CHAPTER 4

"Houston!" The PI's mind flashed back a few years to when Hoyt's bellowing had been a near constant in his life. After a slight pause he turned to look at the angry cop who stalked across the squad room looking ready to rip him to shreds.

"Hoyt." Just play it cool.

"What in the hell are you doing here?"

"He's sign-..." Gabriela Giovanni began to explain.

"Giovanni, if you asked for his help with a case…"

"She didn't; I'm here to sign a report."

"So sign it and get the hell out."

Giovanni looked between the two in bewilderment as her boss glared at the man that, as far as she knew, had done nothing but help the department with some of its toughest cases.

Keeping his voice even and calm, Matt leaned on Giovanni's desk and began signing the report. "Let me know when you get that burr out from under your saddle, Michael." Handing the pen back to the woman he looked back over at the lieutenant. "And you best remember your manners when you speak to my wife: she didn't know anything about it."

"What is that supposed to be - some kind of a threat?!"

"No. I don't make threats. I make promises." He turned toward the elevator. "And I keep them, too. Even the ones to Kathy." He could feel the glaring eyes on his back while he waited for the elevator.

"See to it that you don't come back." The doors opened and Jennings exited the car as Matt turned around to face Hoyt.

"It's a public building; I'll be back if I have business here."

Hoyt lunged at the PI and Jennings hurriedly stepped between them, pushing his boss backwards in the direction of the lieutenant's office. "Cool it!" The pair struggled as Houston calmly turned and entered the elevator, the doors closing ending his view of Michael still attempting to get his hands on him.

"Giovanni, what kind of stunt do you think you're pulling? I specifically told everyone in this office not to call Houston in for any reason whatsoever!"

"I didn't. He already told you that he was signing a report."

"He already signed the robbery report! I'll not have you undermining my authority."

Jennings was the one to break the tense silence. "He was the complainant."

"What - did someone take his parking place?" Michael gave his junior officer a sarcastic look.

"No…" The sergeant removed his phone from his shirt pocket and held it in front of his boss's face. "He was shot at about an hour ago."

Hoyt's eyes focused on the picture that showed the private investigator's truck riddled with bullet holes. In a matter of seconds his demeanor changed completely. "You're the boss, Lieutenant. But it seems to me that you might want to cut the man a little slack." Giving his superior a nasty look he turned and went to his desk, the other detectives in the squad staring angrily at Hoyt who stood in shocked silence before turning and going into his office, the door closing quietly behind him as normal activity resumed in the squadroom.

Sitting down behind his desk, Michael felt as though he had been slapped. In his anger he hadn't even considered the fact that Matt might have been there for any reason other than to help one of the detectives in his squad. He was mad at Houston and he felt deservedly so: the man had withheld information from him about Kathy. But the fact that once again someone was after him cut through that anger and left him feeling shaken.

Walking over to the window, he looked out on the street below. Houston had saved his life as well as Kathy's, nearly dying in the process and a thought occurred to him: How would you feel if they had killed him? Shame flooded him and he hung his head. Going to the office door he called both Giovanni and Jennings into the office and sat back down behind the desk once again.

"What happened exactly?"

Jennings pulled up the pictures of the truck. "He was working on the Devon Collins case. Said he received a call to meet up with a guy that claimed to know who had killed him. When he got to the parking lot behind the theater on Western somebody opened fire." He paused for a few seconds. "He's lucky to be alive. The cab of his truck looks like Swiss cheese."

In a very quiet voice Michael replied. "Do we have any leads?"

"CSI is all over it. Best guess is that the weapon was a TEC 9."

"I owe you an apology… both of you."

Totally out of character, Giovanni spoke up. "Give mine to Houston." She stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her as the lieutenant sat in shocked silence. Jennings quietly left the office, hoping that his boss would come to his senses - and to the aid of their mutual friend.

Almost an hour later Matt got out of the cab at the gate of the sprawling ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains after a tense ride during which he had continually checked to make sure that he wasn't being followed. Tucking the pistol into his waistband, he paid the cabbie as the gates rolled open. Bo and Lamar were waiting for him, both armed with rifles and grim faces. Sliding into the passenger side of the truck, he thanked the pair.

"No problem. I can't believe Hoyt didn't at least have a cop car bring you home." Lamar looked across at Matt who made absolutely no comment. The ride up to the house was made in silence and after thanking the pair again, the PI got out and headed for the kitchen door where he was met by an obviously upset CJ who rushed out to meet him, instantly throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him close. The two ranch hands exchanged a look before going back down to the gate. After the news that their boss had once again been a target, they had decided to guard the gate even though the ranch had the most sophisticated security system going.

Back at the house, Matt went into the kitchen where he was set upon by the three youngest of their children who knew nothing of how close they had come to losing their daddy that day. Sheila, although trying to appear normal, was upset as well. She gave him a hug after the babies had gone back to their dinner.

"Sit down and I'll fix you a plate, hon." CJ was quietly wiping away a couple of tears.

"Not hungry. I'll be down at the barn if you need me." Turning, he went back out the door. CJ watched as he began the walk down the slight hill, his head hung down.

"So you-know-who didn't even show up?" Sheila didn't want to speak Hoyt's name but her voice shook with anger.

"Matt didn't call him. Lee said that he was in a meeting anyway."

Down at the barn, Matt went around to the side and rolled open the bay door, flipping on a light switch as he entered. His truck was now at the LAPD crime lab and was in no shape to be driven anyway. He had decided on the way home that he would switch to another less attention-grabbing vehicle until he knew what would happen with the Dream Truck as he liked to call it. Removing a tan tarp, he revealed the very first vehicle he had ever owned: a 1977 Dodge Power Wagon. As fifteen year olds, he and his best friend Chuck Wylie had spent hours upon hours rebuilding the engine. He had moved the truck up to the California ranch from Texas a few months earlier and had it repainted, the black color now reflecting the mood he was feeling. He popped the hood and checked all the fluids, then wiped his hands on a bandana before stepping up into the truck. Bumping the key, he couldn't help but smile as the engine came to life, the deceptively quiet rumble causing him to nod. His phone began ringing and as soon as he pulled it out of his pocket he saw the caller ID on the screen: Hoyt. Nope, not right now. He declined the call, something that he had never done when the cop had called him before. Right now he wanted to do a little looking around on his own. The chances of the lab having any results for him already were slim; maybe Michael had called to apologize, but Matt wasn't in the mood to find out. After the way he had acted that afternoon, he wasn't sure he ever wanted to talk to him again.

Dropping the truck into gear, he eased it out of the barn and drove it up to the house, parking it and listening to the rumble of the engine for a minute before shutting it off and entering the house. A quick stop by the coffee pot and a few minutes of playtime with the kids in the floor of the den were followed by a trip into the home office that he and CJ shared. As he powered up the computer on his desk and the monitors came to life he thought about what had happened that afternoon. Closing his eyes he concentrated on the details of the attack. The call had come in on the office line, so he would check the call records. It was a man's voice on the line telling him that he had information on the Collins murder and to meet him behind the movie theater on Western. That was the extent of the call. There had been no unusual sounds in the background that would tell him where the caller might be. The parking lot behind the theater was nearly empty: only two cars were there and Matt had jotted down the license plate numbers after calling the police. Most likely the vehicles belonged to employees of the movie house, but he would run a check on those as well. As far as the shooter, a blur of movement had caught his attention and then the glint of sunshine on metal had sent the familiar hair-raising sensation down the back of his neck and as he saw the first muzzle flash, the PI dove into the floor of the truck as he drew his pistol. Twenty shots cut through the metal and glass of the truck sending shards raining down on top of him. Miraculously the only wounds he had received were cuts from glass when he had slid out of the passenger side of the truck after the shooting stopped. The shooter had been a white male with a mustache, dark hair, maybe in his twenties, and wearing a black t-shirt. Gabby Giovanni had been the first on the scene and taken the information from him, putting out a BOLO for the man. Lee had arrived soon after and offered to have officers ferry him home and a guard placed at the gate of the ranch, but was astounded when Matt turned him down and quietly walked away as the truck was winched up onto a police department wrecker for the trip to the lab.

His phone rang again: Michael. Once again the call was declined and he was slightly startled by the fact that CJ was standing just inches from him. "Didn't hear you come in, Lil Mama."

She saw the ID on the phone. "Have you talked to him?"

"Uh huh. He told me not to come back to the department."

"He what?!" Her face immediately flushed with anger.

"He didn't know what had happened. Although I'm not real sure that would have made any difference anyway. Hell, if I hadn't seen the shooter was white I might've thought it was him."

"This crap has gone far enough. I want an answer right now, Matt: what in the hell are you two arguing about?"

"He's pissed because Kathy told me that she is going for a degree in Criminal Justice...before she told Anne and him."

"I understand he might be a little irritated that Kathy told you her plans first, but honestly - how are you supposed to control that?"

"Don't know." He pulled out the keyboard and began first by doing a search through the DMV records on the two vehicles that were in the parking lot. Both were registered to employees of the theater and both were women in their forties. It was highly doubtful that either had had anything to do with what had happened.

CJ walked over to the windows that looked down toward the barn and pastures that reached out into the mountains. Trying to calm herself, she took a few deep breaths.

Matt switched gears and tapped into the call logs for Houston Investigations, finding where the mysterious call had come in at 3:37. He traced the number of the caller. "Son of a bitch."

Turning to face her husband, CJ had already guessed it. "Burner phone?"

"Yeah." Blowing out a breath, he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, feeling CJ move behind his chair and then begin to massage the muscles in his neck.

"Sit up." He did and after a minute heard and felt the familiar crack of his neck as she once again worked her magic. Since they had first come to California while hunting down millionaire psycho Emil Castanos she had been able to know just what to do to relieve the headaches that often plagued him. "You need to eat." He shook his head no. Her arms went around his shoulders and he leaned back into the hug.

"What I need to do is go to the Collins house."

"Uh, no."

"CJ, we've got a case to work."

"Right now the only case I'm worried about is finding out who shot at you this afternoon."

"Nope. Right now I've reached a dead end on that."

"Not a good choice of words…" She watched as he opened one eye and looked up into hers, that crooked grin creeping across his face.

"Wondered if you'd catch that."

"You're not going."

"Yes ma'am, I am." He leaned forward and stood, turning to face her. "CJ, I can't just hide here at the ranch: I've got other things to do. My class starts in a couple of days."

"Call Don and tell him -..."

"No. It's already been delayed too many times." He saw as her bottom lip began to quiver. Pulling her into a tight hug, he stroked her hair. "We both know it could have been anybody - or nobody for that matter. Coulda just been some nut looking to fire off a few rounds. It is Hollyweird after all."

"Let me go with you."

"Nope." He tilted her head and kissed her. "You need to stay here with Sheila and keep these younguns corralled."

"You shouldn't go alone."

"I'll be fine."

"Please…"

"Babe, I don't - …"

"Take Bo with you." She watched as he shook his head. "Or are you afraid someone will start shooting again?"

"No, I'm not."

"Then take Bo."

"I'm sure he's got better things planned for tonight."

"Uh huh. Right now he and Lamar are guarding the front gate."

"There's no need for that."

"At least they care enough to try to keep you safe. Unlike some others." The contempt for Michael came through clearly.

He sighed. "If I take him, will you settle down?"

"Maybe…" She began following him out. "For a little while…"

Stopping in the den once again he watched as Vinny took one of the blocks that Catey was building with while Mike had her distracted. Then when she turned her attention back to her tower and noticed she was missing a block and that her brother had it, Mike would take another while she bargained with Vinny for the first block back. Sheila was having a good chuckle over the routine and the half Blue Heeler/half Husky Tilly was keeping an eye on all three kids.

"They're a lot like their daddy." The nanny looked up at him.

"Gotta start young I guess." He knelt down and swooped his daughter up in his arms causing her to squeal. "Lady Bug, can you and your brothers be good while I'm gone?"

"Again?"

"I've got work to do, kiddo."

Sighing, she gave him a look and batted her eyelashes. "You could just stay here and play."

"Can't right now. Got a kiss for me?" He received a kiss on the cheek and a big hug from the two year old before setting her back down on the carpet and then picking up each one of his sons in turn and getting kisses from them, too. Just weeks shy of a year old, it was impossible to tell that both had been born a month early. They were growing so fast it was inconceivable. "Y'all be good for Mama and Miss Sheila, ya hear?" Although the two boys nodded, both were grinning the same crooked grin that often crossed their dad's features and caused him to chuckle with pride.

"Be safe, hon." CJ gave him another hug and kiss before being dragged down into the floor to play with the kids. "And call me. Love you."

"Yes ma'am. Love you." He unlocked the gun case, retrieved his holster, and went out to the truck. At the bottom of the drive he stopped next to the truck that his two ranch hands were seated in.

"Whooo wee!" Both men climbed out of the truck to admire the one that their boss was driving. "That paint job turned out real good." Lamar pushed back his cowboy hat.

Bo scratched the back of his neck. "It's a wonder that truck is still around to be painted. I seem to recall some hot headed kid tryin' to impress his date by jumpin' a police car and Fentress Creek." All three men laughed. "Who are you tryin' to impress now?"

"Hopefully nobody." He nodded at the younger of the two men. "Feel like going for a ride? CJ thinks I need supervision."

"So what's new there?" Although he tried to make light of it, Bo knew exactly why the woman was worried.

"You don't have to."

"Tell you what…" The cowboy grinned as he made his way around the front of the truck. "I'd sure rather get shot at by somebody besides CJ - that girl's a damn good shot." The trio laughed again as he climbed up into the truck. "You know there's only one problem with this thing."

"What's that?" Matt dropped it into gear.

"It's too dog gone clean - needs a little mud on it."

"I'll work on that." Turning his attention back to Lamar he jerked his head in the direction of the house. "You don't need to stay down here, bud. Go on and kick back."

"Naw…"

"Well then go up to the house and help out CJ and Sheila with the herd."

"Now that I might do. Y'all be careful out there."

"We will." Matt waited for the gates to roll open and then pulled on through and turned onto Saddle Peak Road.

"I got a question." Bo looked over at Matt. "Just what in the hell is Hoyt pissed off about?"

Looking into the rearview mirror again, the PI shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"You know what? I've been keeping an eye out for you for over thirty years. Taught you how to ride, rope, how to get a girl -..."

An involuntary chuckle came from Matt. "You're gettin' a little carried away, Bo."

"Not my fault you were slow on the uptake with CJ." Both laughed. "But now this business of you gettin' shot at again and him not backin' you up…" The cowboy paused. "I can't believe it." He waited for a reply. "Well?"

Knowing he wouldn't get a moment's peace, Matt finally told him what had happened.

"He's mad at you because of something she told you before she told him? That's about the dumbest thing I ever heard."

Shrugging, the younger man continued to drive along, his eyes constantly sweeping back and forth looking for the first sign of trouble. "Right now I'm not going to worry about that. He can just get glad in the same drawers he got mad in. I've got work to do and not a lot of time to get it done."

"Alright. Where are we going?"

"The Collins house."

"You can get in there?"

"Yep. I'm working for the best damn defense attorney going."

Meanwhile in an office building downtown...

Dmitri was ushered into the lavish office overlooking the downtown Los Angeles skyline. He had been picked up at his girlfriend's apartment twenty minutes earlier by two men who had made it perfectly clear that he would be going with them and no wasn't an option. The chair behind the large mahogany desk was facing the view outside, the lights twinkling across the sprawl. In the near darkness of the room it was impossible to see a reflection of the occupant, but he spoke quietly as Dmitri started to have a seat in the empty chair in front of him. "Don't - you won't be here that long."

"Okay."

"You failed today. What happened?" The chair was turned toward him and the vague outline of a man was just visible.

Shaking his head he replied. "He should be dead right now. That truck-..."

"But he's still very much alive."

"I'm sorry, sir. I fired two dozen shots…"

There was a slight movement and the sound of a lighter being ignited, the smoke from a cigarette slowly drifting upward as the top was snapped closed. Dmitri could make out a flash of red color on the side of it as the man slowly turned it in his hand. "Your instructions were to take him out. Not to bring attention to yourself, not to miss…" There was a pause as the mysterious man took a drag. "Up close and personal would have gotten the job done. Why were you on the roof?"

This time it was Dmitri himself who paused. "He's got a reputation. I mean-..."

"So what you are telling me is that you're a coward?"

"No, sir. It's just that - well, he isn't just some ngordhalaq on the street."

"I don't often give second chances."

Sweat began to form on the would-be hitman's brow.

"Don't make me regret giving you one."

"No, sir. I won't."

There was another slight movement by the mysterious man and the two men who had delivered him to the meeting now roughly turned Dmitri toward the door.

"See that you don't."

He was taken from the office and within seconds a man entered the office from the private washroom, his hulking size seeming to fill up even the spacious area.

"No loose ends, Viktor. Keep a close eye on him."

There was a nod from the hulking figure and he strode out the door.