New chances

Scott doesn't respond, though it's obvious that he doesn't necessarily agree with Hope. They were going to find him a traitor... and if he was, then what other option was there?

His eyes stay open for the longest time, even though he remains silent. Rick checked on him several times, hoping he'd gone back to sleep, but he hadn't. Just thinking about sleep again drove fear into Scott's veins.

Eventually he speaks again. "I don't want to sleep," he mentions quietly. "Can't we get Carson's interrogation over with?"

Rick overhears him and shakes his head. Scott needed rest. He didn't need to be interrogated... not yet... not until he was strong enough to withstand it. But the young man was so desperate to make right what he thought was wrong, and to rid himself of the terrible guilt he was feeling.


Hunter lets his eyes drop, listening to Alice speak. Though there was slight disappointment there, a faint smile toys at the edge of his mouth anyway. His gaze lands on her hand resting on his knee.

With her final statement, he reaches out and picks up her hand once more, this time drawing it close to his face as if studying it, intent on seeing the fine features of every little curve.

His eyes finally raise again to meet hers. "Well, you didn't outright tell me no." There's humor in his tone, bringing a lighter feeling to the air. "That means there's a chance there, however small it might be." For now, he doesn't say anything more about Kyle. He didn't know how his friend felt, and so he couldn't judge his own actions on it at all.

Standing up, Hunter stretches both hands down to Alice, in a gesture that asks her to stand and walk with him. "I for one, would like to get to know you more, too. So how about we just do that? And if it turns into more, it does. And if not, it doesn't. And if it does and we have to abandon it later, then at least we will have had some good times."

He cocks his head, finally allowing his smile to spread. "It's one of the safest chances you'll ever take." He knew that he wanted to be more than friends with Alice. But more so, he wanted her to be able to heal her wounds completely and be able to move on, whether it was with him or not. And if getting her to take a step towards something more would help, then he would be there.


Gage rocks on the back legs of his chair, his fingers strumming restlessly on the desk. He looks up at the clock, then checks the monitor again. Everything was quiet.

Sighing, he lets the chair fall back onto all for legs, then reaches for the desk drawer once more. He was almost finished with his book. While alone, it was a good time to try and get to the last page. Once this thing was over, he'd have little chance again to read anything, let alone something that he wasn't allowed to have.


Wandering inside the building, Jason sees no one. It was a quiet darkness, but not an eerie one. His leather jacket creaked as he slowly walked through the foyer. Squinting a little, he sees two open doors straight ahead. He aimed for them instead of the office he saw to the side that had a light on. He wasn't familiar with this place, but it didn't seem to matter. It felt odd... his closest friends were here all the time.

Entering the larger room, he looks up. A cross stares back at him, lit around the edges to cast a soft glow against the wall. A lump rises in his throat. He wasn't even sure why.

Slowly, he walks forward, the sound of his boots muffled on the carpet. Heading down the aisle, he stops at the foot of the small stage and bends his neck back to stare up at the cross. He knew what it symbolized. He knew about Jesus. He knew that Jesus was God's Son, sent to save man from their sins. He knew Jesus died on the cross represented here... that He was mocked and tortured... and then after dying, He rose again three days later. Jason knew the stories... he knew the facts. He'd been taught as a child. He'd grown up with a Christian mother and a grandfather who had claimed Christianity. He'd let his questions and spirit promptings lie for many years. After Scott had been taken, Jason had gone back to research... reading his Bible... questioning faith again. And again, he'd gotten busy, distracted, and had let things lie.

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, still staring upward. He knew that Katie had a strong faith. She went to church every Sunday... she prayed before meals... she read her Bible, and she talked about God in her everyday life. Carson - the worst of the worst - had turned his life over to God and did not waver from his decision. All the guys from JetStream... those from Cryptic... Many others from TJY... Jason was surrounded by people who had deep faith in God. They were people he trusted... people he respected.

Thoughts of Katie drift through his mind. Thoughts of her captivity... thoughts of what she must be going through. The emotions rise within him, but he could barely feel them. Though having physically gotten used to the lack of emotional uprisings, he still felt an emptiness inside of him. Right now he wanted to feed off his own pain... off his own anger... but the strategic usage of the emotions was not possible.

A tear surfaces. It was as hated tear, but one that would not be thwarted by his attempts to hold it back. He couldn't do this alone anymore and he knew it. This was one time that he felt absolutely no control. And he needed Someone who was in control.

Before he realizes it, Jason is on his knees. He doesn't know how long he stays. He's not even sure of all the things that run through his mind and heart. Words are uttered, but not aloud. They only come forth through the sobs that catch in his throat, and through a soul that has been waiting to be released for so long.

And God reaches down to comfort a child so lost, so alone. For almost twenty-two years, since the birth of the one with so many plans wrapped up in his future, God had waited for this moment. The door had been opened, and He was finally being invited in.

A weight on Jason's shoulder doesn't startle him. He knew whose hand it was.

Con gives him a reassuring pat. "Thought you might need a friend," he mentions quietly.

Jason is still on his knees, but straightens a little and nods, giving his eyes a backhanded swipe.

Con moves around to lower himself on one of the steps of the stage so he can face Jason. "You know..." His voice is soft and not condemning. "Sometimes it takes needing God in the hard times to realize that we've needed Him all along... even in the good times."

"I've been a fool, haven't I?" Jason's tone is full of more humiliation than ever before.

"By denying God a place in your life for so long? Maybe. But that doesn't mean you can't change that now. He's giving you a chance, Jase. The world is still spinning, and as long as there's still breath in you, it's not too late." Con pauses, cocking his head. He wanted to know if Jason was truly ready. "Are you doing this for you? ...Or for Katie?"

Jason swallows hard and lowers his eyes. "I want to find Katie so bad... I want God to answer my prayers... but... I know that this is about me." He looks back up at the friend who had stayed with him through so much. "I know that... me letting God in my life isn't going to miraculously bring about answers to my prayers. I... I need God for myself... for my own soul. I've tried so hard to do everything on my own... But no matter how hard I try, there are still things I can't handle alone... and I know that nothing I ever do of my own power will get me into Heaven, no matter how good of a person I try to be."

A faint smile slips onto Con's lips. He could feel the Spirit moving. "Taking all that into consideration... do you know what you need to do?"

Jason stares up at the cross once more. He knew the verses. He'd studied them, trying to find a way out, or thinking he could disprove them. But he knew that they were true. "I've known for a long time... I just refused." A slight laugh surfaces. "Unfortunately, it's two in the morning."

"So?" Con lifts an eyebrow. "You think God cares what time of day it is?" He glances up quickly as movement catches his eye. Strange, that the minister was here so late. And Con would bet anything that the minister had had no idea why he should be here at this hour either. But it was clear now.

The right place and right time had been laid out since the beginning. Never was the minister here this late - until tonight. Never had Jason been truly open to the thought of God and salvation - until tonight. Never had the truths of belief, repentance and baptism been so clear - until tonight.

It was a small gathering. Only three men. But there was no reason to wait until a more opportune time. Following the examples in the Bible had never been easier. A heart was ready. Repentance was beginning. Water was there. Some might have thought that it was sudden, or that perhaps the one giving up his life had not yet learned enough - that perhaps it was just his emotional state that dictated his decision now. He wasn't even a church-goer. But never had a man been so sure of what he needed. He'd studied long enough. He'd put this off long enough.

Con had never been a prouder friend, or a more honored one. Bringing Jason back up out of the water, his own silent commitment was made to do all in his power to be a guiding support for his friend. Never would he give up, and he would always be there for Jason, no matter what.

Though at an ordinary emotional level, Jason still felt as though his heart might burst. He was free. He was finally free.

A new life was born. Not one of body, but one of spirit. A spirit that had been so broken was now undergoing restoration and filling with a love and peace unknown until tonight. And while all the time Katie was on Jason's mind, the personal step forward could not be ignored. It wasn't desperation for help in finding her that had made Jason's decision - it was desperation for his own soul and own peace of mind. God was with him, that much he knew. And God would see everything okay in the end. But Jason also knew that just because he had finally given his life over, did not mean that everything would be easy, nor was it in any way a free pass or a simple route to prayer requests. No... he was a soldier, now fully equipped to handle the job. And that was the point.