Trying to look as if nothing was up, she strolled to the window to watch. Then, trying to act as if she were just idly walking around, she began to follow them.

Abby suggested that they stroll by the beach- coincidentally, the same one Colleen had taken Hunter for a walk on once. The lights of the base reflecting off the water were a spectacular sight. "It’s beautiful, isn’t it Hunter?" she asked softly.

Hunter shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. If I’d known we’d be coming here I’d have gone back to my dog form. This is a great spot for a run."

Abby forced a smile. ‘What a dimwit,’ she thought. ‘Or at least he acts like one.’ She glanced at the base out of the corner of her eye and noticed Colleen watching them from the window. "Well," she said, "I like you this way better." And she kissed Hunter on the cheek.

Hunter’s eyes widened and he pushed Abby away. "Whoa, whoa," he protested.

Abby looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Colleen’s back turned to the window. Even at this distance, the Collie radiated misery. "Sorry. I thought you’d like it," she said, sounding sincere. Stage one, complete, she thought.

Colleen turned away from the window and let out a groan. ‘I suppose that’s what I get for being too slow,’ she thought. She had seen the kiss, but she had looked away too quickly to see Hunter’s reaction.

"Colleen," called the Master’s voice from an over-head speaker. "May I have a word with you?"

Blimey, thought Colleen, What now?

"Colleen?"

"I’m coming, I’m coming," she muttered as she headed for the briefing room and wondered what the Master wanted. "You wanted to see me?" she asked as she walked through the door.

"Yes." He gestured to a chair in front of him. "Please, have a seat."

Colleen sat down and the Master looked at her without any expression on his face. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked.

Colleen was caught off guard. "What problem?" she asked.

The Master shrugged. "Well, I don’t want you to think I’ve been spying. I’m sure you realize I wouldn’t try to invade your personal matters, or any Rover’s. But as I was monitoring the security cameras I saw Hunter and Abby out on the beach. I also saw you looking in that direction and noticed that you looked upset. I wondered if there might be a connection."

"Why the interest?" she asked.

The Master folded his hands on the table in front of him.  "Because if something is bothering any of the Road Rovers- you or anyone else- then it’s important to me too. And I want all of you to know that any time something is wrong, I’m ready to listen."

"What makes you think anything’s wrong?" asked Colleen.

"Well is there or isn’t there? If you’d rather not talk about it, I respect that. But it’s not very fitting for a dog to play cat-and-mouse."

Colleen almost smiled at the joke. "Well, I suppose I have been a little down in the dumps today," she admitted.

The Master nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Colleen shook her head. Without the cloud that seemed to have been filling her mind lately, it was easier to think. But thinking and talking are two different matters. "No I don’t, but I suppose if I don’t talk to someone I’ll never get anywhere."

The Master nodded again. "You’ve liked Hunter since you two first met, haven’t you?"

Colleen grimaced. "Is it that obvious?"

"I’m afraid so."

Colleen folded her arms. "Well that’s just dandy, isn’t it?"

"So are you feeling jealous of Abby?"

"A little, I suppose," she said reluctantly. "And I'm sure you heard how well she fought today."

The Master nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Well, with that kind of talent on the team now, I’m starting to wonder why I bother. With Abby around I just feel like a bunch of bloomin’ deadweight."

"Now, Colleen, you shouldn’t think that way about yourself. Abby is very talented, but each of you is an important member of the team."

"I know, but I’m starting to wonder if maybe I should quit."

The Master shook his head. "No, I wouldn’t recommend that." He put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "But perhaps it wouldn’t hurt for you to take a break from the pressures of being a Road Rover, just for a while."

A few days ago Colleen would have laughed at such an idea. But now with Abby there to fill the gap, maybe a break wouldn’t be such a bad idea. "Maybe I should," she agreed. "Can I go now?"

"Yes you may."

The Rovers were caught off guard when they heard about Colleen’s departure. "She needed some time to think a few things over," explained the Master. "She’ll be back before long."

‘Not if I can help it,’ thought Abby. Out loud she said, "But she’s second-in-command. What will we do without her?"

"I’ll leave that decision up to Hunter," said the Master.

Hunter surveyed the Rovers. Definitely not Blitz, and Shag didn’t seem like a smart choice either. Abby seemed capable enough to make a good second, but ever since the incident the night before, Hunter had been wary of her. It wasn’t that he thought she was unattractive, but he wasn’t interested in someone that pushy, especially compared to someone like Colleen. And he had a vague hunch that there was a reason she’d been so quick to ask about the chain of command. "I pick Exile," he said at last. Exile smiled, and Abby frowned in a way that did not make Hunter feel one bit comfortable. But why worry? he thought. Colleen will be back in no time, and then everything will be back to normal.

But Colleen didn’t come back. She was gone all day, and the next. The following night, Hunter was awakened by a knock on his door. "Who is it?" he asked.

"It’s me," Abby’s voice replied. "I want to talk."

Hunter was cautious. "Talk about what?" he asked.

"Well, I think I know why Colleen left."

Hunter sat up. "You do?" he asked.

"I’m pretty sure," Abby answered vaguely.

"Well, what do you think it was?"

"It’s something I’d have to show you."

Hunter quickly changed into his uniform. "Hang on," he said. He was out in the hall in a minute. Abby was standing there, wearing something similar to the Rovers’ normal uniform except black from head to foot. "Nice outfit. New tailor?" Hunter queried.

"Just felt like a change," she said with a shrug. "Now let’s go." Hunter followed, ready to duck if she tried anything. But Abby didn’t do or say anything until they were outside. "I’m sorry… about what I did the other night," she said at last. Her words, every inch of her posture, even the air around her seemed tinged with sincerity. "It was out of line, bigtime."

Hunter shrugged. "That’s OK," he said. "Just don’t do it again, especially with mistletoe out of season."

"Don’t worry," she said smiling. Then, changing the subject, she noted, "We’re almost to the spot."

A few yards farther on she stopped and pointed off to the right. "Look over there," she said.

Hunter looked, and the next thing he knew he felt a heavy blow on top of his head. He saw stars, then nothing as he sank to the ground, out cold.

"All too easy." Abby counted off on her fingers. "Two down, four to go."

The next morning everyone was wondering where Hunter had gone. This time even the Master couldn’t offer an explanation. "Something scrambled the cameras," he said. "None of them picked up a thing all night." Exile took a look at them and said he couldn’t find any sign of tampering. Abby offered to help out, but finally admitted that this was beyond even her intellect.

"Exile, you’ll be in charge until we sort this out," the Master said. "Abby, you’ll be second-in-command."

Abby smiled, and it wasn’t a pleasant smile.

Later that morning, Blitz found the new teammate practicing on a punching bag in the training room. Her attacks were smooth and precise, but each was so fierce that the punching bag had left several dents in the ceiling opposite the Setter. Blitz pretended not to notice and strolled over to the weights, where he proceeded to bench-press at least twenty pounds more than usual. After a while Abby strolled over to inspect the weights. "Impressive," she commented.

Blitz tried to look relaxed, but his forehead was sweaty with effort. "What, these?" he asked. "These are just my warm-up weights."

Abby nodded, giving Blitz an indulgent smile. "So, what kind of stuff do you do besides coming in here