Minutes later, a healthy wail was heard as Rudy proudly told the two parents "Congratulations, you have a beautiful baby girl!"
"Honey, I'm so proud of you, look at her, she's got your eyes." Robbie kissed his worn-out wife, then hugged his mother.
Eyes full of tears, she managed a smile then kissed him. "You did great, darling, you too, Ramona. Now you rest, I need to talk to Rudy while you check out your little girl."
As she made eye contact with him, he nodded, then went into the corridor. As soon as the door closed, they were met by a frantic Cecilia.
"Laurie, Rudy, there's been an explosion at the courthouse, Rick and A.J. are missing!"
"Oh no, Rick's in danger, I didn't see A.J., but, Rudy, I have to get there." Laurie told him, trying not to break down.
"Wait a minute, missy, did you have a premonition?" he replied, taking her arm and sitting her down in a nearby chair.
She nodded. "Just before Ramona went into labor, I called Rick on his transmitter and started to tell him about his grandchild, only we were interrupted, then I saw him unconscious, with blood on his face. A man was standing over him, then I heard my own voice calling him, and he ran, I saw where he went. Mom found me as I came out of it and I told her to call Ron to tell him about Rick."
"Oh, honey, you should have told me…" Rudy started to say, only for Laurie to interrupt him.
"No, Ramona needed me, Rudy. I had to put it aside. Mom, can you stay with Robbie and Ramona?" she asked.
"Yes, honey, you go and find out where A.J. is and help them locate Rick. Please call me as soon as you know something." Cecilia replied, pulling Laurie into her arms.
"I will, Mom, I'll find them both." She promised, then Rudy took her arm.
Stopping only to retrieve his medical bag and a bag of first aid supplies, the two raced to the elevators.
As they drove the few blocks to the old state courthouse, Laurie raised Oscar on her transmitter, only to find he was already at the command center. As they reached the perimeter of the legal district, they saw the smoldering building and instantly were stopped by the police.
"Sorry, you can't go any closer, this is a disaster zone."
Showing their id's, Rudy managed to talk his way through the police lines and pulled into the parking lot of the aged building, now missing large sections of the first two floors. As Laurie and the doctor reached a knot of men around a makeshift staging area, they glimpsed the triage section, and immediately Laurie spotted a familiar blond head.
"A.J.!" she cried, then made her way to his side as he sat propped up, a paramedic wrapping his arm.
"Sis, thank God you're here! Did you hear anything from Rick?" he asked, a hopeful look on his face.
"Not since we were cut off, I was talking to him when I, heard something happen." She faltered, not knowing how to say in front of a stranger that she had a premonition. The medic looked up.
"Ma'am, you need to talk to Captain Johnson, he'll want to know what you heard."
"Yes, sir, where is he?" she gulped, as he got on his radio.
"Right over there, Mrs…"
"Mrs. Simon, I'm A.J.'s sister-in-law, is he alright?" she worried, then squeezed his arm as A.J. spoke for himself.
"Just a bad cut and I sprained my leg. I'll be okay, you just help them find Rick." He insisted.
"Come on , honey, I'll be back to check on you, son." Rudy added, helping her up then walking her towards a group of firemen listening to a bedraggled Ron Johnson.
"If there are any other survivors, we'll have to hope they are in protected areas or under stairwells, the unreforced concrete makes it too dangerous to go in until the fire's completely out, sir." One of the firemen was saying as Laurie and Rudy came up to the group.
"Ron, I know where Rick is!" she burst out, upset by the thought that no searchers were going in.
"Laurie, I know you heard something, hang on and I 'll be right with you." Ron told her calmly, then caught Rudy's eye. "Oscar's over with Captain Branson, Doc, maybe you'd better meet up with him."
"They think Rick's dead." The thought crossed Laurie's mind, then was confirmed when Rudy softly told her, "Let's go wait over with Oscar, Ron'll be with us shortly."
"No, Rudy, he's alive. I know it. I saw him, he was unconscious but, I know where he is, I even saw where the man who hurt him got out." She protested.
"Honey, I believe you, but you heard the fireman, they won't go in until it's safe." The doctor said firmly, leading her away from the building area.
Just then a fire truck pulled up, and as Rudy stopped to let it pass, Laurie realized she had to go herself to find her husband. "I'm sorry, Rudy." She told him, then pulled away, dashing toward the back end of the courthouse.
Startled, the doctor lost sight of her as recognizing the area she had seen in her vision, Laurie ran through the groups of fire personnel to the side of the structure. Just as she reached the emergency exits, a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Stop! This area is off-limits!"
That voice, she knew she had heard it before. Turning, she saw a rumpled man come out of the shadows.
"I'm going in to find my husband, who are you?" she called out.
Coming into the glare of the emergency lights, she saw a big man, covered with dust, then recognized him as a detective with Phoenix P.D.
"I'm Lt. Masterson, you're Mrs. Simon, aren't you." He replied, politely.
"Yes, Officer, my husband's inside, I'm going to go find him." Laurie wished she could place his tone.
"You'll have to wait for the firemen to go in, ma'am, I'll take you to them so you can tell them where he is." Again his voice, so familiar.
"Laurie, honey, where are you?" Oscar was calling her from a distance, and Masterson turned as she responded.
"Over here, Dad." Rudy's voice sounded even closer, "Honey, stay where you are!"
Suddenly the light flickered off the policeman's wrist, and Laurie gasped.
Rick's watch, it's distinctive face with their family portrait.
The man whirled towards her at the sound of her indrawn breath, then his eyes followed to where she was gazing.
"What is it, Mrs. Simon."
"Uh, nothing, I'd better wait for my friends." A cold feeling came over her, as she started to go past him.
At once he grabbed her arm, then pulled a gun and showed it to her.
"Not a sound, Mrs. Simon, I'll use this if I have to, come on, I'll take you to your husband."
Terrified, Laurie allowed herself to be pulled towards the emergency doors, then as Masterson pried open the warped door, Oscar called again, a frantic tone in his voice.
"Laurie!"
"Help, Dad, get Ron.." she screamed, then a hand was over her mouth and Masterson dragged her through the doors then slammed them shut. As Laurie struggled with him in the semi-darkness, he pushed her against the inner wall, then bound her wrists together in front of her. Stuffing a handkerchief in her mouth, he ordered her to "Move!", pushing her ahead of him down several flights of stairs.
Hard put to grasp the hand rails, Laurie managed to make her way until a broken gap in the staircase halted their progress.
At once she heard a chuckle from the detective. "Well, this is where we part company, Mrs. Simon. I won't have to worry about any witnesses now. See down there?"
She looked, then made a muffled noise as she saw the debris covered form of Rick about six feet below, just outside the file rooms.
"Told you I'd take you to him, now I'll let you die with him." He taunted, pulling her to the last step, then abruptly pushed her off the stairs.
Surprised, she tried to cry out as she caught onto the end of a rusted stair rail, then Masterson wrenched her hands off the pipe then dropped her hard onto the concrete floor.