,” Porter slowly stated as he pulled out his gun.

Distracted, Silas dropped his hand with the knife, giving Nola a safe opportunity to shove him hard. Silas stumbled backwards. Tony spun into action, placing a few swift, well-placed karate kicks to Silas’ abdomen. Quint quickly moved in with his knife, as he held Silas off from Nola and Olivia. Porter followed up with his gun trained at Silas.

“Now drop the knife, old man,” Porter calmly instructed Silas. Then Porter said to Quint and Tony, “Listen, I’ll take this dirtbag outside to deal with him, and you two can untie these two young ladies.”

Silas feigned defeat as he dropped his knife. But he too had back-up, and so far his plan was going pretty much as planned. His plan all along was simply to draw Quinton out, scare Nola a little, and mislead them about his true intentions, when he actually had something quite larger in mind. Porter followed Silas outside, as Tony untied Olivia, and Quint untied Nola, not yet saying a word.

“Baby, are you ok?” Tony asked his daughter.

“I’m ok now, Dad. Thank God you got here when you did. How did you know?” Olivia questioned, still shaking from fear and adrenaline.

“Why don’t you come upstairs with me?” Tony said to his daughter as he looked over to Quint and Nola, realizing that they might need some time alone.

Olivia looked over to where Quint and Nola were quietly standing. She immediately understood, and without a word, she followed her father out of the room, leaving Quint and Nola alone.

Nola looked down, crying softly. Quint tenderly wiped away her tears and then brushed his fingers through her hair, as she slowly looked up at him.

“Quinton, I’m so sorry,” Nola whimpered.

“Princess, you don’t need to be sorry.” Quint's eyes tenderly studied every inch of his wife’s face as his fingers traced her jaw, wiped away her tears.

“But this is my entire fault. I should’ve been more careful, especially with Livvie here, and then I put you into danger too.”

“I’m just so happy to see you and to touch you. I missed you so much.” Quinton started to cry as he tightly embraced Nola.

Nola sighed as she relaxed fully into his embrace.

“I just couldn’t go on if something happened to you,” Quint whispered

“I feel the same.” Nola admitted through her tears.

“You’re so beautiful, Nola. Being in this old house with you again, other than this brief time with Silas, is the most precious gift in the world. That you moved back here is just the most wonderful thing.”

“I kind of wanted to surprise you with it. I didn’t want you to find out like this.”

A big grin spread across Quinton’s face, “You wanted to surprise me?”

“Yes,” she couldn’t help but smile a little too.

“I have something very important to ask you, Nola.”

“What’s that?”

“May I kiss you?” Quint sweetly inquired.

“I guess that would be all right,” Nola responded with a mischievous grin.

Quint gathered her to him and leaned in for a soft, slow, lingering kiss. She gave herself fully to the kiss which in many ways it reminded her of their first kiss. She loved the softness of his lips, the gentle way he would graze her teeth and lips with his tongue; his kisses felt so right, like being back home. She had missed them so much. She felt his hands slide down her back. She loved the way Quint would teasingly pat and knead her behind. However, this time, Nola could tell that he was holding back so as not to overstep his bounds. She tried to give him a little encouragement and emitted a deep sigh of contentment. Just as she hoped, she got her little pat and squeeze. She loved this man so much. And even though they were no longer what most would consider young, in their hearts and in their minds, they felt as though they were.

Quinton’s heart was bursting with joy to finally be this close again to his true love. Nola meant absolutely everything to him, and his in eyes there would never be a more beautiful creature. He caressed her lips with his own, content in the knowledge that they were finally back together.

Suddenly gunshots rung out.

Startled, Nola pulled away. “Oh no, what was that?”

They started to head toward the door, when Quint stopped her, “Honey, I want you to stay in here until I make sure everything is ok.”

“Yes,” Tony agreed as he re-entered the room with Olivia. “Nola, Livvie, you stay inside until we see what’s going on.”

Just then, Porter and Paul ran into the house frantic and breathless.

“What the hell happened?” Tony shouted.

“He got away, man. He had a gun on him. We had no idea.” Paul explained.

“He had a gun? What the . . . It makes no sense that he didn’t try and use it on us.” Quint commented in exasperation.

“I know. That’s why I was so surprised when he pulled it out. If I hadn’t dropped my gun, he would have killed me,” Porter breathlessly described the events. “Then this black van pulled up, and he jumped in and took off. I just couldn’t get my gun back in time to stop him. He was gone, man. I shot at him, but it was too late. That old man ran fast.”

“Did you notice anything else about the van or the driver?’ Quint grilled them.

“Man, all I saw was a black van. There must be hundreds just like it, and the windows were too dark to see who was driving it.” Paul responded.

“I just don’t understand why he wouldn’t have pulled out that gun once while he was in the house,” Nola blurted out. “I did not once see that he had a gun. I mean I’m grateful, but I just don’t get it.”

“Dammit, I can’t believe he got away again,” Quinton fumed.

That night Quint hired armed guards to watch over the house on Thornway Road. He was not going to take anymore chances where Nola was concerned. He watched over Nola as she slept that night, exhausted after her ordeal. Tomorrow would be another day, he thought, and they could have the exquisitely romantic reunion he dreamed of.

Silas’ accomplice furnished him with a new passport and ID. Silas planned to lie low for awhile, leaving time for Nola and Quint to get comfortable. In the meantime, he had scheduled a trip to Rome to meet up with an old friend, and then on to London to complete his vengeful strategy.

Fall 2003, Helsinki

Over a year earlier, Silas had been caught off guard when he was approached while he was living in Finland. He had rented a small apartment in Helsinki and was out one typically cold evening, drinking at a local bar, when a shady character sidled up to him. This man told Silas he had a friend in the States who was in prison and wanted the assistance of one Silas Crocker. Since he had assumed the identity of Ryan Wayne, he denied he knew Silas Crocker, but was willing to help out, however he could, being an ex-con himself. It turned out that this friend in prison had a long standing vendetta against Quinton and Nola Chamberlain. He was in prison for first degree murder and more than likely would never see freedom again. He said that Quint and Nola had stolen his baby daughter, and he wanted them to know what it was like to lose a daughter. He wanted Silas to kidnap the Chamberlain’s daughter, Anastasia, who was in reality his biological daughter. His name was Floyd Parker. Apparently, he had heard through the prison grapevine that Silas was alive and living in Europe. He had no money to offer, but he hoped the thrill of revenge would be adequate compensation. Silas couldn’t help but laugh and think how many times Floyd Parker had to bend over at the prison to get his message out.

Until this moment, Silas had no idea that Anastasia Chamberlain wasn’t Quinton’s biological daughter. Needless to say, this information and opportunity interested him to no end. He carefully plotted to abduct Anastasia. She wasn’t that hard to find, as she was living and going to school at Oxford. It was an obvious place to look; he knew Quinton’s style, and thought he would be pretentious enough to send his daughter to his old alma mater. The only complication that he saw in his plan was the young boyfriend from whom she was inseparable. Silas would have to find a way to get past him or take care of him. He had found out that his name was Seamus O’Hara. There was some outstanding information that he needed on Seamus before he could move forward with the plot.

Silas surprised himself and worried he was growing soft, when he found himself feeling for Anastasia, as he watched her happily going about her life completely oblivious to his plans for her. He did not, however, feel bad enough to pass up on this perfect opportunity to get back at Quinton and Nola. He too, like Floyd, had lost a child because of their self-righteous, holier-than-though attitudes and behaviors. Although, he had to admit, it was pretty twisted logic to hurt one’s own flesh and blood as revenge against enemies. He thought that Mr. Parker must be one sick bastard.