Hands shaking, Rick turned on the transmitter on his watch, then spoke. "Laurie, sweetheart, can you hear me?"

Static crackled, so he switched to their other frequency. Oscar Goldman's voice came on. "Rick, thank God…I just heard from your friend Doug…but. have you seen Laurie?" Rick sat heavily in a chair as he took a deep breath.

"No, Dad…last I heard she and Linda were at the hotel, waiting for you. But she's not answering her transmitter… Did you see them?"

"No, son. I went to the restaurant and they had been called away by a phone call. When I went to the hotel desk, the concierge said Laurie and Linda were met in the lobby by a thin man in a suit and had just left. Ron and Robbie and I just got done looking at the surveillance tape; it shows they were forced into a car at gunpoint. Ron's trying to get a good look at the license plate now." He added.

"Dad…I don't believe this….someone just took A.J… one minute the lights went out, then he yelled, and when the lights came back on…he was gone. All that I found was a note that says "You took from me, I took from you. And you'll be the last to go."…it has Laurie and Linda and A.J.'s pictures on it…with a red line drawn over their faces…." He choked. "I tried to call San Diego P.D….but there's no dial tone…the doors and gate are electrified"

"Hang on Rick…I'm going to have Robbie and Ron come to the estate and break in. Lock yourself in wherever you are and don't move….we'll find them." The older man assured him.

"Dad…tell them to be careful….we don't know what this monsters' ready to do." Rick warned him, then signed off. Again thunder sounded overhead, and for the first time in a while he felt helpless.

"Laurie…sweetheart..can you hear me? Please answer me…please be alright.." he "called' out. Covering his face with his hands, he tried to calm down and think of who would have kidnapped not just his family, but five sixty-something people .

"Come on, Rick….use your head…what started all this?"

Suddenly he saw in his mind's eye the invitation that arrived in the mail…

"The combined classes of SDHS, 1965-1969, invite you and a guest to a "Classic" weekend at the Gingham Estate, Friday through Sunday" All meals and entertainment included. Please RSVP to Doug Sherman, Class of 1968."

"Well, this sounds like fun…." Laurie took the cream-colored card from Rick as he went through the mail.

"What, you want to spend time with a bunch of old geezers, drinking wine and talking about "the good old days"? Hmmmm?" He ragged, then laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Old geezers, huh.. ..I'm not old, and neither are you, Rick!" she protested, then squealed with delight as he tossed the mail onto a chair and advanced towards her saying "want to have some fun, girlie?" in a creepy old voice.

"Well, you want some fun, you have to come and get it!" she teased, then ran around the room as he chased her. Finally cornering her behind the couch, he pulled her onto the cushions and tickled her.

"Oh, Rick…stop…oh …." Laurie giggled, then put her arms around his neck as he kissed her. "Hmmmm, isn't this fun?" he murmured.

"Yes…oh…darn." She sat up as the phone rang next to them.

"Whoever that is, make 'em go away…" Rick grumbled, then brightened as she picked it up, then smiled.

"Hey Mom, how do you feel?"

"Much better, sweetie. This flu is just nasty…but I'm glad I won't be coming back to 100 degree heat." Cecelia told her, a slight hoarseness still in her voice. Rick sighed, his mother had come down with a nasty summer bug and had decided to stay at his aunt's in San Diego for the rest of the summer.

"Listen, Rick just got an invite to a Class Reunion in a couple of weeks….I was thinking maybe the kids and I might come visit Aunt Annie and you could come back with us." Laurie suggested. At once he smiled.

"That's a wonderful idea, sweetheart….let me talk to Mom."

As she handed the phone to him, a loud yipping at the back door let her know Jack wanted in. "Coming, Jacky!" she called, then dropped a kiss on her husband's cheek as she got up from his lap.

Grinning, he heard a chuckle from the other end of the line as he said, "Hi, Mom….miss me?"

"Yes….it's too quiet without my children…I would like to see you all….Maybe Robin and Ian and the kids could come down too?" she offered, and Rick sensed she missed her routine…and someone else.

"Sure, maybe even Oscar and Rudy could stop by for a weekend too." He mentioned nonchalantly. At once Cecilia laughed.

"Rick, don't ever change! You and Laurie ……all right, I do miss Oscar, and Rudy. Let me call them, there's no one in our rental so they could stay there."

"Now you're talking….what's my cousins up too?" As Rick listened to a story about his former playmates, Laurie came back into the living room, followed by their frisky pet, who promptly saw Rick and jumped into his lap.

"All right, Jack….calm down." He sputtered, trying unsuccessfully to avoid the puppy's wet tongue. Cecilia laughed in the background.

"I see Jack's happy to see his daddy….I'm going to let you go now, son….but I'll call you back to let you know what Annie and your cousins' schedules like. I'll tell Doug's mother you got the invitation and that you'll be coming."

"Thanks, Mom. Talk to you later, and don't forget to take your medicine." Rick added, teasingly.

"Like Annie'd let me forget." She grumbled, then made her goodbyes.