How it happened...

Jason takes a deep breath and finally raises his head, keeping his elbows on the table. "First, quit calling me Mr. Stevenson." He stops, realizing his grouchy tone, and tries to soften it.

"I was in Texas because I was on the team from TJY sent to watch the ranch. We'd been there for a while before they even knew it. I was the one to come out in the open when some of their people got hurt and we met them at the hospital."

He thinks for a moment, trying to remember they day under question. "I was getting sick that day, so there are parts I don't remember too well. It all seems like a dream... Um..It was Jim's daughter, Rosalynn...she and her mom had gone home from the ranch and had been attacked by the Agency. Becky was left, but they'd taken Rosalynn. I think it was Rosetta that guessed where they would have taken her."

Jason pauses, replaying the events in his mind. "It was evening. I don't remember what day of the week. We got together a team to go out...Rosetta headed there with her car first, and the rest of us walked through the woods from the ranch. There was me, and Sparky, that's Tyler, and...Jeff....I think Angel came along, yeah...and Katie of course, and Austin, my grandfather. I think that was it. Jeff went down as a diversion and to find out how many guys were on the inside of the house, and Katie went to the basement window to go for Rosalynn."

Jason closes his eyes for a moment. "Something happened...I guess I'd moved away from the others to get a better angle and I saw a guy coming around the side of the house. He'd spotted Katie and Rosalynn who were escaping out the window, and he pulled a gun on Katie."

He swallows hard, remembering the feeling of dread that had come later for killing a man. "I had my rifle and took one shot. Killed him on the spot. Katie and Rosalynn ran. There was a second guy... He got a shot off at Katie. I took him down too. He was alive the last I saw him, but I'm not convinced he lived after that."

Jason shakes his head. "We were seen by another Agency member...ends up she was a relative of..." He stops and rolls his eyes. "Unimportant. She's dead now. Anyway, so Katie got taken to the hospital for her arm, and Rosalynn got back safe. We deserted the house. I..." He stops and thinks. "I made it halfway back to the ranch I guess...I was having a hard time dealing with killing somebody and was sicker than a dog at that point. I might have passed out....I think it was Katie that found me...but after that, the whole thing was over and done with. I was told that TJY had sent a cleanup crew and they were confident nothing had been left behind. The body was supposedly taken care of, so I don't know what went wrong."

He looks up at Lockheart, his eyes beginning to show a dullness. "The Agency wants me in here. You play this by the book or not, it's going to be an uphill battle and I'll be surprised if you get me out of here."


Carson eyes Misty with suspicion, noting that her face was paled slightly. "You're not looking to good." Something in his gut warns him. "How about you going and lying down, or better yet, going and seeing Rick?"


Kyle watches Katie on the beach and tails her at a distance, taking his time across the sand. He stops a ways back and gives her her own space for a few minutes, but then decides to approach. He hesitates, but then rests a hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. "It'll be alright, Katie. I know that's what everybody says, and I know it sounds trite, but it's true."

He cocks his head so he can see her face, and reaches out to wipe away a tear. "I know probably nothing I can say will make you feel better...but everything has a purpose. I don't know all that's going on, but I know it's not good. Yet I know that God isn't going to let you down. And sometimes...as hard as it is...all we can do is fall back on Him and rely solely on faith to get us through because nothing else makes sense."

Kyle pauses, glancing out across the water. "I think the most we can do right now is pray for Jason...not only that he not be treated unjustly, but that he would find that reliance on God too, because I know he doesn't have that yet. And if he's facing anything like prison or worse, he's going to need to rely on something to get him through, and God's the only thing that will matter in the end."

He allows another pause and turns his focus back to Katie. "We're her for you, Katie. No matter what or when, if you need something, you let us know. We're not in the habit of leaving anyone high and dry. And if there's anything we can do for Jason too, we will." He smiles a little. "I know you two are close...I always thought it was meant to be that way. And if my guess is right, you're feeling worse than he does right about now."