"Laurie?" Rick called again, then heard a faint tapping noise. It took a minute, but a smile soon crept across his face. Thank God he still remembered Morse code.
"Dad, she's alive, she's scared but alive. She's tied up in a cave someplace near here. Wherever she is, she can see the stars through a crack in the roof. She's asking about Abby."
As Oscar and the others listened, Rick said, "Darlin, we'll find you, don't be scared. Abby's all right, just had the wind knocked out of her. She's so worried about you. Tell me, is Jeff Fischer the one who took you?"
Laboriously Laurie tapped her forefinger against the transmitter. "Yes, Rick, he's the one. He says he's going to keep me until he gets what he wants. He says he's going to let me talk to you in the morning, so he'll get what he's after." She paused, then was heartened when Rick told her, "Sweetheart, I'll wait for his call, but in the meantime, do you know what he wants?"
"No, darling. At least Abby's all right, did you stop them from taking Temple and Towne's stuff?" she asked.
"Yes." Rick wanted to laugh, even in nightmarish circumstances, his wife was thinking of someone else.
"We caught the big man who helped grab you, he was trying to drive the truck with their furniture and valuables away when we got there. His name's Carl Randolph. Did Fischer mention him?"
"No, Rick. Do you think that's what Fischer wants? Him?" Laurie was puzzled when Rick answered, "No, we think he wants something else. I'll ask Rob if he can get anything else out of Randolph. Meantime, we're trying to track your position down. We'll be there before you know it."
"I'm waiting. I love you." She tapped out, then teared up again as he whispered, "I love you too, my brave girl. We'll find you and bring you home safe."
Suddenly Laurie heard a scurrying noise and turning quickly to see what it was, snagged the gag around her mouth on the rock she was tied to. Taking advantage of the rough hewn surface, she rubbed her face up and down and succeeded in pulling the material off her mouth.
Taking deep breaths, she managed to wriggle her wrists up enough to aim her voice at her transmitter.
"Rick, I managed to pull the gag off my mouth, can you hear me?"
Relieved, Oscar replied over his transmitter, "Honey, it's Dad, we can hear you. Are you all right?"
"Just a graze wound from when they knocked me off Brick. Oh, Dad…." At once she remembered Mike's wounding.
"They shot Mike, is he all right?"
Oscar fought down his anger as Rick went rigid with fear, she was shot?
"Yes, he's going to be fine, he'll help us find you, baby. Where did they shoot you?"
"My shoulder, Dad. Fischer put a bandage on it, but it hurts. I'll be okay, just…" she swallowed hard as she heard a rustling noise. "Just hurry, Dad. There's something that keeps moving around here in the dark. I'm afraid."
Rick knew how much it cost her to say that. "Sweetheart, we'll be there as soon as we can. Just stay as still as possible."
Just then Robbie came in, "Pop, Rob says Fischer left a message and a walkie-talkie at the sheriff's station. Supposedly Jake found it on the counter, Rob thinks he put it there itself, he's going to check to see if there are any other fingerprints."
"Good work, son, now I've got your mother on her transmitter…" Rick didn't even get to finish his sentence at the look of relief on Robbie's face.
Laurie was trying to not to look for glittering eyes or slithering figures in the dark when she heard her son's voice, "Mama?"
"Robbie, oh darling!" she replied softly, trying not to break down.
"Mama, are you all right? Did they hurt you?" Rick put a hand on Robbie's shoulder, urging him to sit down, and handed him his watch. As the deputy spoke to his mother, the phone rang and Rick went to answer it.
"Simon Residence." Rick made a quick motion to his brother, who immediately hit a button on the call trace machine Robbie had set up.
"Mr. Simon?"
Rick quessed it was Fischer. "Speaking, who is this?"
"Never mind who I am, I have something you want, the sheriff has something I want. I'm interested in making a trade."
Rick was angered by the careless way the man spoke about "something". "If by something you mean my wife, where is she?"
"She's alive and well for now, but she won't be unless you do exactly as I say. Do we deal?" the voice had a harder edge.
Rick stole a look at his son, who had whispered a warning to Laurie and was now silent.
"Yes, but first I want to talk to Laurie. No deal if I don't talk to her." He told the caller harshly.
"Of course, Mr. Simon. I left a walkie-talkie and a message addressed to you at the sheriff's office. Have your son pick it up and bring it to your home. I have someone watching your place and they will alert me if you attempt to trace my whereabouts or the location of Mrs. Simon. Turn it on at 8 am this morning, and you will be able to speak with her. Afterwards I will tell you what I want and where you are to deliver it. Do you understand?"
Rick flinched at the mention of someone watching the place. "Yes, but Mrs. Simon had better be all right or you won't be able to hide anywhere from me."
"I'll call you at 8 am, Mr. Simon. No tricks, or I'll bury her alive." Click.
Hearing a dial tone, Rick looked at the clock and saw it was 2 am. "Robbie, let me talk to your mother, can you check to see if we got a trace?"
"Yes. I'll see you soon, Mom, I love you." He told her emotionally, then handed the watch to his father. "I'll go get that walkie-talkie too."
"Thanks, son." Rick cleared his throat, knowing he had to stay focused on getting his girl back.
"Laurie, sweetheart, I just got a call from Fischer, he's going to let me talk to you at 8 am."
He continued to talk to his wife, at times spelled by Oscar or Rudy, both concerned about the icy cold conditions she was in. "Rick, she wants to make sure Abby's all right, I'll let her talk to her for a moment." Rudy told him, his face drooping with fatigue.
As soon as the former detective took the transmitter in hand, she burst into tears. "Laurie, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let you get near the house." Abby cried.
"No, no, Abby, I'm the one who's sorry. We were both so mad, I should have backed off when you said to. Are you all right? They said you were dead." Laurie sniffed.
"No, buddy, I just hit the ground hard, that's all. The guys are going to find you, and I'm going to sit on you once we get you home. No more heroics for you!" Abby insisted, then managed a smile as Laurie snorted. "Me, you're just as bad, Abby. You're going to stay with us and I'll teach you and Joey how to ride better!"
A couple of hours later, weariness sunk in for all of them. Rick could hear the exhaustion in Laurie's voice. "Rick, any idea of where I am yet?"
Suddenly Rick got a startling thought. "No, darlin', but, can you hear any traffic noise or freeway sounds?"
"No, it's completely silent, except for the wind I've only heard Fischer's voice, darling. Wait a minute, someone's coming." Laurie was silent, then a minute later another voice was heard over the transmitter. "All right, Mrs. Simon, close your eyes."
Rick tensed, then heard a rustling sound.
"Well, Mrs. Simon. Did you rest well?" There was something about the voice, it was different, yet the same.
"No, I felt so sick, I thought I was going to throw up. Please, may I have some water?" Laurie's voice was raspy, and Rick ached knowing she was so miserable.
"All right, Mrs. Simon." There was a fumbling noise, then his wife's gentle "Thank you."
"You're welcome, ma'am. I see why so many people are worried about you. Don't worry, you'll be home in time for dinner." There it was again, a sincerity that was missing from Fischer the night before.
Unless…..
"Laurie…" Rick tried calling to her, then was startled to hear an answer.
"Rick! Darling, I hear you!"
"Sweetheart, listen. Ask whoever it is when you can talk to your husband." Rick needed to make sure.
"Please, when can I talk to my husband?" Laurie asked pitifully.
"Talk to your,…oh yeah, I did promise you could speak to him. Well, uh, it won't be long, Mrs. Simon. Now the man's tone was uncertain, and Rick knew the way to locate Laurie before the 8am call.
"I just wish I knew what you wanted from us, if it's money…" Abruptly she was cut off.
"No, we don't want your money, Mrs. Simon. We'll let him know what we want. Just relax, now, and I'll be back."
Again there was a rustling noise, then a muffled "No!" and Rick saw Oscar jump to his feet as if to rush to his daughters aid.
"Sorry, Mrs. Simon, if you're uncomfortable. Give me no trouble, and I'll undo the blindfold." Came the stern reply.
As Ron and Towne came into the room, Rick signaled to them and they all listened as a moment later the man's voice faintly said, "Okay, you can open your eyes."
As the footsteps faded away, A.J. swore, then seeing his brother's startled look , fumbled "Rick, I'm sorry, but I can't stand to hear her treated like that."
"That's okay." Rick embraced him, then added "I know now how to get to Laurie without letting on to Fischer and his brother we suspect them."
"Guys, we've got something better then that." Towne grinned at the two Simons. "We've got the coordinates of where Fischer's got Laurie. Too much iron in the rock for the exact location, but we know she's within a mile of Window Rock"
"Sweetheart, did you hear that?" Rick spoke into the transmitter, then heard Laurie tapping out a reply.
"I love you, and my Dad and our friends, too!"
"That's my girl, now we'll be there in just a little while, just hold on for me, please?"
"Yes, Rick." She sent back.
"Okay, we're in business!" Rick told the others.