"Okay, let's go over who was here last Tuesday." Rob said, getting up from his chair and pacing the floor. Laurie and Rick were seated in Chief Joseph's old apartment, which Rob had taken over as his home when he became Tribal Chief. The past two days had brought additional phone calls, each one seemingly worse then the last. Running a trace on their phone had only yielded the calls being made from various payphones in the area.
"Sit down, Rob…you're going to wear yourself out." Laurie spoke up quietly, then reached out a hand to her old friend. A weary smile crossed his face, and he took her hand in his and squeezed it.
"I can't help it, Light…..the thought of anything happening to any of you because of the burial site….." Rob broke off as Rick sat bolt upright.
"Wait a minute…who was there when we came back to the office..Lorna…then Dinsdale. But who knew you were going out?"
"Only Lorna, because she keeps my visitors log and makes out the appointments….no, Rick…she couldn't have done this. She helped Chief Joseph for 30 years." Rob shook his head emphatically.
"I know that….but what if she told someone else, without knowing….." Rick persisted. A knock on the door made both Simon's jump, and Rob immediately went and answered it.
"A. J...Come on in…"
Relief poured over Rick as he and Laurie greeted his brother, who engulfed both of them in a hug.
"I just heard what's been happening….are you guys all right?" A.J. began, sitting between Rick and Laurie.
"We're okay, just frustrated…..but we may have a clue…." Rick began, then explained to A.J. what had gone on.
"Only one place to find out who Lorna may have mistakenly told or let know about our hike." Rob finished. "Light, I want Rick to drop you at the ranch, then he and A.J. come with me to the old Museum, she volunteers there on Fridays. I think we might be able to get Lorna's cooperation on this if she knows how serious these threats are."
"All right, I understand, Rob. Besides, I did promise Robin we'd go for a ride together..it'll be safe with Towne and Temple nearby. Jaime and Steve should be back from Phoenix later today." Laurie explained.
"That's my girl….after we talk to Lorna I promise to come home and make you some fry bread for dinner, okay?" he promised, putting his arm around her.
"More then okay, love." Laurie beamed, then dropped a kiss on his lips.
"I think we'd better go before he changes his mind, A.J." Rob smirked.
As Rick pulled up in front of the ranch, he smiled as his grandchildren clamored at the front door, "Grandma! Grandma's home!"
"Be good, sweetheart, I'll be back in a while." He said, then kissed her. Finally pulling away to breathe, he saw his wife's playful smile as she cooed. "I'll be waiting…."
"Bad girl…." He chuckled, then waited until she reached the porch before waving and pulling back out of the drive then heading toward the Center.
Once Laurie had greeted Petey and Katie, she put an arm around her daughter. "How are you doing, sweet?"
"I'm okay, just on edge waiting for another one of those horrible phone calls." Robin answered. Just then Ian came into the living room. "Honey, Robbie says it should be okay to bring the kids over for Lala's birthday…so I'll be right back."
"Okay, Ian…be good." Robin giggled as Ian pouted. "Why, what fun would that be!"
Seeing Robin and Ian being playful only strengthened Laurie's determination to help find out who was behind the threats. Saying goodbye to the excited children, Laurie went to change, calling to her daughter, "I'll be right out, honey." "I'll get a couple of apples for Silver and Light and meet you in the patio, Mom." Robin replied.
A few minutes later, Laurie was going through the kitchen when she looked through the window and saw Grandmother Kasey. A cold feeling cut through her as she didn't see Robin in the patio, and immediately she turned on her transmitter. "Rick….darling…it's Laurie."
At the museum in Silver Rock, Rick walked in to find an upset Lorna talking to Rob, as A.J. listened.
"Rob, there's no way I would have told either of those awful men where you had gone or what you found….I always keep what you tell me in confidence. Why only yesterday Ann wanted to know what your schedule was for today, and I told her it was none of her business and for her not to be so nosy…"
"Wait a minute…." Rick had a flash of memory back to the council meeting.
"Yes, Ann?"
A woman stood up, then giving a nasty look to the Horizon representative, said, "Chief, our next meeting is supposed to focus on the new school curriculum…I hope that still will be the focus of the agenda and not this casino business? And will we have a resumption of the journalism and writing class?"
"That's it…..Lorna..did you tell Ann about the proposal from Horizon…that it involved a casino?" Rick pressed. At his words, Lorna started to shake her head, then an ashamed look crossed her face.
"I'm not sure…Ann came into the office when I was putting together the agenda and you were opening that package…..I may have…no, no Rob…my own niece….she wouldn't do anything bad to you…she's been in love with you for years."
"Lorna….I'm not blaming you…but did you tell her I refused to put Horizon on the agenda?" Rob fixed his stare on the older woman, and she sadly nodded.
"That's it….Ann must have thought Rob should look at the proposal…but why would she do that?" Rick mused. A.J. gave a faint grin. "Money, Rick. Maybe she thought Rob would be persuaded by the people if they were enthusiastic about the checks they'd get."
Just then Rick's transmitter beeped, and Laurie's voice was heard. "Rick, ..darling…it's Laurie."
Seeing A.J. and Rob's knowing smiles, Rick hit his send button. "I hear you, sweetheart, what's up?"
"Rick…something's wrong….Robin's supposed to meet me in the patio to go riding, but I just changed clothes and came out to the kitchen, and she's not there….but Grandmother Kasey is." Laurie's voice faded a little, and immediately Rick turned and headed towards his truck. "A.J., call Robbie, he might be closer to the ranch then us…Rob, get help…something's wrong." He yelled back. As he climbed into the truck cab, he told his wife, "Find out if Grandmother saw Robin….and if not why she's there."
"All right, I'll leave my transmitter open." Laurie promised, then Rick heard her call to their daughter. Not hearing a response, Rick listened to the slam of the kitchen door, then Laurie's voice. "Grandmother….where's Robin…did you see her?"
"Child…there is danger…but do not let anger make you do wrong….save your daughter, then let Richard and the others handle it." The soft voice was barely understandable, but Rick gunned his engine, then peeled out of the parking spot and back onto the highway towards the ranch.
"Grandmother..where is she?" He could hear Laurie was frantic, then the spirit must have made a motion, as she whispered to him, "Rick, hurry….Robin's in the barn…she says there's danger."
Before he could warn her, the creak of the barn door told him his wife had gone inside, then Rick heard another sound..the cocking of a gun.
"What are you doing here? Where's my daughter!" Laurie called out. At once a familiar voice replied. "She's safe for the moment, but I'll burn her alive if you give me any trouble. Now open that stall door and go inside!"
Changing settings on his watch, Rick beeped his brother, only to find A.J. was already responding to the frightening transmission. "Rick, drive all the way back to the barn, I'll come in the other side ….Robbie just called me, he's on his way from the Cultural Center…I'll let him know where Sis is.."
"Tell him to hurry, A.J….it's Ann and she's threatening Laurie and Robin!" Rick pleaded, then switched back to his wife's frequency in time to hear the sounds of fighting.
"No you don't, Mrs. Simon….if you don't stop, I'll shoot her!" The sound of something dropping caused him to take the curve at Rocky Point at high speed and he nearly fishtailed. Just then he "felt" the fear in Laurie's thoughts, then almost a woozy sensation. "Rick…being drugged…Robin's unconscious…hurry…" she told him faintly.
"Hold your breath, darlin'…I'm almost there…hold on for me…" He "called" to her. Coming to their driveway, he cut his motor, then coasted silently down the side drive and stopped. Quietly climbing out of his truck, he froze as smoke started to seep from under the stable door. Running to the other side of the barn, he heard a pounding sound, then saw the back door was ajar and he crept toward it. Inside, he saw the lanky form of Ann Johns holding a lighter in one hand and trying to hold one of the stall doors closed. Already two burning bales of hay were propped against the other entrance, and a third was next to the adjacent stalls,
Pulling out his weapon, Rick ran inside and pointed his gun. "Back away from the door and drop that lighter!" Startled, the woman whirled and let go of the wooden door, causing it to fly open. "I said, drop it!" Rick yelled, then Ann did as he said, only to pull her own gun and point it inside the stall.
"No…you drop it, Mr. Simon…or they're both dead. I didn't come this far to let any Simon mess up my plan. You've kept Rob Gamez from me long enough…without any of you around, he'll finally see what I have to offer!" Behind her, a long pole appeared through a crack in the blocked door, and slowly pushed the burning hay back. The door slid open to reveal his brother, weapon in hand.
Seeing a crazed look in her eyes, Rick shook his head. "Rob already knows what you've done…..you'll never get away with killing all three of us!"
Panic-stricken, Ann stared at him, then started to scream. "Noooo! You've ruined it….."
Suddenly one of the horses started to whinny, and seeing the woman was distracted, Rick fired, knocking her gun from her hand. Crazed, Ann rushed at him, and he automatically side-stepped her, causing her to bang into the wall and collapse, dazed. "A.J….grab the extinguisher!" he yelled.
Rick holstered his weapon and ran inside the stall, calling "Laurie! Robin!", where he found Laurie half-sitting, a woozy Robin in her arms. Both were choking on the billowing smoke, and quickly Rick got an arm around each of them.
"Rick?…you came…Honey…wake up, your father's here." Laurie managed hoarsely, trying to stand. Robin's eyes were glassy, but she turned her head and focused on Rick as he got both of them to their feet. "It's all right, I've got you…let's get out of here!" he said, then was relieved to see A.J. run in and start spraying the growing fire with a fire extinguisher. "I'll take care of this, you get the girls outside!" he yelled. Staggering outside with both women, Rick took them to the patio, then gently lowered them onto a bench. Turning back to fetch their would-be murderer, he saw A.J. bringing her outside, her weapon stuck in his waistband.
"Thanks, little brother…put her down there…Rob should be here in a minute, ah, there he is." Rick sighed with relief, seeing the tribal chief with Rudy Wells in tow. Immediately Rudy veered over to where Laurie was rubbing her daughter's back, murmuring, "Just breathe, baby…." "Missy, let me see.." Rudy asked, then Laurie released Robin from her arms. Pulling an oxygen mask with a small tube from his bag, the old doctor put it over the young woman's face, and in a moment she was breathing better. "That's the girl.." he smiled, seeing her eyes brighten.
As A.J. put Ann down on the bench opposite Laurie and Robin, the woman made a fast move and pulled her gun away from A.J.. Turning her back on the others, the woman pointed her weapon at Rob. "No…it's not over. Put down your gun, and I won't hurt you."
Before he could react, Laurie flew past Rick, then knocked the weapon from Ann's hand. As the woman fell, then tried to reach for her gun, Laurie stepped on her hand, then picked the weapon up from the ground and covered her.
"I ought to shoot you; you almost killed my daughter…." Laurie said angrily, cocking the hammer on the gun. Rick saw his wife's hand shaking, and quietly said, "No, sweetheart, let Rob take charge of her so she can't hurt anyone again." Just then Robbie appeared, and he gasped, "Mama!".
At once, Laurie took a ragged breath, then begged, "Rob, please take the gun….."
"That's our Light." Rob said, pulling the weapon from her nerveless fingers. Rick rushed to her, then wrapped his arms around her as she broke down. "Shhh…it's okay..my brave girl…don't cry…"
"Grandmother warned me…she told me not to do wrong…." Laurie wept, then Rick stroked her hair as he said, "And you didn't, princess….you didn't do anything but fight to save our daughter, then Rob…see?"
"That's the truth, Light." Rob dropped to one knee in front of the Simons, then put an hand on Laurie's shoulder. "Thank you, honey, for stopping her."
"I had to, Rob….no one hurts our friends." She sniffed, then Rick fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a clean handkerchief. "Here, darlin'…blow." He urged, then laughed as she noisily blew her nose. A soft giggle erupted from his wife, and she put her arms around him. "You are so naughty…I love you, Rick…you always come to save me..and your loved ones."
"That's because you are my loved one." He told her emotionally, then picked her up in his arms. "Come on …time for me to take care of my warrior."
"Yes, love." She sighed, then rested her head against his shoulder as Rick took her inside, followed by Robbie, who helped his sister off the bench and into the house. Behind them, a smiling Kasey Scott appeared, earning a stare from the almost catatonic suspect,
"No…she's not real…" Ann Johns moaned, then was silent as Rob explained, "Of course she's not, but if she was, I wouldn't open my mouth about it if I were you!"
