Jody and Kermit manage to pull off a Christmas miracle for Peter and the Blaisdells.

Kermit falls in love with a southern belle, Savannah March. On the very night that he is going to ask her to be his wife, his past catches up with them. Ericson takes his bloody retribution after escaping from prison,

Missing scene: "Retribution". Peter deals with the aftermath of the attack on the Blaisdell home. 

Peter and his father walk two separate paths in their quest to find the truth about Laura Caine. United apart, they each unearth dark secrets that threaten the lives of innocent people and reveal truths kept hidden for many years. Who was Laura Caine and is she still alive? Peter heads to Braniff and Caine to Paris to find out.

Originally published in The Tiger and the Dragon 2 as the first installment of a two-part novella. Part two, Pathways, concludes the story.

Peter Caine is abducted by a rogue Shaolin seeking revenge against his father, Kwai Chang Caine. While Peter endures unimaginable psychological torment and physical torture designed to shatter him, Caine rallies family and friends, including Paul Blaisdell, Kermit, and Lo Si, to mount a desperate rescue. Though they succeed in bringing him home, Peter is left haunted—his body battered and his spirit scarred—as he struggles to confront the deep trauma and the aftermath of his captivity. Amid the pain, the unwavering love and support of those closest to him become his lifeline in a battle to reclaim himself.