The Keith Caper (Part 6)
There was nothing but desert all around them, and Shirley was becoming more and more distressed the farther into it they went. The long ranges of low hills covered with dirty sage, greasewood and thorny cacti ever recurring, grew into a monotonous and weary picture, and the ride thus far had been pretty uneventful; Keith was dozing now, out of pain for the moment, and Danny and Laurie just stared out the windows at the barren land, probably thinking the same thing she was. Were they all going to live through this?
Then, the inevitable happened. The bus ran out of gas. Right there, in the middle of the cacti, the sagebrush, the sand. Sputtering, it slowed and rolled to a heavy stop near a huge cactus plant.
"Oh, no!" Shirley cried. She hadn't been keeping an eye on the gas gage, but there it was, in front of her, "E" for empty. Zilch. Kaput. Nada. Nothing.
Well, she thought, Marty probably wouldn't have let her stop to fill up, anyway.
"What is it, Mom?" Laurie called.
"We're out of gas…"
"In the middle of nowhere?" Danny wailed. Looking at their captor, he said angrily, "Okay, now what? We're stranded!"
Marty looked worried for a moment, then went to Shirley, pulling her out of the seat and sitting down. "Is this a joke?" he snarled, pumping the gas pedal and trying the ignition. It coughed, but wouldn't turn over, and he turned to them. "Okay, nobody panic."
"That's a good one," Danny smirked. "He's holding us hostage and we're not supposed to panic. Well, here's some news for you. It's too late for that!" He shouted.
"Shut up! Let me think!" Still gripping the knife, Marty began to pace the aisle.
Keith stirred, painfully pulling himself up to a sit, or something close to it, anyway. "What's going on?" he murmured, blinking the sleep from his eyes.
"We're out of gas," Laurie answered.
He grunted, looking around him as Shirley sat back down in the driver's seat. "How are you feeling, now, honey?"
"Not…so good." He looked a sickly green shade. Pushing himself up, he put a hand on his stomach. "I think I'm gonna be sick…" He stumbled forward as Shirley pulled the doors open. She followed him outside, ignoring Marty's orders to stay inside, and found Keith on his knees in front of the bus, retching violently.
She went to him, putting her hands on his back as he choked, heaving over and over until there was nothing more to come. She rubbed his back when he was finished, and he whimpered, still hunched over.
He stayed there, his arms around his stomach, rocking back and forth as Shirley knelt beside him, her hands never leaving his back. "Can you make it back in the bus?" she asked, her heart racing.
He shook his head, moaning softly.
Laurie hurried down the stairs. "Is he okay?"
Shirley looked up at her, shaking her head. "He's really hurting."
Marty stood at the top of the stairs, watching. Laurie whirled on him, her pretty features red with anger. "He needs a pill! Can't you see he's in pain?"
As if to accentuate her words, Keith cried out in agony, doubling over even further.
Marty swallowed, and Shirley saw her opportunity. "You wanted to be a doctor, didn't you? You must have had some compassion once! Please, give me the bottle!" she implored.
Laurie caught his eye and nodded, her own eyes wide.
To their surprise, he relented. Sighing, he reached into his pocket and tossed Shirley the bottle.
Night fell rather quickly, leaving the once scorching desert bitter cold. They couldn't turn on the bus' heater, because the engine had to be running for it to work, but Shirley remembered that there were some blankets stored in the back among the equipment. Marty must have been freezing, too, because he didn't deny their request to get them. So, Shirley, Laurie and Danny began to search for them while Keith slept, every available jacket and coat they had on hand over him, keeping him as warm as possible, even though he was already sweating.
"Here they are!" Shirley pulled a trunk out from the bottom of the pile of speakers, amplifiers and instruments and opened it. Just the sight of the blankets inside warmed Laurie's shivering bones and the three of them eagerly pulled them out, passing them around. Throwing one over her shoulders, Laurie took two of them to Keith. She tucked them in around him as he slept, then leaned over, giving him a sisterly kiss on his wet forehead. He didn't move and she smiled sadly, settling down next to him and lying her head on his shoulder.
Shirley and Danny snuggled together behind them, using four blankets themselves, while Marty huddled in the driver's seat with the two Shirley had given him. To her surprise, he'd even thanked her for them.
The silence around them made it easy to drift off to sleep and everyone zoned out in no time at all.
It must have been just around dawn when Keith, stirring beside her, awakened Laurie.
He moaned, and Laurie sat up, still half asleep. "Keith?" she rubbed her eyes. Another moan, low and painful, and Laurie snapped fully awake, her hand on his arm. "Keith, what's the matter? What is it?" she whispered.
"Hot," he mumbled, and she reached up, putting her hand on his forehead. It felt damp and warm to the touch and he started wriggling out of the coverings.
"No, honey, you need to keep warm," she admonished, trying to keep them over him.
He stopped fighting, and Laurie massaged his arm. "Come on, now, go back to sleep."
She heard him take a deep breath and blow it back out; a sure sign that pain was coming on, and she tried to see his face in the darkness. Then she felt him tense beside her and he verbalized the pain. "Oh, Laurie…"
"Oh, Keith," she replied mournfully. Swallowing, she reached for him and he fell into her, clutching her. She pulled him as close as she could as he groaned again, his head under her chin. She began to cry.
She awoke hours later to the welcoming warmth of the sun, finding Keith on his side now, his head in her lap, and she smiled, looking down at his peaceful form. Lovingly, she stroked his hair. He really was her best friend, no matter how much they kidded with each other. Sometimes she even felt a little guilty about some of the things she would say to him, but then again, he got some zingers in himself. It was all in fun, though, and she just wouldn't know what to do if suddenly she didn't have him anymore. The thought made her heart ache and when she realized the predicament they were in, suddenly she was very, very scared.
Stifling a sob, she kept petting his head, letting the tears fall into his hair, working them into the strands with her fingers. "Oh, Keith, if we ever get out of this, I will never, ever say one cross word to you, ever again," she whispered.
After a few minutes, he moved, coughing, and he lifted his head from her lap. She waited until he was fully awake and cognizant before she helped him sit all the way up. He still looked exhausted, but at least his color was back.
"How do you feel?" she asked as he rubbed his neck, obviously stiff.
"So, so," he murmured. "What time is it?"
She checked her watch. "Eight o'clock."
"Mmm," he said absently, his hand still on his neck.
She reached over, massaging his shoulders, and he let her have at it. "How's that?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I think I'd better go walk this off before it gets worse," he pushed himself up.
She let him by, then got up, following him to the front of the bus. Marty snored in the driver's seat, but Keith didn't care if he was there or not. He had to get out of there. He quietly opened the doors and stepped down into the warm desert sand. He stood there blinking in the bright light, both hands to his back as Laurie came up beside him.
"Gosh, Keith, aren't there snakes and scorpions out here?" She looked warily around.
He arched his back, stretching the muscles that had been dormant for so long. "Probably, but they won't bother us if we don't bother them."
He moved off rather tentatively, and she slipped her arm through his, just to steady him as they walked away from the bus.
"It sure is peaceful, anyway." Laurie breathed in the fresh air.
"Sure is," he agreed. The limp he started with was slowly disappearing as he walked.
"Keith?" Laurie said after a second.
"What?"
"What do you think is going to happen to us? We have no food, no water…"
He was silent, looking down at the ground, his expression unemotional. When he looked up, she saw a far away look in his dark eyes. "I don't know, Laurie, I just don't know."
Somehow, it comforted her to know that he was scared, too, and she put her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk in silence.
Finally, Keith spoke. "Let me sit down a sec, okay?"
She let him go as he eased down onto a large boulder. The bus sat behind them a good distance, and Laurie was impressed they'd made it that far.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," he assured her. He was tired, that was obvious.
She took a seat next to him on the rock, feeling the sun beating down on her. It was at least 80 degrees, now, and it wasn't even 8:30.
They heard a bird cry, and Laurie looked up. A large vulture was circling them and the sight, though beautiful in its own way, made her stomach knot. Indicating the bird, Laurie swallowed. "I…think we'd best keep moving."
He leaned back on the rock, watching the bird as it made the most perfect circles in the sky above them, calling out to its friends, waiting for Keith and Laurie to wither and die there in the hot sun. "Sorry, pal. Another time, maybe," Keith called out.
Fascinated, they both watched as the bird was joined by two others, anticipating dinner sometime soon.
It was growing hotter, now, and Keith wiped his forehead with his sleeve. The sizzling sun was making him nauseous and he reached for Laurie's arm. "I think we'd better go back," he muttered.
"Okay." She helped him up, taking another look at the buzzards overhead. Another five minutes and they'd be able to feast on at least one Partridge, she thought. She crinkled her nose at them in defiance.
About forty feet from the bus, Keith stopped again, unable to go any further. Pain was coming on, and Laurie saw his features twist. She gripped his arm, trying to keep him upright.
"I've gotta sit down," he gulped.
He dropped down in the sand, drawing his knees up and taking some very shaky breaths. Laurie stroked his hair. It was already hot from the unrelenting sun.
Shirley and Danny appeared on the bus steps, and they hurriedly stepped down. "Keith, are you all right?" Shirley asked.
"Yeah," he puffed. He put his head down on his arms, trying to hide the pain that he knew was evident on his face.
They watched solemnly as he choked, his shoulders sagging in defeat, and when he looked back up, he was extremely pale.
"You okay?" Danny queried.
He nodded, making the move to get up.
Shirley and Danny each took and arm, helping him to his feet just as Marty came out of the bus in a rush, red with anger, his knife in his hand.
"Where is it!" he yelled.
The Partridges looked surprised. "Where's what?" Shirley still had hold of Keith's arm.
"My bag! It's missing!" Marty was getting angrier by the second.
"What bag?" Laurie exchanged puzzled looks with her mother.
"The black bag that was in the back," Marty looked at Danny.
"The one with the syringes?" Danny looked right back at him.
"You took it!" Marty snarled.
Danny shook his head. "What would I do with it? "
Suddenly, noise rose over the desert: Sirens, shrill and penetrating, and another familiar sound. Everyone looked up to see a helicopter flying just over the horizon and it was leading a line of police cars straight for them. It was just like the cavalry coming to the rescue in an old Hollywood Western.
Panicking, Marty reached out, grabbing Danny unawares. The boy yelled in fear and surprise as Marty pulled him away from the others, the knife at his throat.
The women cried out in horror as Keith broke away from his mother's grip. "No!" he cried, bolting forward. He hit Marty in the midriff with a tackle that would have made Knute Rockne proud.
The three of them went down with a thud, Danny rolling to the left and out of the melee. Keith came up on top, his knee in Marty's back. "Get me something to tie his hands!" He shouted, almost struggling for breath. Somehow, Marty still had the knife in his right hand, but now both were under Keith's foot until Danny got up, kicking the weapon out of the kidnappers' reach. Then he defiantly sat down on Marty's legs, helping Keith hold him down.
Laurie leaped into the bus as Shirley ran to her sons, making sure there were no obvious injuries as the sirens' wails got closer.
The noise was at earsplitting level when Laurie returned with an electrical cord. Keith took it from her and bound Marty's hands behind him as if he'd just roped a steer. Then Keith stood up with the girls' help, breathless, while Danny was content to just stay put.
"Keith, you could have been killed!" Shirley cried, pulling him to her.
He sucked in his breath, looking rather drained. "I…don't think I should've done that," he said painfully as his mother grabbed one arm and Laurie the other. They propelled him to the bus' steps, where they sat him down just as the police cars made a dusty stop around them, sirens still blaring. The helicopter landed gracefully behind them, its job finished.
Several policemen were soon upon them, weapons drawn, as Danny scrambled up, letting them take Marty into custody.
"Shirley!"
It was Reuben's voice and she and Laurie looked up to find him running toward them, his ever-present tie flying as he did so.
"Oh, Reuben!" Shirley met him, going into his arms. "Where are Tracy and Chris?"
"Don't worry, they're safe. How's Keith?"
Shirley moved aside, indicating Keith there on the stairs, plainly exhausted.
"An ambulance is on the way," Reuben told Shirley.
"How did you find us, Mr. Kincaid?" Danny asked.
"The helicopter spotted you. That bus isn't exactly camouflaged, you know."
A familiar figure exited the chopper, coming towards them and Shirley and Laurie gasped. It was Jim Anderson, the reporter from Channel 3; the very one they'd been so crass with back at the Seauquarium.
"You folks need some help?" He grinned widely.
"Mr. Anderson!" Shirley looked stunned. "How did you -?"
"I called them, Shirley, and they were gracious enough to volunteer the station's helicopter for the search," Reuben explained.
"The things I don't do for an interview," the reporter smiled. After a pause, he said, "I trust I will get one, this time?"
"I…think we can arrange that," Shirley laughed.
"It will probably have to be from a hospital bed," Laurie nodded down at Keith. His eyes were closed and his head was against the bus' door. He looked all but melted in the scorching heat.
"I have an idea. Why not have the helicopter take Keith to the hospital? They can get there in a matter of minutes, where an ambulance could take upwards of an hour," Jim said.
"Oh, that would be wonderful." Shirley put her hand on Keith's head. "What do you say, honey?"
He nodded, pushing himself up, and Reuben took his arm. "I'll go with you, kid. Can you walk okay?"
"Yeah," Keith assured him.
They started off slowly, Reuben's arm around his young charge.
Danny suddenly brightened. "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!" To everyone's bewilderment, he took off around the back of the bus, returning seconds later with the black bag. It had sand on it, and Shirley looked at it curiously.
"You did have it, then, Laurie grinned.
"I buried it while everybody was asleep. I didn't want him hurting Keith anymore with it." Danny glanced at his brother.
Laurie put her arm around the eleven-year-old. "You're a good kid, Danny Partridge."
He grinned up at her, a little surprised at her affection. Then, turning, he called to Reuben and Keith, who were almost to the copter. "Wait! You're gonna need this!" He tore off after them.
Shirley turned to the reporter. "Mr. Anderson," she started, but he held up a hand.
"Call me, Jim, please."
"Jim," she corrected herself. "I want to apologize for the way we treated you yesterday."
"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Partridge."
"Shirley," she amended.
"Shirley," he smiled. "I understand. I wasn't very cordial myself, and I should apologize as well."
"Friends?" Shirley put out her hand.
"Absolutely. If you'll do me a favor." He shook her hand.
"What's that?"
" I'd like you and your family to sing at my daughter's birthday party. She's a huge fan, as am I."
"And, when would this be?" Laurie looked wary.
"Oh, not until summer."
"I hope Keith will be over this by then," Shirley looked worried.
"At least we have the syringe now," Laurie added hopefully.
They watched as Reuben helped Keith into the helicopter, then climbed in after him. Danny stood on the ground for a moment, then scrambled up to join his brother and Reuben. He waved excitedly to Shirley and Laurie then the door closed and the blades began to rotate.
Laurie looked at Shirley. "Those rats, leaving us here like that."
"Really! I suppose they expect us to walk."
"I have some connections," Jim smiled. "Maybe I can talk the police into letting us go with them. And perhaps I can conduct an informal interview on the way…"
"Oh, I don't know. You know us 'celebrities,'" she teased, giggling as his face went beet red and she touched his arm. "Mr. Anderson, you can interview your heart out!"
He grinned.
Continued...
There was nothing but desert all around them, and Shirley was becoming more and more distressed the farther into it they went. The long ranges of low hills covered with dirty sage, greasewood and thorny cacti ever recurring, grew into a monotonous and weary picture, and the ride thus far had been pretty uneventful; Keith was dozing now, out of pain for the moment, and Danny and Laurie just stared out the windows at the barren land, probably thinking the same thing she was. Were they all going to live through this?
Then, the inevitable happened. The bus ran out of gas. Right there, in the middle of the cacti, the sagebrush, the sand. Sputtering, it slowed and rolled to a heavy stop near a huge cactus plant.
"Oh, no!" Shirley cried. She hadn't been keeping an eye on the gas gage, but there it was, in front of her, "E" for empty. Zilch. Kaput. Nada. Nothing.
Well, she thought, Marty probably wouldn't have let her stop to fill up, anyway.
"What is it, Mom?" Laurie called.
"We're out of gas…"
"In the middle of nowhere?" Danny wailed. Looking at their captor, he said angrily, "Okay, now what? We're stranded!"
Marty looked worried for a moment, then went to Shirley, pulling her out of the seat and sitting down. "Is this a joke?" he snarled, pumping the gas pedal and trying the ignition. It coughed, but wouldn't turn over, and he turned to them. "Okay, nobody panic."
"That's a good one," Danny smirked. "He's holding us hostage and we're not supposed to panic. Well, here's some news for you. It's too late for that!" He shouted.
"Shut up! Let me think!" Still gripping the knife, Marty began to pace the aisle.
Keith stirred, painfully pulling himself up to a sit, or something close to it, anyway. "What's going on?" he murmured, blinking the sleep from his eyes.
"We're out of gas," Laurie answered.
He grunted, looking around him as Shirley sat back down in the driver's seat. "How are you feeling, now, honey?"
"Not…so good." He looked a sickly green shade. Pushing himself up, he put a hand on his stomach. "I think I'm gonna be sick…" He stumbled forward as Shirley pulled the doors open. She followed him outside, ignoring Marty's orders to stay inside, and found Keith on his knees in front of the bus, retching violently.
She went to him, putting her hands on his back as he choked, heaving over and over until there was nothing more to come. She rubbed his back when he was finished, and he whimpered, still hunched over.
He stayed there, his arms around his stomach, rocking back and forth as Shirley knelt beside him, her hands never leaving his back. "Can you make it back in the bus?" she asked, her heart racing.
He shook his head, moaning softly.
Laurie hurried down the stairs. "Is he okay?"
Shirley looked up at her, shaking her head. "He's really hurting."
Marty stood at the top of the stairs, watching. Laurie whirled on him, her pretty features red with anger. "He needs a pill! Can't you see he's in pain?"
As if to accentuate her words, Keith cried out in agony, doubling over even further.
Marty swallowed, and Shirley saw her opportunity. "You wanted to be a doctor, didn't you? You must have had some compassion once! Please, give me the bottle!" she implored.
Laurie caught his eye and nodded, her own eyes wide.
To their surprise, he relented. Sighing, he reached into his pocket and tossed Shirley the bottle.
Night fell rather quickly, leaving the once scorching desert bitter cold. They couldn't turn on the bus' heater, because the engine had to be running for it to work, but Shirley remembered that there were some blankets stored in the back among the equipment. Marty must have been freezing, too, because he didn't deny their request to get them. So, Shirley, Laurie and Danny began to search for them while Keith slept, every available jacket and coat they had on hand over him, keeping him as warm as possible, even though he was already sweating.
"Here they are!" Shirley pulled a trunk out from the bottom of the pile of speakers, amplifiers and instruments and opened it. Just the sight of the blankets inside warmed Laurie's shivering bones and the three of them eagerly pulled them out, passing them around. Throwing one over her shoulders, Laurie took two of them to Keith. She tucked them in around him as he slept, then leaned over, giving him a sisterly kiss on his wet forehead. He didn't move and she smiled sadly, settling down next to him and lying her head on his shoulder.
Shirley and Danny snuggled together behind them, using four blankets themselves, while Marty huddled in the driver's seat with the two Shirley had given him. To her surprise, he'd even thanked her for them.
The silence around them made it easy to drift off to sleep and everyone zoned out in no time at all.
It must have been just around dawn when Keith, stirring beside her, awakened Laurie.
He moaned, and Laurie sat up, still half asleep. "Keith?" she rubbed her eyes. Another moan, low and painful, and Laurie snapped fully awake, her hand on his arm. "Keith, what's the matter? What is it?" she whispered.
"Hot," he mumbled, and she reached up, putting her hand on his forehead. It felt damp and warm to the touch and he started wriggling out of the coverings.
"No, honey, you need to keep warm," she admonished, trying to keep them over him.
He stopped fighting, and Laurie massaged his arm. "Come on, now, go back to sleep."
She heard him take a deep breath and blow it back out; a sure sign that pain was coming on, and she tried to see his face in the darkness. Then she felt him tense beside her and he verbalized the pain. "Oh, Laurie…"
"Oh, Keith," she replied mournfully. Swallowing, she reached for him and he fell into her, clutching her. She pulled him as close as she could as he groaned again, his head under her chin. She began to cry.
She awoke hours later to the welcoming warmth of the sun, finding Keith on his side now, his head in her lap, and she smiled, looking down at his peaceful form. Lovingly, she stroked his hair. He really was her best friend, no matter how much they kidded with each other. Sometimes she even felt a little guilty about some of the things she would say to him, but then again, he got some zingers in himself. It was all in fun, though, and she just wouldn't know what to do if suddenly she didn't have him anymore. The thought made her heart ache and when she realized the predicament they were in, suddenly she was very, very scared.
Stifling a sob, she kept petting his head, letting the tears fall into his hair, working them into the strands with her fingers. "Oh, Keith, if we ever get out of this, I will never, ever say one cross word to you, ever again," she whispered.
After a few minutes, he moved, coughing, and he lifted his head from her lap. She waited until he was fully awake and cognizant before she helped him sit all the way up. He still looked exhausted, but at least his color was back.
"How do you feel?" she asked as he rubbed his neck, obviously stiff.
"So, so," he murmured. "What time is it?"
She checked her watch. "Eight o'clock."
"Mmm," he said absently, his hand still on his neck.
She reached over, massaging his shoulders, and he let her have at it. "How's that?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I think I'd better go walk this off before it gets worse," he pushed himself up.
She let him by, then got up, following him to the front of the bus. Marty snored in the driver's seat, but Keith didn't care if he was there or not. He had to get out of there. He quietly opened the doors and stepped down into the warm desert sand. He stood there blinking in the bright light, both hands to his back as Laurie came up beside him.
"Gosh, Keith, aren't there snakes and scorpions out here?" She looked warily around.
He arched his back, stretching the muscles that had been dormant for so long. "Probably, but they won't bother us if we don't bother them."
He moved off rather tentatively, and she slipped her arm through his, just to steady him as they walked away from the bus.
"It sure is peaceful, anyway." Laurie breathed in the fresh air.
"Sure is," he agreed. The limp he started with was slowly disappearing as he walked.
"Keith?" Laurie said after a second.
"What?"
"What do you think is going to happen to us? We have no food, no water…"
He was silent, looking down at the ground, his expression unemotional. When he looked up, she saw a far away look in his dark eyes. "I don't know, Laurie, I just don't know."
Somehow, it comforted her to know that he was scared, too, and she put her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk in silence.
Finally, Keith spoke. "Let me sit down a sec, okay?"
She let him go as he eased down onto a large boulder. The bus sat behind them a good distance, and Laurie was impressed they'd made it that far.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," he assured her. He was tired, that was obvious.
She took a seat next to him on the rock, feeling the sun beating down on her. It was at least 80 degrees, now, and it wasn't even 8:30.
They heard a bird cry, and Laurie looked up. A large vulture was circling them and the sight, though beautiful in its own way, made her stomach knot. Indicating the bird, Laurie swallowed. "I…think we'd best keep moving."
He leaned back on the rock, watching the bird as it made the most perfect circles in the sky above them, calling out to its friends, waiting for Keith and Laurie to wither and die there in the hot sun. "Sorry, pal. Another time, maybe," Keith called out.
Fascinated, they both watched as the bird was joined by two others, anticipating dinner sometime soon.
It was growing hotter, now, and Keith wiped his forehead with his sleeve. The sizzling sun was making him nauseous and he reached for Laurie's arm. "I think we'd better go back," he muttered.
"Okay." She helped him up, taking another look at the buzzards overhead. Another five minutes and they'd be able to feast on at least one Partridge, she thought. She crinkled her nose at them in defiance.
About forty feet from the bus, Keith stopped again, unable to go any further. Pain was coming on, and Laurie saw his features twist. She gripped his arm, trying to keep him upright.
"I've gotta sit down," he gulped.
He dropped down in the sand, drawing his knees up and taking some very shaky breaths. Laurie stroked his hair. It was already hot from the unrelenting sun.
Shirley and Danny appeared on the bus steps, and they hurriedly stepped down. "Keith, are you all right?" Shirley asked.
"Yeah," he puffed. He put his head down on his arms, trying to hide the pain that he knew was evident on his face.
They watched solemnly as he choked, his shoulders sagging in defeat, and when he looked back up, he was extremely pale.
"You okay?" Danny queried.
He nodded, making the move to get up.
Shirley and Danny each took and arm, helping him to his feet just as Marty came out of the bus in a rush, red with anger, his knife in his hand.
"Where is it!" he yelled.
The Partridges looked surprised. "Where's what?" Shirley still had hold of Keith's arm.
"My bag! It's missing!" Marty was getting angrier by the second.
"What bag?" Laurie exchanged puzzled looks with her mother.
"The black bag that was in the back," Marty looked at Danny.
"The one with the syringes?" Danny looked right back at him.
"You took it!" Marty snarled.
Danny shook his head. "What would I do with it? "
Suddenly, noise rose over the desert: Sirens, shrill and penetrating, and another familiar sound. Everyone looked up to see a helicopter flying just over the horizon and it was leading a line of police cars straight for them. It was just like the cavalry coming to the rescue in an old Hollywood Western.
Panicking, Marty reached out, grabbing Danny unawares. The boy yelled in fear and surprise as Marty pulled him away from the others, the knife at his throat.
The women cried out in horror as Keith broke away from his mother's grip. "No!" he cried, bolting forward. He hit Marty in the midriff with a tackle that would have made Knute Rockne proud.
The three of them went down with a thud, Danny rolling to the left and out of the melee. Keith came up on top, his knee in Marty's back. "Get me something to tie his hands!" He shouted, almost struggling for breath. Somehow, Marty still had the knife in his right hand, but now both were under Keith's foot until Danny got up, kicking the weapon out of the kidnappers' reach. Then he defiantly sat down on Marty's legs, helping Keith hold him down.
Laurie leaped into the bus as Shirley ran to her sons, making sure there were no obvious injuries as the sirens' wails got closer.
The noise was at earsplitting level when Laurie returned with an electrical cord. Keith took it from her and bound Marty's hands behind him as if he'd just roped a steer. Then Keith stood up with the girls' help, breathless, while Danny was content to just stay put.
"Keith, you could have been killed!" Shirley cried, pulling him to her.
He sucked in his breath, looking rather drained. "I…don't think I should've done that," he said painfully as his mother grabbed one arm and Laurie the other. They propelled him to the bus' steps, where they sat him down just as the police cars made a dusty stop around them, sirens still blaring. The helicopter landed gracefully behind them, its job finished.
Several policemen were soon upon them, weapons drawn, as Danny scrambled up, letting them take Marty into custody.
"Shirley!"
It was Reuben's voice and she and Laurie looked up to find him running toward them, his ever-present tie flying as he did so.
"Oh, Reuben!" Shirley met him, going into his arms. "Where are Tracy and Chris?"
"Don't worry, they're safe. How's Keith?"
Shirley moved aside, indicating Keith there on the stairs, plainly exhausted.
"An ambulance is on the way," Reuben told Shirley.
"How did you find us, Mr. Kincaid?" Danny asked.
"The helicopter spotted you. That bus isn't exactly camouflaged, you know."
A familiar figure exited the chopper, coming towards them and Shirley and Laurie gasped. It was Jim Anderson, the reporter from Channel 3; the very one they'd been so crass with back at the Seauquarium.
"You folks need some help?" He grinned widely.
"Mr. Anderson!" Shirley looked stunned. "How did you -?"
"I called them, Shirley, and they were gracious enough to volunteer the station's helicopter for the search," Reuben explained.
"The things I don't do for an interview," the reporter smiled. After a pause, he said, "I trust I will get one, this time?"
"I…think we can arrange that," Shirley laughed.
"It will probably have to be from a hospital bed," Laurie nodded down at Keith. His eyes were closed and his head was against the bus' door. He looked all but melted in the scorching heat.
"I have an idea. Why not have the helicopter take Keith to the hospital? They can get there in a matter of minutes, where an ambulance could take upwards of an hour," Jim said.
"Oh, that would be wonderful." Shirley put her hand on Keith's head. "What do you say, honey?"
He nodded, pushing himself up, and Reuben took his arm. "I'll go with you, kid. Can you walk okay?"
"Yeah," Keith assured him.
They started off slowly, Reuben's arm around his young charge.
Danny suddenly brightened. "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!" To everyone's bewilderment, he took off around the back of the bus, returning seconds later with the black bag. It had sand on it, and Shirley looked at it curiously.
"You did have it, then, Laurie grinned.
"I buried it while everybody was asleep. I didn't want him hurting Keith anymore with it." Danny glanced at his brother.
Laurie put her arm around the eleven-year-old. "You're a good kid, Danny Partridge."
He grinned up at her, a little surprised at her affection. Then, turning, he called to Reuben and Keith, who were almost to the copter. "Wait! You're gonna need this!" He tore off after them.
Shirley turned to the reporter. "Mr. Anderson," she started, but he held up a hand.
"Call me, Jim, please."
"Jim," she corrected herself. "I want to apologize for the way we treated you yesterday."
"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Partridge."
"Shirley," she amended.
"Shirley," he smiled. "I understand. I wasn't very cordial myself, and I should apologize as well."
"Friends?" Shirley put out her hand.
"Absolutely. If you'll do me a favor." He shook her hand.
"What's that?"
" I'd like you and your family to sing at my daughter's birthday party. She's a huge fan, as am I."
"And, when would this be?" Laurie looked wary.
"Oh, not until summer."
"I hope Keith will be over this by then," Shirley looked worried.
"At least we have the syringe now," Laurie added hopefully.
They watched as Reuben helped Keith into the helicopter, then climbed in after him. Danny stood on the ground for a moment, then scrambled up to join his brother and Reuben. He waved excitedly to Shirley and Laurie then the door closed and the blades began to rotate.
Laurie looked at Shirley. "Those rats, leaving us here like that."
"Really! I suppose they expect us to walk."
"I have some connections," Jim smiled. "Maybe I can talk the police into letting us go with them. And perhaps I can conduct an informal interview on the way…"
"Oh, I don't know. You know us 'celebrities,'" she teased, giggling as his face went beet red and she touched his arm. "Mr. Anderson, you can interview your heart out!"
He grinned.
Continued...