Chapter 4
"Rick, have you seen Linda?" A.J. was puffing, wheeling two heavy suitcases behind him. The older Simon, standing by their rental car, grinned and helped his brother lift the cases into the trunk.
"No, she probably went to say goodbye to Rudy in private, you know how women get emotional at these things." Rick elbowed A.J., at which he groaned. "How does Laurie let you get away with such drivel, that is so stereotypical of you!" "But true," he quipped, looking around just in case either lady came by.
"Oh, yeah, Mr. Stone-face himself, you're going to choke up just as much." A.J. turned and gazed around the complex, a perplexed look on his face.
Following his gaze, Rick noticed a mini-van pulling around the buildings and heading toward the back of the complex. "Wonder who that is, Oscar's still waiting for the Secretary, can't be for him. Speaking of which," He went back into the clinic waiting area, looking for Laurie. Seeing Steve and Rudy talking, He went over to them, saying, "Anybody see Laurie or Linda, we're nearly ready." Steve shook his head,
Then Rudy said, "Oh, I bet Laurie went to say goodbye to Captain Stevens, he came by to say he had taken an early retirement, too and was heading out for a long vacation." Rick raised his eyebrow, quelling a twinge of jealousy, "Well, I'm glad he's going, I'm glad you guys think it's funny, but I don't want him giving my wife the eye." The doctor laughed, then patting him on the shoulder, advised him "I don't think you have anything to worry, son, Laurie doesn't see anyone but you."
Just then, A.J. came racing in, "Rick, the police just called, did you know Stevens quit this morning and now they want to talk to him about some missing evidence?" The three men stared at him, then Rick said, "Rudy just said he was coming by to say bye to Laurie, do they know what he's driving?" "Yeah, that mini-van we saw a few minutes ago, we've got to find Laurie." his brother panted, then turned on his heel and ran back out, only to have
Oscar come out of his office, grim-faced. "Where's Laurie?" A.J. repeated what the sheriffs had told him, only to have the OSI Chief run outside, calling for one of his agents to bring a car. The others followed, with Steve stopping suddenly, saying, "Laurie, she's with Stevens, he wants to show her his new van." "Steve, tell her not to go with him, have her come back here!" Rick told him frantically, starting to run around the edge of the building.
Laurie was just reaching the mini-van, listening with a smile to the surprisingly talkative Captain, when she heard Steve call to her, asking her where she was. curious to his excited question, she missed part of what Stevens was saying. "I'm sorry, Captain, where did you say you were going?"
Come inside, Ms. Laurie, and you'll find out." he said, with an engaging grin. He opened the van door, showing her the captain's chairs in the driver's compartment, then pressed a button to open the passenger door. Just then she heard Steve's warning, and quickly said, "Uh, Captain, my leg really hurts, let me go back inside, I really like the van." He took her arm firmly, saying, "Oh, but this is the best part", then slid the door open. He pulled her up the step and as she tried to get her balance her eyes focused on the interior seats, startled to see Linda in one of the seats, tied up and her mouth taped.
"No!" she said, trying to throw off his hand, only to have him pick her up and force her into the other seat, pinning her in with the seat belt across her arms. "Captain, what are you doing, don't do this!" she pleaded, trying to wriggle out of the belt. He laughed sarcastically, pulling his tie off and stuffing it in her mouth. "You think I still want you, is that it? I want both of you as my security, keep the heat off until I can get far enough away.
If you don't give me any trouble, I might let you both live, but, first, you both are going to see what you overlooked all these years you ignored me". He grabbed her flailing wrists and bound them with tape, then threw her crutches out the door and slid the door closed. Panic-stricken, she told Steve what was happening, all the while trying to twist around to unbuckle the seat belt
Suddenly Laurie stared at Linda as they heard the motor roar to life and the van start forward, then she frantically made one more move and managed to lean over and hit the buckle on Linda's seat, freeing her arms.
Linda fell toward Laurie, and then rising to her knees, pressed the catch on the belt holding her friend in with the back of her hand, releasing her from the seat. Abruptly, they felt the van slam to a stop, throwing the two women onto the floor.
As Rick rounded the corner of the complex toward the back parking lot, he saw the van speeding toward the back gate, and started running as hard as he could, when he saw a flash of motion go past him. He realized Steve was catching up with the van, and headed in the same direction. By the time he caught up with the fugitive sheriff, Steve had grabbed the bumper of the vehicle and literally stopped It in its tracks. Rick saw the face of Stevens, mouth agape, as he raced to the side of the van and tugged at the sliding door. Forcing it open, he saw both Linda and Laurie trying to crawl toward the opening, so he reached in and pulled Linda out first, handing her to A.J. who had finally caught up with them. He started to climb in to grab Laurie, only to feel the van start to jerk forward, as Steve yelled, "I can't hold it!" Leaning in, he took hold of Laurie and pulled her out in one motion, falling backward onto the ground, just as Steve let go of the mini-van. It went out of control and crashed into a security fence a short distance away. Before Stevens could make his escape, Oscar and his men drove up and pounced him, taking him into custody.
Rick felt Laurie shaking as he sat up and pulled the gag out of her mouth, holding her in his arms as she gasped and choked. "Sweetheart, breathe, just breathe," he told her, tearing off the tape binding her wrists, He rubbed them and held her close as she slowly began to catch her breath. "Rick, he was going to take Linda and I as hostages across country, "she finally was able to say. "He was saying he was going to show us why we shouldn't have overlooked him." "Darling, you're safe now, I'm never going to let you go anywhere without me, ever!" She looked up at him then put her face against his shoulder. "I don't want to be without you in my life, even for a moment."
He got to his feet, lifting her in his arms and saw A.J. supporting his fiancée a few yards ahead of him.
Carrying Laurie towards Oscar and Steve, he realized how close both he and A.J. had come to losing the women they loved, and tightened his arms around her. "Rick, how did you know the Captain was here, " he heard her say, and looking down at her, shamefacedly said, "Rudy told us that he had come by to supposedly say goodbye to you. I was glad he was going, sweetheart, he gave me the creeps the way he kept looking at you, but then A.J. ran in and told us he was wanted for questioning."
"Oh, darling, I never noticed him, I was always butting heads with him in the old days, but I never knew he was obsessed with Linda or me. There is no one else for me but you," Laurie said, her voice breaking. Rick kissed her, carrying her over to Oscar who embraced her, saying, "Thank God you're safe", then carefully put her in the back seat of his car. A.J. had already helped Linda in, and both women hugged each other as the Simons squeezed in next to them for the short drive back to the main building.
"Rick, have you seen Linda?" A.J. was puffing, wheeling two heavy suitcases behind him. The older Simon, standing by their rental car, grinned and helped his brother lift the cases into the trunk.
"No, she probably went to say goodbye to Rudy in private, you know how women get emotional at these things." Rick elbowed A.J., at which he groaned. "How does Laurie let you get away with such drivel, that is so stereotypical of you!" "But true," he quipped, looking around just in case either lady came by.
"Oh, yeah, Mr. Stone-face himself, you're going to choke up just as much." A.J. turned and gazed around the complex, a perplexed look on his face.
Following his gaze, Rick noticed a mini-van pulling around the buildings and heading toward the back of the complex. "Wonder who that is, Oscar's still waiting for the Secretary, can't be for him. Speaking of which," He went back into the clinic waiting area, looking for Laurie. Seeing Steve and Rudy talking, He went over to them, saying, "Anybody see Laurie or Linda, we're nearly ready." Steve shook his head,
Then Rudy said, "Oh, I bet Laurie went to say goodbye to Captain Stevens, he came by to say he had taken an early retirement, too and was heading out for a long vacation." Rick raised his eyebrow, quelling a twinge of jealousy, "Well, I'm glad he's going, I'm glad you guys think it's funny, but I don't want him giving my wife the eye." The doctor laughed, then patting him on the shoulder, advised him "I don't think you have anything to worry, son, Laurie doesn't see anyone but you."
Just then, A.J. came racing in, "Rick, the police just called, did you know Stevens quit this morning and now they want to talk to him about some missing evidence?" The three men stared at him, then Rick said, "Rudy just said he was coming by to say bye to Laurie, do they know what he's driving?" "Yeah, that mini-van we saw a few minutes ago, we've got to find Laurie." his brother panted, then turned on his heel and ran back out, only to have
Oscar come out of his office, grim-faced. "Where's Laurie?" A.J. repeated what the sheriffs had told him, only to have the OSI Chief run outside, calling for one of his agents to bring a car. The others followed, with Steve stopping suddenly, saying, "Laurie, she's with Stevens, he wants to show her his new van." "Steve, tell her not to go with him, have her come back here!" Rick told him frantically, starting to run around the edge of the building.
Laurie was just reaching the mini-van, listening with a smile to the surprisingly talkative Captain, when she heard Steve call to her, asking her where she was. curious to his excited question, she missed part of what Stevens was saying. "I'm sorry, Captain, where did you say you were going?"
Come inside, Ms. Laurie, and you'll find out." he said, with an engaging grin. He opened the van door, showing her the captain's chairs in the driver's compartment, then pressed a button to open the passenger door. Just then she heard Steve's warning, and quickly said, "Uh, Captain, my leg really hurts, let me go back inside, I really like the van." He took her arm firmly, saying, "Oh, but this is the best part", then slid the door open. He pulled her up the step and as she tried to get her balance her eyes focused on the interior seats, startled to see Linda in one of the seats, tied up and her mouth taped.
"No!" she said, trying to throw off his hand, only to have him pick her up and force her into the other seat, pinning her in with the seat belt across her arms. "Captain, what are you doing, don't do this!" she pleaded, trying to wriggle out of the belt. He laughed sarcastically, pulling his tie off and stuffing it in her mouth. "You think I still want you, is that it? I want both of you as my security, keep the heat off until I can get far enough away.
If you don't give me any trouble, I might let you both live, but, first, you both are going to see what you overlooked all these years you ignored me". He grabbed her flailing wrists and bound them with tape, then threw her crutches out the door and slid the door closed. Panic-stricken, she told Steve what was happening, all the while trying to twist around to unbuckle the seat belt
Suddenly Laurie stared at Linda as they heard the motor roar to life and the van start forward, then she frantically made one more move and managed to lean over and hit the buckle on Linda's seat, freeing her arms.
Linda fell toward Laurie, and then rising to her knees, pressed the catch on the belt holding her friend in with the back of her hand, releasing her from the seat. Abruptly, they felt the van slam to a stop, throwing the two women onto the floor.
As Rick rounded the corner of the complex toward the back parking lot, he saw the van speeding toward the back gate, and started running as hard as he could, when he saw a flash of motion go past him. He realized Steve was catching up with the van, and headed in the same direction. By the time he caught up with the fugitive sheriff, Steve had grabbed the bumper of the vehicle and literally stopped It in its tracks. Rick saw the face of Stevens, mouth agape, as he raced to the side of the van and tugged at the sliding door. Forcing it open, he saw both Linda and Laurie trying to crawl toward the opening, so he reached in and pulled Linda out first, handing her to A.J. who had finally caught up with them. He started to climb in to grab Laurie, only to feel the van start to jerk forward, as Steve yelled, "I can't hold it!" Leaning in, he took hold of Laurie and pulled her out in one motion, falling backward onto the ground, just as Steve let go of the mini-van. It went out of control and crashed into a security fence a short distance away. Before Stevens could make his escape, Oscar and his men drove up and pounced him, taking him into custody.
Rick felt Laurie shaking as he sat up and pulled the gag out of her mouth, holding her in his arms as she gasped and choked. "Sweetheart, breathe, just breathe," he told her, tearing off the tape binding her wrists, He rubbed them and held her close as she slowly began to catch her breath. "Rick, he was going to take Linda and I as hostages across country, "she finally was able to say. "He was saying he was going to show us why we shouldn't have overlooked him." "Darling, you're safe now, I'm never going to let you go anywhere without me, ever!" She looked up at him then put her face against his shoulder. "I don't want to be without you in my life, even for a moment."
He got to his feet, lifting her in his arms and saw A.J. supporting his fiancée a few yards ahead of him.
Carrying Laurie towards Oscar and Steve, he realized how close both he and A.J. had come to losing the women they loved, and tightened his arms around her. "Rick, how did you know the Captain was here, " he heard her say, and looking down at her, shamefacedly said, "Rudy told us that he had come by to supposedly say goodbye to you. I was glad he was going, sweetheart, he gave me the creeps the way he kept looking at you, but then A.J. ran in and told us he was wanted for questioning."
"Oh, darling, I never noticed him, I was always butting heads with him in the old days, but I never knew he was obsessed with Linda or me. There is no one else for me but you," Laurie said, her voice breaking. Rick kissed her, carrying her over to Oscar who embraced her, saying, "Thank God you're safe", then carefully put her in the back seat of his car. A.J. had already helped Linda in, and both women hugged each other as the Simons squeezed in next to them for the short drive back to the main building.