Chapter 1
Arriving in Los Angeles, Rick felt like they had stepped into another world. Phoenix, while not exactly a small town, felt positively slow compared to the pace of the traffic, the sounds, even the attitude they faced coming into town.
Once the brothers got thru the rental car maze and headed toward Ojai, A.J. looked at his brother and, shaking his head, remarked "I am never again going to complain about the slow service we get in Phoenix, Was it ever this bad in San Diego?"
Rick grinned, "Nothing was ever this bad in San Diego, we've just been spoiled the last couple of years, that's all. Let's hope that Laurie's shortcut is still that." "What?" "Short!"
It was one of the last light moments the two of them would remember for several days.
Driving into Ventura County, the Simons passed rolling hills, stretches of tract homes, then nothing but fields of fruit. Taking his wife's directions to heart, they veered off Highway 1 to take the old road, which delivered them in less then an hour to the obscured gate of OSI's West Coast headquarters.
Checking in with the guard, Rick noticed the usually friendly security personnel were on edge, double checking their identification then having their rental car checked inside and out.
Finally waved through, A.J. wryly suggested, "Think somebody got the idea about the barn door and the horse?" The older Simon snorted, "You think? I bet we get the same treatment at Oscar's office. About time, too."
As they pulled into the main complex, Oscar was standing, waiting for them in the entry way with a couple of guards. He waved them out of the car, and as the brothers went to greet him, they could see the men move in to start checking the vehicle.
"Rick, A.J., I'm glad to see you guys." He shook hands and then led them into the unpretentious office quarters he shared with Rudy Wells. Walking past the door with his name, Rick found it hard not to knock and open it, automatically picturing their friend behind his desk.
Sitting down opposite Oscar, Rick noticed how worn and haggard he appeared, realizing for the first time how vunerable these Government warriors were when something happened to one of their own. "Oscar, has there been any news, any word about Rudy?" He looked up at the Simons, then shook his head. "Not a clue, no demands, no ransom request, nothing.
We went over Rudy's place three times, not even a usable fingerprint. Just this cryptic poem," showing them the rhyme that Linda had already related to A.J.
Rick cleared his throat, baffled that the experts had come up so far empty. Before he could say as much, A. J. said, "Have there been any escapes or early releases of criminals who might have a grudge against him?" Oscar pulled out a file, then handed them a list of names, a few blacked out obviously for security concerns. "These are our worst case scenario prisoners, everyone of them is either dead or still in prison. We even checked their relatives, none of them are in the area or even remotely interested in doing anything of this sort."
Rick peered at the list, then snapped his fingers. "Oscar, what about Aaron Caparelli, he isn't on this list." The big man stared at him, then picking up the phone, punched in a number and asked for the Warden at San Quentin.
Within a few moments, the Simons saw his expression darken, as he first calmly, then angrily questioned the person on the end. Rick knew before he hung up what he was going to say.
Oscar took a deep breath, then facing the brothers, said, "Rick, you called it; Aaron Caparelli was taken for a parole hearing a week ago, slipped his guard and has vanished. The warden states our office was to have been notified four days ago. I want you to call the sheriff in Silver Rock and the chief and see if they will move into the ranch with Laurie, if he took Rudy he's bound to go after her next."
A.J. spoke up, "Not only that, but we've got to get hold of Steve, he may try to kill him like his brother nearly did. Oscar nodded, and then told him, "I have a man watching over Linda, maybe you would like to check on her. She's been so worried, it might help if she had someone she trusts with her."
The younger Simon grinned, then thanked him and told Rick, "I'll take the rental, maybe Oscar will let you bunk here. Don't wait up."
"Very funny, A.J., call when you get there, ok?" Rick gruffly told him, trying to play down the risk. As A.J. left, Oscar handed him a phone, and he started making calls.
Getting in touch with Laurie, Rick was relieved to learn that Chief Joseph had already come to visit, and once he learned the danger she was in, immediately said he would stay at the ranch until Rick returned. Putting Laurie back on, he was adamant she was to stay put. "Yes, Rick, I promise, now tell Oscar to be careful and give my love to Linda. You guys take care, please?" her voice cracked and he hastened to reassure her. "Sweetheart, we're going to find Rudy, as soon as we do, you can fly out and we'll be together, I promise." "I'll hold you to that, darling, I love you. Tell A.J. hi for me." Rick said goodbye, then hung up. Trying to forget how much he missed her already, he dialed Steve and Jaime, only to find their machine on. Leaving a message to call him at Oscar's office, he turned away from the phone to see Oscar pull out a file marked "Caparelli, Aaron" and call him over. "Now that we've got an idea who's behind this, maybe we can find where he's getting his resources. "
For the next few hours, the two men went through every resource they had on the Caparelli family, a quick dinner their only break. It was close to 10 pm when A.J. called, and Oscar had Rick put him on the speaker phone, "A.J., how's Linda doing?" "She's fine; we've been going over this creepy code, but nothing rings a bell." the younger Simon replied. A.J. started to ask how their paper search was going, only to be interrupted by Linda, "Oscar, who's supposed to be on duty outside tonight?" The big man frowned. "Johnson, honey, is he at the door?" "No, it looks like someone else, this guy says he's supposed to come in to check something."
Suddenly they heard A.J. yell, "Down, Linda!" and a loud noise sounded, like an explosion. Rick started to yell, "A.J., A.J.," There was the sound of coughing, of someone struggling, then .
A voice came on, repeating the verse found in Rudy's apartment.
"Count them all from one to seven Find the letters before they go to heaven, Come to me or it will be hell, Pay the price and all will be well"
Silence.
Arriving in Los Angeles, Rick felt like they had stepped into another world. Phoenix, while not exactly a small town, felt positively slow compared to the pace of the traffic, the sounds, even the attitude they faced coming into town.
Once the brothers got thru the rental car maze and headed toward Ojai, A.J. looked at his brother and, shaking his head, remarked "I am never again going to complain about the slow service we get in Phoenix, Was it ever this bad in San Diego?"
Rick grinned, "Nothing was ever this bad in San Diego, we've just been spoiled the last couple of years, that's all. Let's hope that Laurie's shortcut is still that." "What?" "Short!"
It was one of the last light moments the two of them would remember for several days.
Driving into Ventura County, the Simons passed rolling hills, stretches of tract homes, then nothing but fields of fruit. Taking his wife's directions to heart, they veered off Highway 1 to take the old road, which delivered them in less then an hour to the obscured gate of OSI's West Coast headquarters.
Checking in with the guard, Rick noticed the usually friendly security personnel were on edge, double checking their identification then having their rental car checked inside and out.
Finally waved through, A.J. wryly suggested, "Think somebody got the idea about the barn door and the horse?" The older Simon snorted, "You think? I bet we get the same treatment at Oscar's office. About time, too."
As they pulled into the main complex, Oscar was standing, waiting for them in the entry way with a couple of guards. He waved them out of the car, and as the brothers went to greet him, they could see the men move in to start checking the vehicle.
"Rick, A.J., I'm glad to see you guys." He shook hands and then led them into the unpretentious office quarters he shared with Rudy Wells. Walking past the door with his name, Rick found it hard not to knock and open it, automatically picturing their friend behind his desk.
Sitting down opposite Oscar, Rick noticed how worn and haggard he appeared, realizing for the first time how vunerable these Government warriors were when something happened to one of their own. "Oscar, has there been any news, any word about Rudy?" He looked up at the Simons, then shook his head. "Not a clue, no demands, no ransom request, nothing.
We went over Rudy's place three times, not even a usable fingerprint. Just this cryptic poem," showing them the rhyme that Linda had already related to A.J.
Rick cleared his throat, baffled that the experts had come up so far empty. Before he could say as much, A. J. said, "Have there been any escapes or early releases of criminals who might have a grudge against him?" Oscar pulled out a file, then handed them a list of names, a few blacked out obviously for security concerns. "These are our worst case scenario prisoners, everyone of them is either dead or still in prison. We even checked their relatives, none of them are in the area or even remotely interested in doing anything of this sort."
Rick peered at the list, then snapped his fingers. "Oscar, what about Aaron Caparelli, he isn't on this list." The big man stared at him, then picking up the phone, punched in a number and asked for the Warden at San Quentin.
Within a few moments, the Simons saw his expression darken, as he first calmly, then angrily questioned the person on the end. Rick knew before he hung up what he was going to say.
Oscar took a deep breath, then facing the brothers, said, "Rick, you called it; Aaron Caparelli was taken for a parole hearing a week ago, slipped his guard and has vanished. The warden states our office was to have been notified four days ago. I want you to call the sheriff in Silver Rock and the chief and see if they will move into the ranch with Laurie, if he took Rudy he's bound to go after her next."
A.J. spoke up, "Not only that, but we've got to get hold of Steve, he may try to kill him like his brother nearly did. Oscar nodded, and then told him, "I have a man watching over Linda, maybe you would like to check on her. She's been so worried, it might help if she had someone she trusts with her."
The younger Simon grinned, then thanked him and told Rick, "I'll take the rental, maybe Oscar will let you bunk here. Don't wait up."
"Very funny, A.J., call when you get there, ok?" Rick gruffly told him, trying to play down the risk. As A.J. left, Oscar handed him a phone, and he started making calls.
Getting in touch with Laurie, Rick was relieved to learn that Chief Joseph had already come to visit, and once he learned the danger she was in, immediately said he would stay at the ranch until Rick returned. Putting Laurie back on, he was adamant she was to stay put. "Yes, Rick, I promise, now tell Oscar to be careful and give my love to Linda. You guys take care, please?" her voice cracked and he hastened to reassure her. "Sweetheart, we're going to find Rudy, as soon as we do, you can fly out and we'll be together, I promise." "I'll hold you to that, darling, I love you. Tell A.J. hi for me." Rick said goodbye, then hung up. Trying to forget how much he missed her already, he dialed Steve and Jaime, only to find their machine on. Leaving a message to call him at Oscar's office, he turned away from the phone to see Oscar pull out a file marked "Caparelli, Aaron" and call him over. "Now that we've got an idea who's behind this, maybe we can find where he's getting his resources. "
For the next few hours, the two men went through every resource they had on the Caparelli family, a quick dinner their only break. It was close to 10 pm when A.J. called, and Oscar had Rick put him on the speaker phone, "A.J., how's Linda doing?" "She's fine; we've been going over this creepy code, but nothing rings a bell." the younger Simon replied. A.J. started to ask how their paper search was going, only to be interrupted by Linda, "Oscar, who's supposed to be on duty outside tonight?" The big man frowned. "Johnson, honey, is he at the door?" "No, it looks like someone else, this guy says he's supposed to come in to check something."
Suddenly they heard A.J. yell, "Down, Linda!" and a loud noise sounded, like an explosion. Rick started to yell, "A.J., A.J.," There was the sound of coughing, of someone struggling, then .
A voice came on, repeating the verse found in Rudy's apartment.
"Count them all from one to seven Find the letters before they go to heaven, Come to me or it will be hell, Pay the price and all will be well"
Silence.