Second Chances: No Matter Where You Go, I Will Find You
A Simon & Simon/Six Million Dollar Man Crossover Story
When two convicted felons take Laurie and Linda Simon hostage,
Rick and A.J. must fight fear and the elements to rescue them
(This is a work of fiction. No money is being made on it, and the characters are owned by Universal and are only being borrowed for a little while. .)
Prologue
It was cold, damp, so dirty where the woman lay, half-hidden from the road. Burrowing into the underbrush, she fought the unnerving sensation that any minute they would come down the road and yank them back into that van.
Suddenly Laurie heard what sounded like traffic on the highway above her. Terrified, she made herself as flat as possible, trying to ignore the screaming pain in her arm.
Finally the forest went silent, and she could breathe. Realizing it was just the remments of the storm from the night before, she crawled back down the slope and found Linda just waking up. Helping her friend into a sitting position, Laurie held a leaf with a little bit of water on it for her to drink..
It came to Laurie that they couldn't hide forever, she had to try to get help for Linda and herself, and somehow make it back to their family.
And to her Rick. She had survived a day at sea, almost as long in a desert ghost town. She wouldn't let anyone take her away from her husband.
Only thing was-where were they?
Chapter 1
"Got any comment on the sentencing, Mr. Simon?" the reporter shouted at Rick as he and A.J. walked down the steps.
The older Simon shook his head. "No, guys, 'cept that thanks to Phoenix P.D., these guys will rot before they get out of prison!" Shaking hands with Danson, the new prosecutor in the D.A.'s office, he and A.J. walked to the parking lot. Abruptly, a strident voice yelled across the pavement.
"Hey, Simon, better enjoy your life while you can!"
Startled, Rick whirled to see Sam Carlson and his co-defendant, Joe Marston being hustled into the sheriff's jail van. As the bailiff called for the two prisoners to board, the taller of the two criminals added with a smirk, "And your wife, 'cause you're going to end up without her too!"
Angered, Rick took a step toward them, only for his brother to grab his arm. "Forget it, Rick, it's just words, they can't hurt either of you!"
"Hey, Mahoney, your clients better just be mouthing off!" he snarled at the felons' attorney, who turned, startled at Rick's voice.
"My apologies, Mr. Simon." the bespectacled lawyer replied, seemingly embarrassed. "Sam is naturally upset at his sentence, but don't worry, I'll impress upon him the need for no more threats."
Rick scowled at the retreating figure of the attorney, then caught sight of Detective Ron Johnson, their friend on the Phoenix police force.
"Leave it, Rick, I'm going to escort you and A.J. home, I promised Laurie if anything like this happened, I'd make sure you had company for dinner tonight!" Ron said with a reluctant grin.
"Thanks, Ron, I guess my girl knows best! Come on, A.J., our wives have steak and baked potatoes waiting for us." Rick grinned sheepishly. Arranging to pick up Rick's pick up truck from the Phoenix police dept., the chief of detectives put both Simons in his car and drove them to A.J.'s condo in the suburbs.
As they approached the entry to the neighborhood, Rick couldn't help but be worried about the threats made against him and Laurie by the vicious criminal. Carlson and Marston were the most evil crooks he and A.J. had ever had to testify against, it had taken a risky sting operation through Captain Ron's office to close their operation. Against his and A.J.'s wishes, Laurie had donned her red wig and gotten Marston to let slip Carlson's whereabouts and that of his operation.
Thanks to the information, the sex ring the two men were running with underage girls was broken up and both men were destined to be in prison for the next 20 years. Fortunately, Laurie had not had to testify, but now Rick was worried that something had given her away. The best outcome of the case had been the rescue of their client's daughter and a very deserved promotion of their friend to chief of detectives. Of course he objected to any special treatment, but Ron was not above pulling strings to make sure his friends were protected.
Subtly he felt her calling to him. "Almost there, sweetheart." he "told" her, feeling her relief at his reply. As Ron pulled into the carport, only then did the three men let out a deep breath, then A.J. shook his head. "Never thought home looked so good, guys. I hate to admit it, Ron, but you were right, it's not over until those two are locked up for good!"
"Glad you see it my way, A.J., especially since the third member of the organization was never caught." Johnson said drily. Just then the side door of the condo opened, and Ron hustled both brothers inside.
As they entered the kitchen, a small rocket shot straight toward them, yelling "Captain Ron!" The detective's face brightened after little Ricky gave his father and uncle a cursory hug each, then jumped into Ron's arms.
"How's my partner today!" he asked, smiling. "I'm good, and so was Mama and Ceci. Aunties on duty with Ceci right now, and here's Mama!" the little guy reported. Ron put him down, then taking him by the hand looked up as Linda came forward and hugged him.
"Thanks for looking after them, Ron, you are staying for dinner, aren't you?" she said hopefully.
"I have to, I hear there's a steak with my name on it!" he answered, then let Ricky lead him to the living room. A.J. just shook his head as Rick grinned. "Never seen anything like it-he's a natural with Ricky!"
"Well, I think he's a born dad, and speaking of which..." Linda gave Rick a hug and whispered "Laurie's in the nursery." "Thanks, sis!" he snickered, leaving his brother and sister-in-law to themselves.
Going into the children's room, Rick found his wife covering his niece up for the night, and put his arms around her.
"There's my Rick." she said softly, turning in his embrace and placing her arms around his neck.
Meeting his lips in a kiss, she murmured, "I missed you, darling. I thought I'd go nuts not being there today."
"Nope, you're not going anywhere near that scumbag, we're lucky you didn't have to testify, sweetheart." he told her firmly, stroking her hair and placing soft kisses all the way up her neck.
"All right, Rick, anything you say." she sighed. "As long as you come home to me, it's the not knowing that scares me."
Rick shook his head, then raised her face to his. "Nothing's going to happen to us, darlin', as soon as those animals are in prison, we're going back to normal, I promise."
"I know, Rick, don't mind me." she smiled up at him, then caressing his cheek, said, "I do love you, and you've never promised anything you couldn't keep." Taking her hand, he kissed it, then joined their mouths together in a breathless kiss.
Abruptly they heard the clearing of a throat, as A.J. teasingly said, "If you two care to have dinner in here, I can always bring in a couple of candles...."
"Cute, little brother, we're coming." Rick good-naturedly grumped, as Laurie gave A.J. a
hug. Linking hands, husband and wife followed him to the living room where Laurie greeted
Ron and helped her sister-in-law put things on the table.
After dinner, Ron helped put a very sleepy boy to bed, then joined the Simons in the kitchen for
coffee. Nursing a cup of the steaming brew, he looked up at Laurie with a somber expression.
"Laurie, I don't want to scare you, but you need to stay close to one of us until we catch the
last member of Carlson's gang. I think it was just words, but he yelled a threat to Rick today
mentioning you. I just don't want to take any chances."
"Thank you, Ron. I won't take any either, I wouldn't give that pervert the opportunity to use
me to hurt the guys." she replied, bringing a plate of cookies to the table. Rick immediately
pulled her onto his lap, not even wanting to consider the danger Laurie might still be in.
"Sweetheart, he won't get it, I still think, Ron, that whoever was working with Carlson and Marston is long gone by now. Still..." Rick put his arms around his wife as she leaned against him, "I think A.J. and I ought to close the office for the rest of the week, just to give us some breathing room."
"That's a good idea, Rick." A.J. smiled, relieved. "We've already changed our hours, and we don't have any open cases right now. Besides, we've got a birthday boy to celebrate, Robin wants to give him a cowboy party, what do you think?"
Cheered by the change of subject, the five adults forgot themselves and excitedly debated where to have the birthday party. Suddenly a small voice announced, "I want a pony."
Staring at Ricky in his pajamas, posing with hands on hips in the doorway, Rick had to hide his face in Laurie's shoulder as A.J. tried to be firm. "Ricky, you should be in bed, and what's this about a pony?"
"I want a pony picture, like Uncle Rick's got for my birthday." he yawned, bringing forth giggles from his aunt and a weary groan from Linda.
"We'll ask the birthday fairy for it, all right, Ricky, now you go to bed so I can talk to him, okay?" she replied. Reluctantly, the little boy took his mother's hand and disappeared with her down the hall.
Rick couldn't hold it in any more; he let out a stifled snort then the others joined in with muted
laughter. "Rick, that was priceless, "I want a pony", since when?" Laurie wiped her eyes as her
brother-in-law handed her a handkerchief.
"Since he saw that old "Rough Rider" picture of Rick and I when he appeared in San Diego." A.J. admitted, then seeing the smirk on his brother's face, shook his head emphatically.
"No, Rick, he cannot have a pony, there's just no way. Besides, there aren't any stables that close to us, owning a horse would just not work" he added seriously, then broke up when Rick gave him a hang-dog look.
"That's what you're going to get from Ricky when you tell him that, but don't worry, it'll pass
just like the fire marshal and doctor phase!" Laurie told them, ruffling A.J.'s hair.
Just then the clock struck 10, and realizing he still had to get back to the station, Ron excused himself, promising to pick up the brothers in the morning to retrieve Rick's truck.
After he left, Linda came back in the room then crooked her finger at her husband "I've got a surprise for you, I'll be waiting in our room to tell you." Startled, A.J. watched her give hugs to Laurie and Rick, then go back down the hall.
A.J. chuckled, then told Rick, "I think that's my cue to say good night!"