Back at home:
Simon placed the phone receiver back into the cradle. He had just finished talking with Blair and Jim. They had just checked in to reassure him that they were still alive and kicking. For now, those two were okay and not in the middle of a situation. Those two had the worse luck of anyone he had ever met.
Simon shook his head. He had no idea how either of them were still alive and healthy. Simon stood up and walked to his office door. He reached for the door knob and snorted. He took his hand off the door before opening it. While removing his glasses with one hand, he rubbed his eyes with the other. Sandburg would be the death of him yet.
It seemed that Blair had gone shopping and had shipped a few purchases home to Cascade. To Simon's house. After all, "Simon, it'll get home before we do! I don't want them sitting outside our door for a week and where else would I send it?" Truthfully, Simon didn't have a problem helping out his friend, but it wouldn't do for him to go lightly on the kid.
Snorting again, Simon pledged to never let Blair know he'd thought any of that. With that, and a change to a more upbeat composure, Simon opened his door and strode firmly into the bullpen. All eyes were drawn to this tall, charismatic leader of men. Simon could feel the power behind the gazes. He knew about his power and his ability to command a room and used it to the best of his abilities.
"Listen up! I just got off the phone with Jim and Blair. They're doing okay. No major catastrophes - in fact, none at all since the last time we talked with them. Yet. They're still planning on staying another week and have been shopping the last couple days. Today they're in Granada and will stay until tomorrow. Then they'll go to the Corn Island for a while."
Simon had been making eye contact with his men and finally rested his eyes on Rhonda. "No injuries, no problems. Not even a hangnail."
Rhonda nodded her understanding. The pool would be updated. She knew of several people would be disappointed at the lack of action and one person who would be ecstatic at this detail. However, she couldn't remember who had bet for the boys.
Simon turned back to the rest of the bullpen. "They're not expecting any trouble and are planning on just relaxing on the beach for awhile." Simon paused and thought about what he'd just said and realized that he'd pretty much given all the information he had. "They didn't say much else and are planning to call when they get to the next hotel. "If you have any questions, let me know." With that, Simon turned around and walked back into his office.
Sighing, he slipped behind his desk and sat in his specially designed office chair. He relaxed his tense muscles and reached for his half-filled coffee cup. He grimaced as he realized it was cold. He put the cup aside, swiveled around and poured himself a new cup. He glanced at the clock and turned back to the desk. He picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number. He was answered by a "Hey" and music. Loud tribal drum music. Simon smiled. Sandburg had more influence than he knew. Thank God he was on Simon's side.
"Hey back at you." The music was immediately turned down and he was greeted properly by his son.
"Dad! Hi, what's wrong? Is everything okay? Someone hurt?"
Simon cut off his son's rant before he became too upset. "No! Daryl, everything is okay and no one's hurt. I just got a call from Jim and Blair and knew you'd want to hear about it."
"Good, okay. Yeah, how are they doing? Any more trouble?" Even Daryl was realistic about the Sentinel and Guide's chances for a peaceful vacation.
Simon laughed, knowing his son had his men pegged. "Nope. No troubles; no lost baggage; no injuries or terrorist kidnappings." Daryl's cheer sounded over the phone line. "What're you so happy about?" inquired Simon.
Daryl took a few minutes to answer as he was celebrating his new windfall. "Dad, go have Rhonda check the pool but I think I won. After their last phone call, I placed some dough on them. No one else was willing to bet that they'd not run into trouble before the next check in. The odds were awesome!"
"Daryl!" Simon was shocked at his son's antics. "What has your mother told you about gambling?
"Not to make a sucker bet?"
"Daryl!" Simon's shock turned to horrified amusement. He couldn't really tell him that gambling was wrong. After all, Simon had several bets placed himself on the troublesome duo. "Fine, do you have time to wait or do you want me to call you back?"
"I can hold."
"Okay, I'll be back in a minute." Simon placed his son on hold and pushed the intercom. "Rhonda, could you come here with your clipboard?"
"I'll be right there." Rhonda grabbed the board and walked into the office. "What do you need me to check?"
"Who had a no injury/no trouble bet from the last call to this one and what was the winnings?"
Rhonda checked and as she found the place, her eyes widened. "My God."
"What?"
"Daryl just won about $1000 bucks."
"What?!"
"Yeah, it seems that people were so confident stuff would happen to Blair and Jim that they upped the odds and bets."
Simon was stunned. That was a lot of money. He picked up the telephone and ended the hold. "Daryl?" His voice was a bit strained sounding and Daryl picked up on it.
"Dad, everything okay?"
"Yeah, um, you won."
"I know I did. How much?" Daryl was very curious at what could affect his father that badly.
"$1000."
"What!" Daryl was stunned. He had no idea that he had won that much money.
"Yeah. I'll bring it over tonight but we will discuss what you'll do with it then."
"Sure; I have a suggestion that I think you'll approve of."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, there's a class trip to Europe that I'd like to take."
"That sounds okay. You, me and your mother will talk later about it."
"Thanks, Dad." Daryl finished the call and hung up. He'd just won $1000.
Simon was still stunned. He dismissed Rhonda, who went back to her desk. He stared into the distance before he gave himself a shake and went back to his reports. There'd be time for contemplation later.
Simon placed the phone receiver back into the cradle. He had just finished talking with Blair and Jim. They had just checked in to reassure him that they were still alive and kicking. For now, those two were okay and not in the middle of a situation. Those two had the worse luck of anyone he had ever met.
Simon shook his head. He had no idea how either of them were still alive and healthy. Simon stood up and walked to his office door. He reached for the door knob and snorted. He took his hand off the door before opening it. While removing his glasses with one hand, he rubbed his eyes with the other. Sandburg would be the death of him yet.
It seemed that Blair had gone shopping and had shipped a few purchases home to Cascade. To Simon's house. After all, "Simon, it'll get home before we do! I don't want them sitting outside our door for a week and where else would I send it?" Truthfully, Simon didn't have a problem helping out his friend, but it wouldn't do for him to go lightly on the kid.
Snorting again, Simon pledged to never let Blair know he'd thought any of that. With that, and a change to a more upbeat composure, Simon opened his door and strode firmly into the bullpen. All eyes were drawn to this tall, charismatic leader of men. Simon could feel the power behind the gazes. He knew about his power and his ability to command a room and used it to the best of his abilities.
"Listen up! I just got off the phone with Jim and Blair. They're doing okay. No major catastrophes - in fact, none at all since the last time we talked with them. Yet. They're still planning on staying another week and have been shopping the last couple days. Today they're in Granada and will stay until tomorrow. Then they'll go to the Corn Island for a while."
Simon had been making eye contact with his men and finally rested his eyes on Rhonda. "No injuries, no problems. Not even a hangnail."
Rhonda nodded her understanding. The pool would be updated. She knew of several people would be disappointed at the lack of action and one person who would be ecstatic at this detail. However, she couldn't remember who had bet for the boys.
Simon turned back to the rest of the bullpen. "They're not expecting any trouble and are planning on just relaxing on the beach for awhile." Simon paused and thought about what he'd just said and realized that he'd pretty much given all the information he had. "They didn't say much else and are planning to call when they get to the next hotel. "If you have any questions, let me know." With that, Simon turned around and walked back into his office.
Sighing, he slipped behind his desk and sat in his specially designed office chair. He relaxed his tense muscles and reached for his half-filled coffee cup. He grimaced as he realized it was cold. He put the cup aside, swiveled around and poured himself a new cup. He glanced at the clock and turned back to the desk. He picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number. He was answered by a "Hey" and music. Loud tribal drum music. Simon smiled. Sandburg had more influence than he knew. Thank God he was on Simon's side.
"Hey back at you." The music was immediately turned down and he was greeted properly by his son.
"Dad! Hi, what's wrong? Is everything okay? Someone hurt?"
Simon cut off his son's rant before he became too upset. "No! Daryl, everything is okay and no one's hurt. I just got a call from Jim and Blair and knew you'd want to hear about it."
"Good, okay. Yeah, how are they doing? Any more trouble?" Even Daryl was realistic about the Sentinel and Guide's chances for a peaceful vacation.
Simon laughed, knowing his son had his men pegged. "Nope. No troubles; no lost baggage; no injuries or terrorist kidnappings." Daryl's cheer sounded over the phone line. "What're you so happy about?" inquired Simon.
Daryl took a few minutes to answer as he was celebrating his new windfall. "Dad, go have Rhonda check the pool but I think I won. After their last phone call, I placed some dough on them. No one else was willing to bet that they'd not run into trouble before the next check in. The odds were awesome!"
"Daryl!" Simon was shocked at his son's antics. "What has your mother told you about gambling?
"Not to make a sucker bet?"
"Daryl!" Simon's shock turned to horrified amusement. He couldn't really tell him that gambling was wrong. After all, Simon had several bets placed himself on the troublesome duo. "Fine, do you have time to wait or do you want me to call you back?"
"I can hold."
"Okay, I'll be back in a minute." Simon placed his son on hold and pushed the intercom. "Rhonda, could you come here with your clipboard?"
"I'll be right there." Rhonda grabbed the board and walked into the office. "What do you need me to check?"
"Who had a no injury/no trouble bet from the last call to this one and what was the winnings?"
Rhonda checked and as she found the place, her eyes widened. "My God."
"What?"
"Daryl just won about $1000 bucks."
"What?!"
"Yeah, it seems that people were so confident stuff would happen to Blair and Jim that they upped the odds and bets."
Simon was stunned. That was a lot of money. He picked up the telephone and ended the hold. "Daryl?" His voice was a bit strained sounding and Daryl picked up on it.
"Dad, everything okay?"
"Yeah, um, you won."
"I know I did. How much?" Daryl was very curious at what could affect his father that badly.
"$1000."
"What!" Daryl was stunned. He had no idea that he had won that much money.
"Yeah. I'll bring it over tonight but we will discuss what you'll do with it then."
"Sure; I have a suggestion that I think you'll approve of."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, there's a class trip to Europe that I'd like to take."
"That sounds okay. You, me and your mother will talk later about it."
"Thanks, Dad." Daryl finished the call and hung up. He'd just won $1000.
Simon was still stunned. He dismissed Rhonda, who went back to her desk. He stared into the distance before he gave himself a shake and went back to his reports. There'd be time for contemplation later.