Chapter 5

"Mike, go play with your mother." Rick ordered his playful dog for the third time, as he tried to stack the hay so it wouldn't fall over.

"Rick, I think he thinks it's a game, he'll come racing back in a couple of minutes, I bet." His brother teased, filling the last of the grain bins.

"Oh, I know who's playing a game, and she's just asking for it." Rick gave a wicked look toward the house, and A.J. laughed. With all the recent thunderstorms, the brothers had decided to put all the horses feed under cover in the barn, and with Robbie not able to do chores, A.J. was helping out. "Besides, it'll build up stamina for Lamaze class, your wife is a slave driver!" A.J. pretended to complain.

Sure enough, Mike came loping into the barn, a rolled up paper in his mouth. "Drop it, Mike!" Rick told him, and he let it go, then came to A.J. for a rub. "Good dog, Mike. I want you to teach Buck the same thing when he's older, okay?" the younger Simon smiled.

"What's she say, Rick?"

Rick looked up with a smirk. "Anything you can do, I can do better." You can just guess the rest!" Folding up the paper, he started to put it in his pocket when the sound of a truck pulling up caused him to look up. Coming out of the barn, he caught sight of a delivery van stopping in front of the driveway.

"Are you expecting any packages, Rick?" A.J. asked, curious.

"No, but maybe it's more books for Laurie to sign, 'cept those should have gone to the cultural center." Rick frowned and started toward the house. As he entered the kitchen, he saw his wife talking to the driver and he relaxed. Suddenly he heard her scream "Rick", and he yelled for his brother as he ran through the living room. He saw Laurie being dragged into the van kicking and screaming, then the man holding her turned and threw something, and abruptly a cloud of smoke hit him in the face as he came out onto the porch. Coughing, choking, he yelled "Laurie!", then felt his brother run smack into him.

Grabbing A.J. to keep him from falling, he somehow got through the smoke to see the van pulling away at high speed down the road toward town.

"A.J!" he coughed, "someone's got Laurie!" At once he heard his wife's voice on his watch and he blessed her for somehow turning it on.

"Tony, why, don't do this!" she was pleading tearfully. Suddenly he "felt" he telling him it was Tony Wolf, Andrew Bear's half-brother. "Shut up, Mrs. Simon!" the familiar voice sounded, then he heard a struggling noise. "That'll keep you quiet. My stupid brother's the one crazy about your voice, you're only the means to an end."

Finally clearing his eyes, Rick ran to his truck, A.J. right behind him. Just then Mike came tearing out of the house and before he could order him back in, the rambunctious dog jumped into the truck bed.

"Let him come, Rick, he might be able to help!" his brother urged, and Rick put the truck in gear and peeled out of the driveway, just missing the gate. As they followed the van, A.J. got on his transmitter and alerted Sheriff Rob. Barely finishing giving the description of the vehicle, the younger Simon was signaled by first Oscar then Robbie.

"Who took her, son?" Rick could hear Oscar driving and swearing at the same time.

"Tony Wolf, Laurie kept saying it was funny he didn't try to get Bear help, I should have listened, Oscar."

"Pop, it's not your fault, I asked Tony when I saw him at the hospital why the family wasn't at Bear's hearing." Robbie interrupted over the transmitter. "He said his folks were embarrassed and had disowned Andrew. I have an idea where he might have taken her."

"Go for it, Robbie." Rick told him, dropping back once he saw the van veer off the highway toward Window Rock. As his brother kept an eye on the location transmitter, Rick heard Wolf telling his wife, "Just in case you get any ideas, I'll kill the first person I spot following us. I want that worthless brother of mine out of jail today or I'll leave you for the snakes."

Rick swore, then "told" his wife, "We're almost there, sweetheart, don't worry, I'm coming for you. Just stay calm and we'll find you."

He felt her respond, and tears came to his eyes as Laurie let him know she loved him, that she needed him. "Rick, it's all right." He realized A.J. had a hand on his shoulder. And he wiped his eyes unobtrusively. "Thanks, little brother." He answered, then heard his son's excited voice.

"Pop, hang a right at Pueblo, and stop. He's taken Mom to the old jail, he and Bear used to hang out there. We'll have to wait until he leaves before we get her out."

As his truck pulled into a lot across from the site marked for demolition, Rick directed Oscar and Sheriff Rob to the other side of the jail. "Wait until he leaves, Rob, then you and Oscar box him in. Robbie and I will enter on each side of the exit then I'll send Mike in to find Laurie." Rick added, as he "told" his wife where they were.

"Pop, that was a good idea to bring him." Rick heard something like humor in his voice.

At that moment there was a sudden rumble, and Rick cursed as the rain began to fall. Over his watch came the sound of Tony Wolf struggling with Laurie. "Get down there, Mrs. Simon, or I'll throw you in!" he threatened, and her muffled cry filled Rick with fear.

"Rick", she "called", "hurry, he's left me in the prisoners pit, and it's starting to rain!"

Before he could tell the others to move in regardless of Wolf's threat, he saw the delivery van exit the jail lot through the visitor's entrance, and immediately he tore out of the adjacent lot and right into the jail grounds through a busted gate.

As he drove straight through the abandoned historical markers, he braked sharply at the fenced off area of the prisoners yard. Bolting out of the truck, he reached into the truck bed and grabbed Mike out. Setting him down, the retriever immediately shook the rain off his wet fur and all over Rick. "All right, Mikey, go find Mom, hurry!" Rick urged him, then followed Mike as he took off at a run into through a hole in the fence.

"Laurie! We're coming! Hold on!" he yelled, then A.J. called out, "Honey, can you hear us?"

At once Mike's barking signaled he'd found her, then a muffled cry sounded "Rick!" Rushing toward the sound over the broken asphalt, Rick blanched as he saw the grated area where his wife was confined. Mike was jumping and barking, and Rick immediately hushed him.

"Down, Mike, down. Sweetheart, I'm here!" he told her, lowering himself to his knees on the wet ground. Down below he saw Laurie with her wrists bound behind her, trying to back away from a coiled snake.

Between him and A.J., they managed to lift the heavy grate, as Robbie joined them and brought the ladder Wolf had used to imprison Laurie. Quickly Rick went down the ladder, and pulling his wife against him, reached for his gun and shot the snake dead.

"There you go, darlin' no more snake." He reassured her, then took her in his arms.

"Laurie, angel, are you all right, did he hurt you?" he asked frantically, taking the gag off her face then cutting the rope around her wrists. At once she clung to him and he kissed and held her for a moment."Just my wrist, he twisted it in back of me when I wouldn't get in the van." she finally said, leaning wearily against him. Putting an arm around her, he guided her to the ladder.

"I'm going to boost you up, sweetheart." Rick helped Laurie onto the ladder, seeing her wince as she used her right hand. Putting his arm around her waist, he lifted her up so A.J. and Robbie could catch hold of her and pull her the rest of the way. He smiled at her, seeing their son wrapping her in a blanket.

"My brave knight." She beamed, then giggled faintly at Mike's jumping into her husband's arms.

"All right, Mike, you did a good job. Oscar, did you get him." Rick spied the big man striding through the puddles toward them.

"Wolf's in the patrol car now, Baby, are you all right?" Oscar held out his arms and took his niece into his embrace.

"I am now, Dad. I'm just cold." She shivered and Oscar picked her up. "Rick, let's get her to Doc, I want to make sure she's all right. No buts, honey!" he warned, as she opened her mouth to protest.

"You heard your father." Rick snickered, relieved when she subsided with a reluctant "yes, dear." "See, Mom. What goes around comes around!" Robbie chuckled, then seeing his uncle's puzzled look, added, "She always told Robin and I not to play her and Pop off each other, she can't do that either with you and Pop!"

"Robbie, remind me to tell you of the time your dad and I tried that with your Grandma!" A.J. smirked, drawing a scowl from his brother as they followed Oscar to Rick's truck.

As the big man buckled her in, Laurie leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, dad for coming for me." she murmured. "Next time a delivery comes, let Mike handle it!" he growled, then kissed her hair.

Oscar then picked Mike up, saying, "I'll take him home, I don't think Doc would appreciate his running around." "Thanks, Dad. He was a real tracker today." Rick chuckled.

As he started the truck, another rumble of thunder struck, and Laurie pressed herself closer to Rick. "All right, darlin', we'll be out of this in a few minutes." He soothed her, then dropped a kiss on her cheek.

"Honey, remember what Mom used to say the thunder and lightening was?" A.J. reminded her, in an effort to take her mind off the storm. Laurie smiled as they drove through the rain.

"I remember A.J., it was the Angels and the Devils playing baseball. That's cute, I'd forgotten about that." She placed a kiss on his cheek, then put her head back down on Rick's shoulder.

As they pulled into the hospital lot, Laurie looked up at her husband, then kissed him. "I don't care what Dad said, I'd rather go home then go see Doc."

A.J. laughed as Rick gazed at her, then kissed her back. "Me too, but please humor us, princess." "Yes, my lord." She smiled, then stiffly slid out of the truck onto A.J.'s arm, letting him escort her inside the emergency department.

After a few minutes, Laurie was glad her husband and father had "ganged up" on her, as the storm hit with driving rain, almost flooding the incoming roads.

"I'm glad we're not out in that, darling." She huddled against Rick as Doc Walker moved her wrist, then sucked in her breath as he pressed on the joint.

"I know, I'm sorry, Light. You have a hairline fracture and some soft tissue damage to your wrist. I want you to wear a support cast for a couple of weeks." The doctor told her, then looked at Rick.

"You know the drill, she's to have lots of dairy and calcium, it'll heal faster that way. Plus I want Light on an anti-imflamatory, pal. She'll sleep better and so will you."

"Thanks, Doc. Although sleeping usually isn't a problem...." Rick winked at his wife, who blushed and protested "Rick!"

"Nevermind, pal, Geez, you blush at the drop of a hat, Light!" Doc laughed.

"I can't help it, Doc, you know that. He makes me....well, none of your beeswax!" she returned with a grin.

"Let me get your cast before you turn tomato, honey." Walker snickered, then left the room.

"You're so cute when you're red, I just can't help it either, darlin'!" Rick sighed, kissing his wife's neck.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, my love." Laurie giggled, then beamed when Rick added, "Everywhere is what's going to happen when we get home, I promise!"