Chapter 2
"All set, Dr. Wells, thanks for your help," Dr. Sang turned to his mentor as he signed off the paperwork for a new evaluator. Rudy smiled, "No, thank you, Doctor, I think this will help you with the development of the bone materials you're working on. Just let me know and I'll come back when it's time to do the blind study on growth."
Making his farewells, Rudy went down the hall to Oscar's office, knocked And stuck his head in at the Chief's "Come in."
"Ready to head for the field, Steve said he'd be ready about 3 pm.", he reminded Oscar. The big man looked at him and beckoned him in. "Close the door, Rudy, we've got a problem." As the doctor came in and took a seat on the desk, Oscar slammed the phone down then showed the doctor a computer message.
"General Wainwright missing. No security files missing save archives on bases in Arizona that have been re-classified as abandoned.
Last known destination, Arizona.
Consider armed and dangerous. Possible security danger."
Across the bottom of the message, the Secretary's handwriting: "Sorry, Oscar, be on the lookout. Have agents take all precautions."
Rudy slumped into a chair, then pounded his fist into the desk. "Why wasn't this guy picked up when they said they were going to? He's a menace, Oscar, a classic meglomaniac."
Goldman shook his head in disgust. "I told the Secretary when we signed our contract, that he was a danger. They pulled his security clearance alright, then let him run loose until they couldn't ignore him any more. Now he's gone to ground, or worse. We've got to make sure Laurie's safe. Our only ace is that all of us will be with her this weekend, thank God.' He stood up, then took his case and growled, "God help him if he tries anything. Come on." As the two men left the office, a solitary figure watched them from the shadows, then followed them.
As they went to get into Oscar's car, Rudy turned, then caught sight of Steve Austin loping across the drive. "I thought you were meeting us at the field," the doctor said, grinning at the bionic agent.
Steve wagged his finger at the two men, "Didn't I tell you two to watch your backs at all times, I have two students who just followed you around all day and you didn't even blink."
Oscar heaved a sigh, "Steve, I knew Pena and Jacks were tailing me, I was doing surveillance when you were still a fly boy!" He pulled out a picture he had taken of two figures standing behind a bookcase. The colonel winced, then laughed. "Just testing you, Oscar, good to see you've still got it."
Goldman gave him a faint smile, then told him, "We got problems, pal, we'll see if I still have it," showing him the message.
Steve's face darkened with anger when he saw the last known whereabouts of the missing general. "Of all the stupid, dangerous, . Let me call Jaime from the field, I'll tell her I'm staying over the weekend."
"While you're at it, I'm going to phone Rick, I want him aware of Wainwright, just in case he hits town before us," Oscar said, climbing in the car. As the three men drove to the airfield, one thought kept going through their minds. where would the general strike, and when?
Rick was wrapping up a report for a client when A.J. picked up the phone. "Simon and Simon Investigations. Hey, Oscar, what time will guys be in?" "In about 15 minutes, A.J., but we've got a problem. Is Rick there?," came Goldman's reply. The younger Simon handed the phone to his brother, "What's up, Oscar? I was going to leave in 5 minutes for you guys." "That'll work, but I want you to be aware, a renegade General named Wainwright stole some plans to old airbases in Arizona and may be headed your way. He's been trying to access Laurie's file and we don't know why." Rick was stunned, "You're kidding, Oscar. She hasn't worked for the OSI for over 11 years, why the interest in her from this guy?"
"I don't know, but we're going to make sure he doesn't get anywhere near her, Rick. I'll fill you in when we get there. Steve's also going to stay over, if that's ok." The older Simon's mood lightened, "That's more than ok, Oscar, it'll be fine, I'm sure. See you in a few."
Handing the phone over to A.J., Rick gave him a quick fill-in, then grabbing his jacket, paused in the doorway. "A.J., give Laurie a call, will you, I just want to make sure she stays put until we get home." "Sure, I'll see when Robin's due home, too." A.J. started calling as soon as Rick left.
Arriving just as Steve's plane touched down, the older Simon waited for the
three men to check out of the airport then picked them up curbside. Rick wasn't afraid to show how relieved he was that Steve was going to stay Over. "I'm sorry Jaime couldn't come, but Laurie and the kids are going to
be glad you can stay." Steve grinned at him, "You're just saying that because I make better pancakes then you." Rudy raised an eyebrow, "Rick, I didn't know you make breakfast, I thought that was Robin's forte." Rick tipped his hat, "I just don't like to show up my daughter, but my pancakes are so light, you can float them!"
Amid the groans, Oscar's transmitter went off, and answering it, his face went pale. "Where was he seen? All right, I want all agents in this area to be on alert. Over." Slamming his receiver closed, he looked up at the others. "General Wainwright has been sighted in the Tempe area, meeting with a agent for a terrorist organization. He gave our people the slip about an hour ago, but we now know he's trying to sell government secrets to the enemy."
Oscar exhaled. "Now I know what he may be after, he's had access to the Bionics program info for years, he may be under the impression Laurie is a member of a program that he didn't know about." Rick cursed under his breath, then asked Oscar to contact A.J. to see if he had reached Laurie.
When Goldman reached A.J., he found him out of breath. "Oscar, thank God you called. Nobody was answering at the ranch, so I called the Chief and Laurie and Rob and Robin are in town celebrating his birthday. I told him to have her stay put, can you meet her there?"
"Sure, A.J. We'll meet you at the ranch., Rick, A.J. says Laurie's at the Chief's, let's head to town," Oscar said, pocketing the device. "You've got it!", Rick returned, taking the turn-off to Silver Rock.
Arriving in town, Rick dropped Rudy off at the clinic to talk to Doc Walker about their new lab. He found parking next to Laurie's jeep, and as the three men exited the truck, Rick was happy to hear her laughter coming from the Tribal Center, where Chief Joseph's celebration was winding down.
Entering the center, the elders greeted all three men with catcalls and offers of cake, as Steve and Oscar were well known to the townspeople. Rick was surprised by the smiles some of the ladies were giving him, until he saw Laurie blushing and learned they had been teasing her about having so many handsome men around her.
She saw him coming and went to greet him, only to have him lift her up and kiss her in front of the group. "Darling, you remembered the Chief's party, I'm so glad!", she whispered, breathless from his greeting.
Ignoring the chuckles around them, he said, "Sweetheart, we need to go home, something's come up." Seeing his serious expression, she nodded, then called Rob and Robin away and told them that they had to go.
Rick took her hand and helped her through the crowd, making their farewells. Halfway out the door, the Chief signaled that Rick had a phone call. "Laurie, wait by the jeep, ok?" He turned and followed the Chief to the back office. Sending the kids out ahead of her, she started to follow only to have an older gentleman step in front of her. "Mrs. Simon, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." "Do I know you, sir?," Laurie replied, trying to place his voice. "I knew your father, my dear, and I've waited a long time to speak to you about him. Could I talk to you for a moment, outside?" He took her hand and drew her through the doors, just as Oscar turned around. His eyes widened, and he called, "Laurie!" Steve came over to him as he tried to cut through the exiting crowd. "What is it, Oscar?" "That's Wainwright, he's with Laurie!" Rick caught up with them, "No one was on the line, are you ready to go?"
As Laurie tried to disengage her hand, trying to see who had called her, she looked at the man next to her and asked him, "I didn't catch your name, sir, where did you know my father?" "I knew your father when he was in the service, he was under my command. I'm General Wainwright, retired." Suddenly she realized he was the one Oscar had been talking about as being one of the reasons he had retired. "I'm glad to have met you, sir, but my family is expecting me." "Of course, my dear, but let me show you something for a moment.", pulling her between the buildings toward a white van. Laurie jerked away from him, only to have him pin her arms and put a cloth over her nose and mouth before she could call for help.
She tried to fight him off, terrified, then felt woozy and unable to move. Laurie realized he was lifting her up and putting her in the van, and she made one last attempt to struggle away from him. "Now, my dear, none of that,"he whispered, tying her wrists and ankles, then tightening a scarf around her mouth. "We'll just wait for a moment for your friend, then we'll be leaving." Wainwright closed the van door, then hid, watching Steve and Oscar race by. Unable to move, Laurie tried to focus on calling for Steve, but she was too dizzy to contact him. She managed to press a button on her watch, hoping her transmitter was working.
Abruptly, she heard the motor start, and as they pulled out of the alley, she heard the general call out to Oscar. "No, " she moaned, then heard his voice. A door opened near her, and then slammed shut. "Laurie,"she heard Oscar call her name, then felt her gag removed and the bindings taken off her wrists. She managed to open her eyes, and saw the big man looking down at her. "Oscar, no.", she gasped, and he lifted her into his arms. "Honey, it's all right, I'm here." Laurie heard as if far away, then smelled something sweet. "Oscar, some kind of, knock out gas", then she felt herself sinking into unconciousness.
"All set, Dr. Wells, thanks for your help," Dr. Sang turned to his mentor as he signed off the paperwork for a new evaluator. Rudy smiled, "No, thank you, Doctor, I think this will help you with the development of the bone materials you're working on. Just let me know and I'll come back when it's time to do the blind study on growth."
Making his farewells, Rudy went down the hall to Oscar's office, knocked And stuck his head in at the Chief's "Come in."
"Ready to head for the field, Steve said he'd be ready about 3 pm.", he reminded Oscar. The big man looked at him and beckoned him in. "Close the door, Rudy, we've got a problem." As the doctor came in and took a seat on the desk, Oscar slammed the phone down then showed the doctor a computer message.
"General Wainwright missing. No security files missing save archives on bases in Arizona that have been re-classified as abandoned.
Last known destination, Arizona.
Consider armed and dangerous. Possible security danger."
Across the bottom of the message, the Secretary's handwriting: "Sorry, Oscar, be on the lookout. Have agents take all precautions."
Rudy slumped into a chair, then pounded his fist into the desk. "Why wasn't this guy picked up when they said they were going to? He's a menace, Oscar, a classic meglomaniac."
Goldman shook his head in disgust. "I told the Secretary when we signed our contract, that he was a danger. They pulled his security clearance alright, then let him run loose until they couldn't ignore him any more. Now he's gone to ground, or worse. We've got to make sure Laurie's safe. Our only ace is that all of us will be with her this weekend, thank God.' He stood up, then took his case and growled, "God help him if he tries anything. Come on." As the two men left the office, a solitary figure watched them from the shadows, then followed them.
As they went to get into Oscar's car, Rudy turned, then caught sight of Steve Austin loping across the drive. "I thought you were meeting us at the field," the doctor said, grinning at the bionic agent.
Steve wagged his finger at the two men, "Didn't I tell you two to watch your backs at all times, I have two students who just followed you around all day and you didn't even blink."
Oscar heaved a sigh, "Steve, I knew Pena and Jacks were tailing me, I was doing surveillance when you were still a fly boy!" He pulled out a picture he had taken of two figures standing behind a bookcase. The colonel winced, then laughed. "Just testing you, Oscar, good to see you've still got it."
Goldman gave him a faint smile, then told him, "We got problems, pal, we'll see if I still have it," showing him the message.
Steve's face darkened with anger when he saw the last known whereabouts of the missing general. "Of all the stupid, dangerous, . Let me call Jaime from the field, I'll tell her I'm staying over the weekend."
"While you're at it, I'm going to phone Rick, I want him aware of Wainwright, just in case he hits town before us," Oscar said, climbing in the car. As the three men drove to the airfield, one thought kept going through their minds. where would the general strike, and when?
Rick was wrapping up a report for a client when A.J. picked up the phone. "Simon and Simon Investigations. Hey, Oscar, what time will guys be in?" "In about 15 minutes, A.J., but we've got a problem. Is Rick there?," came Goldman's reply. The younger Simon handed the phone to his brother, "What's up, Oscar? I was going to leave in 5 minutes for you guys." "That'll work, but I want you to be aware, a renegade General named Wainwright stole some plans to old airbases in Arizona and may be headed your way. He's been trying to access Laurie's file and we don't know why." Rick was stunned, "You're kidding, Oscar. She hasn't worked for the OSI for over 11 years, why the interest in her from this guy?"
"I don't know, but we're going to make sure he doesn't get anywhere near her, Rick. I'll fill you in when we get there. Steve's also going to stay over, if that's ok." The older Simon's mood lightened, "That's more than ok, Oscar, it'll be fine, I'm sure. See you in a few."
Handing the phone over to A.J., Rick gave him a quick fill-in, then grabbing his jacket, paused in the doorway. "A.J., give Laurie a call, will you, I just want to make sure she stays put until we get home." "Sure, I'll see when Robin's due home, too." A.J. started calling as soon as Rick left.
Arriving just as Steve's plane touched down, the older Simon waited for the
three men to check out of the airport then picked them up curbside. Rick wasn't afraid to show how relieved he was that Steve was going to stay Over. "I'm sorry Jaime couldn't come, but Laurie and the kids are going to
be glad you can stay." Steve grinned at him, "You're just saying that because I make better pancakes then you." Rudy raised an eyebrow, "Rick, I didn't know you make breakfast, I thought that was Robin's forte." Rick tipped his hat, "I just don't like to show up my daughter, but my pancakes are so light, you can float them!"
Amid the groans, Oscar's transmitter went off, and answering it, his face went pale. "Where was he seen? All right, I want all agents in this area to be on alert. Over." Slamming his receiver closed, he looked up at the others. "General Wainwright has been sighted in the Tempe area, meeting with a agent for a terrorist organization. He gave our people the slip about an hour ago, but we now know he's trying to sell government secrets to the enemy."
Oscar exhaled. "Now I know what he may be after, he's had access to the Bionics program info for years, he may be under the impression Laurie is a member of a program that he didn't know about." Rick cursed under his breath, then asked Oscar to contact A.J. to see if he had reached Laurie.
When Goldman reached A.J., he found him out of breath. "Oscar, thank God you called. Nobody was answering at the ranch, so I called the Chief and Laurie and Rob and Robin are in town celebrating his birthday. I told him to have her stay put, can you meet her there?"
"Sure, A.J. We'll meet you at the ranch., Rick, A.J. says Laurie's at the Chief's, let's head to town," Oscar said, pocketing the device. "You've got it!", Rick returned, taking the turn-off to Silver Rock.
Arriving in town, Rick dropped Rudy off at the clinic to talk to Doc Walker about their new lab. He found parking next to Laurie's jeep, and as the three men exited the truck, Rick was happy to hear her laughter coming from the Tribal Center, where Chief Joseph's celebration was winding down.
Entering the center, the elders greeted all three men with catcalls and offers of cake, as Steve and Oscar were well known to the townspeople. Rick was surprised by the smiles some of the ladies were giving him, until he saw Laurie blushing and learned they had been teasing her about having so many handsome men around her.
She saw him coming and went to greet him, only to have him lift her up and kiss her in front of the group. "Darling, you remembered the Chief's party, I'm so glad!", she whispered, breathless from his greeting.
Ignoring the chuckles around them, he said, "Sweetheart, we need to go home, something's come up." Seeing his serious expression, she nodded, then called Rob and Robin away and told them that they had to go.
Rick took her hand and helped her through the crowd, making their farewells. Halfway out the door, the Chief signaled that Rick had a phone call. "Laurie, wait by the jeep, ok?" He turned and followed the Chief to the back office. Sending the kids out ahead of her, she started to follow only to have an older gentleman step in front of her. "Mrs. Simon, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." "Do I know you, sir?," Laurie replied, trying to place his voice. "I knew your father, my dear, and I've waited a long time to speak to you about him. Could I talk to you for a moment, outside?" He took her hand and drew her through the doors, just as Oscar turned around. His eyes widened, and he called, "Laurie!" Steve came over to him as he tried to cut through the exiting crowd. "What is it, Oscar?" "That's Wainwright, he's with Laurie!" Rick caught up with them, "No one was on the line, are you ready to go?"
As Laurie tried to disengage her hand, trying to see who had called her, she looked at the man next to her and asked him, "I didn't catch your name, sir, where did you know my father?" "I knew your father when he was in the service, he was under my command. I'm General Wainwright, retired." Suddenly she realized he was the one Oscar had been talking about as being one of the reasons he had retired. "I'm glad to have met you, sir, but my family is expecting me." "Of course, my dear, but let me show you something for a moment.", pulling her between the buildings toward a white van. Laurie jerked away from him, only to have him pin her arms and put a cloth over her nose and mouth before she could call for help.
She tried to fight him off, terrified, then felt woozy and unable to move. Laurie realized he was lifting her up and putting her in the van, and she made one last attempt to struggle away from him. "Now, my dear, none of that,"he whispered, tying her wrists and ankles, then tightening a scarf around her mouth. "We'll just wait for a moment for your friend, then we'll be leaving." Wainwright closed the van door, then hid, watching Steve and Oscar race by. Unable to move, Laurie tried to focus on calling for Steve, but she was too dizzy to contact him. She managed to press a button on her watch, hoping her transmitter was working.
Abruptly, she heard the motor start, and as they pulled out of the alley, she heard the general call out to Oscar. "No, " she moaned, then heard his voice. A door opened near her, and then slammed shut. "Laurie,"she heard Oscar call her name, then felt her gag removed and the bindings taken off her wrists. She managed to open her eyes, and saw the big man looking down at her. "Oscar, no.", she gasped, and he lifted her into his arms. "Honey, it's all right, I'm here." Laurie heard as if far away, then smelled something sweet. "Oscar, some kind of, knock out gas", then she felt herself sinking into unconciousness.