Sage walked into her bedroom, checked that the windows were closed, and drew the curtain across each one.

"This is as private as we can be," she said, looking at the man, "to begin with ... I want to know your name ..." he opened his mouth to utter a denial, "... I don't care what has been said," Sage continued talking over him, "... your name."

He strode toward the door, turning sharply on his heel, and made his way toward the windows, rubbing his hands together, muttering agitatedly to himself before stopping next to her desk and turning toward her, throwing his hands in the air and meeting her gaze.

"My name is Benjamin," he said, "your ... Rosemary called me Ben," he said, smiling nostalgically, "she used to love having tea parties with lots of cake."

"Rosemary is my mother," Sage said quietly, "isn't she?"

Ben nodded, "You want to know how it happened at the hand of a Channing, don't you?"

Sage nodded, "I think I have a right to know ... and why I was put in the family Rosemary placed me with."

"Of course," Ben sighed, leaning his elbows on his legs and dangling his agitated hands between his legs, sitting silently for a while before he started, "It is customary for the Channing men to bring their young men up believing that any woman with the last name of Cooper is open for ... is ... can be ..." he paused, gritting his teeth audible.

"An open invitation for a good time and without asking?" Sage asked.

He nodded, "Rosemary was caught off guard," he whispered, "all Cooper-Channing women are taught to be cautious, know what the signs look like, be able to read the man's intent before he knew it and ultimately protect themselves ... but Rose didn't even see it coming. she was knocked out and pulled behind a tall hedge. Rosemary told me it wasn't until she started coming around that she realised her top was open. A weight was already on top of her ..." Ben shook his head, "... it was hard to listen to her description. It was harder that she couldn't bear to be touched ... for a long time ... even by me."

"Ben, I'm so sorry," Sage whispered, "what happened after you found her?"

"I didn't find her," Ben said, sadly shaking his head, "a woman who was walking home did ... her report was graphic, she even saw the man who had ... assaulted Rosemary ..." he shook head again, "when I saw the sketch I knew who it was."

"My biological father is a Channing," Sage whispered, sinking to the bed's surface, "how come I'm not like him?"

"He was a Channing," Ben said, looking at Sage, "he is no more; as for why you're not like him ... that is all Rose," Ben said, "she raised you to think for yourself, to always know the pure truth, not believe what you were told and above all else to feel."

Sage nodded, "I remember her telling me "research until you come to the facts on your own" she never wanted me to use the word apparently," she murmured, "Rosemary wanted to hear I had been told something and had dug until I had found the factual truth of what happened, during my childhood I was always happiest when writing and I love to be at the ocean and in nature."

"That sounds a lot like Rosemary," Ben said, nodding, "and being near the ocean and in nature ... that is to be expected," Ben said smiling, "for the first year of your life was spent on one of the islands with other women who needed refuge from the Channing's."

"I don't remember anything about it," Sage murmured, "how many people live on those Islands?"

"The number of them changes every month," Ben said, "but over the last eight decades, over five hundred people have lived safely on those islands."

Nodding, Sage sighed, "Why was I ... prepared for this?"

Ben sat on the chair at the desk, folding his hands over each other, silently contemplating for a while before looking at Sage.

"The woman who put this group into place was Rosemary's great-grandmother," Ben said, "the woman you spoke of just now," he sighed, "my father was taught by his father, and so on; we have all been prepared for this."

"The difference is that you knew it," Sage said, "I wasn't given a choice. I knew nothing about this."

Ben shook his head, "If Rosemary had told you, would you have chosen to do the right thing? Besides, do you think we were given a choice?"

"You can say no. If you decide to follow in your father's footsteps, you know and understand the risks; you have a clear picture and knowledge base of who you're going up against," Sage said, "I didn't even have that option; I was unaware of any of this until I got the assignment."

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Ben nodded, "We didn't like the way Rosemary did things, but she said she wanted you to know, feel and understand the difference, to be able to know a bad human from a good one."

"She wanted me to be human," Sage whispered, frowning at Ben, "why?"

"You're going to do a search," Ben said, "if I know anything, you're probably going to follow the family tree of the Cooper-Channings right back to the first ... assault case laid against them ..." Ben said, "... you'll research and gather facts ... pure truth to do that you need to have a heart that feels compassion, anger, injustice and justice and knows ... really knows that if you authorise an action it is being done for justice not revenge, to protect the innocent not gain profit for yourself and ultimately do what is genuinely right."

"Why would I need to be able to ...?" Sage frowned suddenly, "Authorise? What am I going to be authorising?"

"The men in that library have the ability and authority to right the wrongs from the start of all of this," Ben said, "however, we are not permitted to do so without the authorisation of the chosen Cooper-Channing woman."

Sage sat on the bed; she felt as if she was frozen in place; her mind refused to function correctly or process the words she heard. Something seemed to be sputtering in her senses like a back-firing car. She sat cross-legged in her mind, shouting questions and demanding answers, but her mouth wouldn't form the words, and her tongue refused to move.

What was he saying?

What did he mean when he said, "chosen Cooper-Channing woman"?

She heard her name being called and knew she had to respond, but somehow nothing was computing, making sense … was she having a breakdown or dying. She felt her body being laid on the bed. A hand moved over her eyes, closing them, and a blanket was placed over her, tucking it under her cold bare feet.

"Sleep, Sage," she heard Ben's voice close to her ear, "I'll stand watch tonight."

The words set off a string of memories from years before when she was younger and not allowed to play outside without someone watching her. Had it been Ben back then protecting them?"

Slowly, her body relaxed, and a jumble of memories, thoughts, fears and desires ran through her mind as the oblivion of sleep dragged her to its depths.

A soft knock on the door came again, pulling him from his light doze, "Enter."

Dropping his feet to the floor, he allowed the chair to pull him into a sitting position as he rubbed his hands over his groggy face. The door opened, and an equally tired-looking young woman entered his office.

"Sorry if I woke you," she whispered in the silence, "I heard from … the team."

"They're there already?" he asked.

She nodded, "Sage went digging in places she shouldn't have. It set off all kinds of bells, so we can expect trouble, but on the other side of disturbing news, they had to tell Sage as much as possible when she started asking questions."

"Why as much as possible?" the man asked.

"She went into … a…" she looked down at the notes on her clipboard, "... something that resembles shock ... when she was told about being the chosen Cooper-Channing to authorise the actions that will end all of this."

"Huh," the man nodded, "if Rosemary didn't prepare her for everything, I can only imagine Sage's response. Do you know if Rosemary told her everything?"

"It would appear not," the woman said, shaking her head and sighing, "Rosemary only told someone what they needed for immediate use ... it wasn't one of her endearing traits. Besides, the team is letting her rest now and will inform us of what happens next."

Nodding, the man sighed, "Thanks for letting me know," looking at his watch, he met her waiting gaze, "Since she is sleeping, get some rest yourself. I'll set the alarm should Sage wake without us being told and start browsing; we'll be alerted."

Nodding, the woman left, closing the door softly behind him, "When Sage finds out the whole truth, I don't think Rosemary is going to be her favourite … and I'll have some explaining to do."

The soft lamplight filled the room as Benjamin sat in a chair facing the room, watching Sage sleep. It wasn't the first time he had done this. Previously, the protection detail had occurred under a happier situation and time. Movement at the door brought his alert gaze to find one of his colleagues standing at the door.

"The rat is back," the words were hissing into the room, "that rat we know as Jeffery ..." the words came out on a low growl, "... this is where he has been hiding."

"I don't think he's hiding," Benjamin said, "from what I've been hearing in the marketplace, he has been here ever since Sage arrived."

"He's working," the cold words sent a shiver down Benjamin's back, "I wonder who for."

"Stuart tells me he is a Channing," Benjamin sighed, "who do you think he's working for?"

"Hmmm, I wonder if he'll be missed?" the question made Benjamin chuckle.

"You cannot terminate the rat," Ben said quietly, "there is too much at stake now ... if one thing changes or happens before we can strike, everything put in place will be for nothing. You know that ..." Benjamin said, acknowledging the grunt, "... as tempting as it is, remember what happened during the war and how many people suffered because revenge was allowed to rule."

"That is why we need someone to authorise our movements," the words were whispered as both gazes drifted toward the bed.

"Correct," Ben said, "I think if we can tag Jeffery without him knowing, we can track him right to the person giving him the orders."

"I can do that," a knowing smile was given before Ben's colleague disappeared.

"We need to strike all together to get this right," Benjamin murmured, "then perhaps Rose and I can be together again."