Chapter 3

Rick bolted up the walk, as Oscar ran around the back of the apartment. he paused, seeing the door half open, then hearing Caparelli's voice, edged inside. He pulled out his revolver, and quickened his pace through the entryway.

Stepping noiselessly into the hall, he glanced into the dim living room, and saw Laurie bound and gagged, squirming away from the madman, as he said in a threatening voice, "Either me, or the needle, you get either unless you tell me where your husband is."

Caparelli started to pick up her up by her blouse, when Rick yelled, "let her go!" and raised his gun. Caparelli dropped her and spun around, reaching for his gun at the same time only to have Laurie jackknife her legs and hit him in the mid-section. Howling in anger, he grabbed for the syringe only to be hit by gunfire from both Oscar and Rick, knocking him backward and over the sofa.

For a moment, there was only silence, as Rick pocketed his gun and raced over to his wife, as she lay shaking on the floor. Oscar ran in from the kitchen where he had leveled Caparelli, and helped Rick pick Laurie up and gently place her on the couch. As Rick pulled the gag out of her mouth, she started to sob, "Rick, oh, Rick," "Sweetheart, darlin', it's all right", he soothed her, holding her and untying her wrists. Oscar freed her legs, then brought over a bottle of water which Rick held to her lips, giving her sips between her diminishing tears. Taking a ragged breath, she leaned into him, gasping, "I'm sorry, so sorry, darling, I should have called, didn't know it was a trap." Near tears himself, Rick comforted her, "Laurie, honey, you didn't have any way of knowing, we were fooled too, my brave girl, you wouldn't give in. I heard him threaten you, so you don't have anything to be sorry about, ok?" She looked into his eyes then settled into his arms, "All right," she whispered, sniffing.

Oscar knelt next to her and hugged her, saying "Thank God you're safe, if you hadn't told Steve where you were," He broke off as she put both arms around him. "Oscar, I'm ok, just get me away from here." Just then they heard Captain Stevens's voice, "Laurie! Mr. Goldman, is everyone alright?"

Rick called back, "We're in here!" and the chief came down the hall, gun unholstered. He took in the scene, then came over to Laurie, saying, "Are you ok, did he hurt you?"

She looked down, nodding, at which point he looked at her husband, then Oscar called his attention to the body of Caparelli behind the sofa. As he pulled out his radio and directed a couple of his men to come in with a forensic kit, Rick took out a handkerchief and dabbed at a couple of the cuts on Laurie's face, trying to be gentle. "Where does it hurt, sweetheart, " he asked, seeing her gasp with pain. "My cheek, it feels like it's burning. She tried to ease into a sitting position, only to bite off a cry, "My leg, oh!" Oscar came back from directing the deputies in, "Honey, we're going to take you right to the hospital, just hold on."

Captain Stevens stopped him, "Just a minute, Goldman, This is a crime investigation; I need to know what happened here." Rick started up angrily, only to have Laurie pull him back down.

"Please, Rick, I'll tell him." Taking a deep breath, she told them of being dropped off by Allen Capp, then of what happened after she heard from Steve.

When she got to the part where Caparelli threatened her with the needle, or himself, she. put her face in Rick's shoulder, nearly breaking into tears again, and he stroked her hair until she regained control. She looked back up at the stone-faced Captain, adding, "He was going to shoot me up with something he had in a vial, He showed me the needle, then said, did I want him to persuade him another way. That's when Rick and Oscar broke in, he dropped me and pulled a gun on Rick, so I managed to kick him in the stomach then roll onto the floor, so he dropped the gun and went to grab the needle, When I heard the gunshots, oh, I was afraid he had managed to get the gun and shoot them. He's dead, isn't he?"

Captain Stevens nodded, "Yes, about six shots took him out." He knelt next to Laurie, who was starting to shake again, and said, "I'm sorry to put you through that, I had to know so I can file my report while they take you to the hospital. It's going to be ok, Caparelli will never hurt anyone again. You're safe, honey, ." He stood up, then looking at Oscar, said, "What are you waiting for, get her to the emergency room, I'll give you an escort."

Rick swallowed back a retort and carefully picked her up, as Oscar went ahead to make a clear path and get the car.

On the way to the hospital, Rick told Laurie how they had tracked Capp to the industrial park where A.J. and the other were. Oscar chimed in as to how Rick had forced the information out of him, to which she looked at him with the beginnings of a smile, "Rick, darling, you must have scared the stuff out of him, he was so cool with me, I wouldn't have thought he would be afraid of anything. Steve said everyone's all right except A.J., he broke his hand?"

"Yeah, and if he didn't he probably did when he knocked Capp down when we found out what he did." Rick found himself getting angry all over again, then felt Laurie raise her face and kiss him. "Rick, it's over, you found me," she said, calming him down. He looked at her, melting inside as she gazed up into his eyes, then carefully kissed her lips, only to be interrupted by Oscar's harrumph, "we're here."

Grinning, Rick gave her another kiss, then gathering Her in his arms, carried her out of the car and placed her carefully on a gurney, insisting on wheeling her in himself.

As they waited for an examining room, Rudy came around the corner and immediately rushed to Laurie's side. She burst into tears of joy and hugged him, as he said, "honey, I'm all right now, we're safe."

She leaned back on the bed and wiping away tears, said, "It's ok, I'm just happy. I was so scared what might happen to you." Rudy cleared his throat, "Laurie, what frightened me is that Caparelli was planning to use us to lure you here, I think he changed his plan and decided he wanted both you and Rick dead." His expression changed as he gently examined her battered face. "Honey, I think your cheekbone is broken, I'm going to have Dr. Thomas take an X-Ray. Where else did he hurt you?"

Rick indicated her left knee and both ankles, which Dr. Thomas also examined. Diagnosing severe ligament damage to her knee and left ankle, then holding their breath as they took the X-Ray, both doctors were relieved to see her cheekbone had only a hairline crack.

Rudy talked his colleague into allowing Rick to hold Laurie's hand while they drained some of the fluid build up in her sinus area and stitched up a couple of the cuts. After making sure there were no signs of infection, Dr. Thomas closed up the tiny incision and cleared her to travel.

As Laurie and Rick came out of the E.R., they saw A.J., Linda, Steve and Jaime waiting for them. Crowding around the two, they took turns embracing them, until Dr. Thomas shooed them out and they climbed into a van Oscar had sent out from the OSI compound. With a scarcity of space, there was no room for a gurney for Laurie, so Rick held her in his arms for the short ride, careful not to move her injured leg.

With the sun already up, Oscar had roused the kitchen to prepare a Brunch for all of them. Refusing to follow doctor's orders to rest, Rudy made sure A.J. and Linda were comfortable, then ran tests on Steve and Jaime to see if their bionics were affected by the nerve gas used on them in their capture. Rick stayed with his wife until she had dropped off, then went in to see A.J.

Knocking on the door of his room, he heard a sleepy "Come in", and walked in to find his brother with his arm around Linda, who was fast asleep. Putting a finger to his lips, A.J. slipped away from her and led Rick out the door.

"You look exhausted, Rick, you need to get some rest, " his little brother observed, dropping into an easy chair in the waiting area of the clinic. The older Simon grinned and stretched. "I'll sack out with Laurie in a minute, just wanted to check on you, how's your hand?" "It hurts, but Rudy gave me something for the pain. Is Laurie all right?"

Rick nodded. "Her leg is really hurting her, Rudy says She'll be on crutches for at least a month. I was glad she had a little something to eat, it made it easier to have her take something for the pain.

You know, it could have been so much worse, I still get chills from what could have happened if Oscar and I hadn't gotten there in time."

His brother stood up and squeezed his shoulder, "Rick, you did get there, you saved her from that monster. I don't know if I could have handled myself with that sheriff the way Oscar says you did. I can't believe he made Laurie tell what Caparelli did to her before you could take her to the hospital."

"Oh I wanted to pop him, but Laurie wouldn't let me, I guess he wanted to file his report and save us the trip to the police station and all, but he still gives me the creeps the way he keeps eyeing her. I thought it was funny at first when Oscar said Stevens had a crush on Laurie and she never knew it, but now, something doesn't feel right. I'll be glad when we can go home. Speaking of which, I already invited Oscar to come stay with us when he needs a place. Rudy's coming next month after he turns all his notes over to his replacement. I figure those two can use some real R&R after all this." Rick got up, yawning, "I think I'll look in on Rudy, then turn in." He looked at A.J., then it struck him. "Oh, God, A.J., I forgot to call Mom and the kids, they must be frantic!"

The younger Simon smiled. "I knew your memory would be the first thing to go, I already called Mom, she told Robin and Rob and the Chief. They wanted to fly over, but I told them I was sure we'd be home in a couple of days, and that you and Laurie would call them tonight."

Rick laughed, then wrapped his arms around his brother and ruffled his hair. "I don't know what I'd do without you, A.J., even though you're a pain. Go get some rest and maybe you'll get around to popping the question again."

Again A.J. gave him the Cheshire cat look and said "Already did, this time she said yes!" Rick stared at him, then found his eyes smarting at the thought of his little brother finally finding someone.

"For goodness sake, Rick! Don't, you're going to make me cry and ruin our tough guy image!" Now it was his turn to embrace his brother. Rick sniffed, then clearing his throat, said, "What about the agency, does Linda want to stay here?" "No, she says she fell in love with the desert when she came out for the holiday last year, so she said as long as Laurie can keep you out of trouble, she'll give it a try." A.J. grinned at his brother's open relief.

Finally breaking apart, the two Simons walked down the hall, looking in on Rudy snoozing in his office chair, and Oscar finally resting on a sofa outside Steve and Jaime's, then went to their rooms. Rick slipped in quietly, then tiptoed over to check on Laurie, before removing his shoes and lying down next to her. Closing his eyes, he was just about to fall asleep when he heard her softly say, "I love you, Rick"

Opening one eye, he saw her sleepily looking at him, so he leaned over and kissed her, whispering, "I love you, too, my Angel, now close your eyes, I'm here." She smiled and did just that, and as he slipped off, he thought, finally, everything's ok.