"All right, how was I supposed to know Dad wanted fish for dinner?" Rick pretended to grouse as he pulled out his fishing poles then the little stool that Andy used.
"You didn't, Pop, Mom overheard him and Uncle Rudy talking about fish tacos and that they hoped we left a few fish in the freezer from yesterday." Robbie laughed, watching Andy playing with Mike.
"Well, I rather he had fresh catch anyway, it's not everyday Oscar is seventy years old. Hey, A.J., are you and Ricky coming or not?" he hollered at his brother and nephew, just coming over the ridge.
"We're coming, hold your horses!" A.J. yelled back, then Ricky raced ahead of his father to catch up with his playmate.
"Rick, you heard about that plane that disappeared yesterday?" A.J. asked him as he handed him some bait.
"Heard about, it nearly crashed into the house! Robbie called into the sheriff station when it went down." Rick explained, then his brother whistled.
"Oh boy, well, apparently all the TV stations are saying it was a big time drug dealer being followed by the DEA."
Rick winced. "That's all we need, A.J.. The hills crawling with drug agents and crooks trying to find this guy."
As the two brothers approached the creek, Rick looked out over the landscape and sighed.
"I'm afraid things may start changing, A.J.. We'd better enjoy this while we can."
After a picnic lunch, the hot afternoon breezes started to come over the creek, and Rick looked at his sleepy grandson, nodding over his pole, then saw A.J. grin back at him.
"Ricky's half-asleep too, why don't we take ourselves home." He said quietly.
"Good idea, it's too hot to catch anything else anyway." Rick said, then smiled as Andy's pole bent.
"Andy, look, you've got something."
"What, what did I catch, Grandpa?" Suddenly the little boy hopped off his seat, as Rick pointed upstream at something shining in the sun.
"I don't know, Andy, hey, wait a minute!" Rick saw Andy scamper across the rocks, then Robbie leapt to his feet. "Andy, stay right there, don't go in the water."
As Rick went after his grandson, he saw him stop, then pick his fishing line up, and start dragging it back down the slope.
"Grandpa, look, it's not a fish."
At once Rick got a chill, as he saw Andy holding a small plastic package.
"Andy, put it down on the rocks, and come away from it now." Rick calmly told the little boy. Waiting until he put the package down, Rick got to him and quickly washed his little hands in the pool of water between the rocks.
"What is, Pop?" Robbie came over then his father warned him away. "Don't touch it son, I'm afraid that might be the reason everyone's been looking for that missing plane."
Gingerly Rick picked up the cellophane pouch, then saw telltale powder shifting inside.
"Crap." He said under his breath. Raising his voice, he told his son, "We need to call Rob, this is his jurisdiction. Get Andy and Ricky to the ranch first, not a word to anyone other than Rob that they were here or that Andy's the one who found it."
Twenty minutes later, Sheriff Rob was following his deputy's directions to the spot upstream where Andy had first spotted the parcel floating. He found Rick and A.J. just staring at the hill above.
"Guys, you think that plane's up there?"
Rick nodded morosely, "Yeah, and I just hope this is the only stuff that was washed downstream." As the three men climbed the hill, they soon found other bits and pieces of airplane.
"Well, this explains why we couldn't find the plane before." Rob pointed at a scarred gap in the rocks then he hiked up a little further, then looked into a dip in the hillside.
"You're right, here it is, burned to a crisp." He yelled back to Rick, who used his watch to call Robbie.
"Son, call the station and get some help up here, we found the plane. Goin' to have to call those guys at the NTSB too."
Within a day the hill was full of investigators and a recovery team from the sheriff stations in Window Rock, as well as from the Phoenix office.
Rob saw several looky-loos as a television station set up on the shoulder of the highway, and immediately had the area cordoned off.
"Rick, do I have your permission to bar everyone but law enforcement and the feds from your land?" he asked, as Rick and A.J. came up to make sure no one was trespassing on ranch land.
Relieved , Rick patted him on the shoulder. "I didn't even think of that, Rob, thanks. We'd better go home and secure that end of the area."
Before Rick and A.J. arrived back at the house, they could see a couple of vehicles turning into their drive.
"Who's that? Ohhhh, talk about the calvary." Rick grinned as he saw Oscar Goldman and his successor, Craig Gregson, getting out of Oscar's Jeep.
As they approached the two men, Oscar smiled then pointed at the porch.
"Well, I think somebody else is waiting for you." A.J. snickered, then Rick saw his wife on the steps.
"Thank God some things don't change." He smiled, then hopped the rail and took Laurie in his arms.
"Darlin', just hold me." He whispered, then his worries dropped away as she kissed and held onto him.
Only the clearing of two throats persuaded Rick to release her lips, then turn to see a grave smile on Oscar's face.
"Dad, Craig, I'm glad you're here." Laurie said, then blushed as her father shook his head.
"Honey, never grow up, heck, son, either of you." Oscar replied, then the younger man shook Rick's hand.
"Mr. Simon, Laurie, thanks for getting a hold of the authorities so quickly. I came out from Los Angeles to take charge of the wreckage and what was inside, but I need to ask you a few questions, is that okay?"
Rick was relieved. "Sure, I'm glad to take care of this once and for all." Oscar put an arm around his shoulder. "I told Laurie on the phone we'd make this quick. Rob faxed over his statement over to our Phoenix office, Gregson just has to verify the information."
As the four men sat in the living room, Laurie took them some coffee then was going to excuse herself, only for Rick to pull her to sit next to him. "It's okay, Laurie, you heard already what happened, except, Oscar..."
He took a deep breath, "We had to leave something out in the official report, but you and Gregson, and Rob are the only ones outside our family to know."
Oscar stared intently at Rick, then nodded. "You left something out, like what….?"
"When we said we were fishing, I left out that besides Robbie, A.J. and I, Ricky and Andy were there, too. It was Andy's line that snagged on the package of powder, and he ran to see what it was. Before I could stop him, he picked the package up out of the water, then dropped on the rocks when I told him to . When I saw what it was, I had Robbie take the kids back to the house." The OSI chief stopped taking notes, then looked at Rick.
"That was a wise thing to do, Mr. Simon. No need for the boy to be involved. Now, Mr. Simon, when you spotted the wreckage, did you see any other packages in the immediate area or any discolored dirt or debris?"
Rick thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not that I remember. As I said, I looked at the wreckage, then I went back down to A.J. and let Rob take over."
"Excuse me, Mr. Gregson, "A.J. began, "Did you find anyone, I mean, any remains in the wreckage?"
"Of course we can't be sure, and it's classified, but." Gregson seemed to relax a bit. "We think whoever was in the plane jumped or parachuted out before the plane crashed.
Mr. Brown's description of the plane nosing up then disappearing fits with the fact that the instruments we recovered indicated the autopilot was on.
"You see why we've had to be so careful with what information gets out. If who we suspect was in the plane is still alive, they may try to leave the country before they're apprehended." Oscar added seriously.
"Dad, we?" Laurie looked at the older man, who put his hand over hers. "Honey, the Secretary asked me to assist Gregson on this, being as though I know the area thoroughly now. Don't worry, my part is just about done. I've provided a map to the Phoenix office of the caves in the area, and after they've been searched, I think this will all blow over."
"Thank you, Dad." Rick let out a deep breath. "I've been so worried about someone coming after us about what we found."
"We'll do what we can, Mr. Simon." Gregson shook his hand, then A.J.'s. "In the meantime, just keep your eyes and ears out for any strange activity or people in the area. Sheriff Gomez did a good job of isolating the area, so I don't think you should have any problems."
"Craig, would you like to have dinner with us?" Laurie asked, then the OSI chief shook his head.
"Thank you, Laurie, but no, I have to get back to town. I'll keep in touch, and Mr. Simon, thank you for your help."
As he and Oscar went to leave, the older man turned, then putting his hand on Rick's shoulder, quietly said, "Thank you for thinking of Robbie and the children, son. This will not go into the report."
Rick felt a lump in his throat, then huskily said, "Thanks, Dad."
"I'll call when I'm on my way home, Laurie." Oscar told her when she hugged him.
As they watched the Jeep leave the driveway, Rick felt that everything was going to be all right. Laurie sensed his relief, then put her arms around him.
"Darling, I'm so proud of you. You and A.J. took care of the children and made sure Dad and Gregson have everything they need to handle this."
He grinned as A.J. added "Gregson's no fool, he knows Oscar is more experienced in this sort of thing. Speaking of dinner, honey I need to go home, Linda's making Oscar's favorite cake for tomorrow. We're having lunch at noon, right?"
"Yes, he and Rudy are supposed to come to help me work on something for the hospital benefit next month." Laurie giggled as Rick kissed her neck.
"I'll help you work on something, all right, my sneaky girl."
A.J. groaned facetiously . "Good night, I'm going home to my girl. I should be home from the camp in time for lunch."
After his brother left, Rick closed and locked the door, then had a sudden feeling of panic.
"Laurie?"
"Rick, in here, please…."
Rushing to their room, he found Laurie sitting on the bed, breathing hard.
"Sweetheart, it's all right, just breathe." He urged her, putting his arm around her.
Leaning against him, her eyes closed as Rick told her, "let it go, tell me what you see, darlin'."
"There's a man with a gun, he has Andy, no, don't take my grandchild. Rick! Please don't hurt my love, please, NO!" she cried out, then half-collapsed into his arms, shaking.
"Laurie. Let it go, my angel, please." Rick rocked her in his arms, trying to soothe her..
Slowly her breathing eased, then she opened her eyes. "Rick, that was so awful, I can't bear it, not you, not Robbie!" Rick panicked; his son and grandson in danger, God, no!
"What did you see, love?" he asked, trying to keep calm as he dialed the hospital on the extension, while watching her face..
"I saw you and Robbie in his car, then a man with a gun shoots and makes you crash. When you try to crawl out, he reaches in and takes Andy from the car, then hits you. I screamed, then I see the other side of the car and Robbie's lying there, and I beg the man not to take my grandchild. He turns and then he has you by the neck and drags you away." Laurie buried her face in his shirt as he told her, "It's all right, darlin', I won't let anybody hurt our son or Andy. No one's going to take me from you if I can help it. I love you, hold on to that, Laurie."
She let out a shuddering breath as the gate buzzer went off, and Rick released her to go to the doorway.
Seeing the doctor through the front window, he turned to tell his wife he'd be right back only to find her right next to him. "I'll go with you, love, I, I'm afraid to let go of you." She sniffed, catching hold of his hand.
Worried, he held tight to her as he walked the two of them to the front door.
"I saw where you tried to reach me at the hospital, son, missy, what…." Rudy stopped as he saw her shaking.
"Did you have a premonition?" he questioned, as he took her arm and led her to the sofa.
"Yes, it was bad, Rudy. So real, I heard myself again. If Rick hadn't been here,…." She started, then took a deep breath as their friend sat her down then examined her. As she repeated what she "witnessed", Rick stroked her arm gently. Rudy saw her relaxing, then nodded reassuringly to Rick.
"That's better, your pulse was rapid, but it's almost back to normal, missy. Do you hurt anywhere?"
Laurie shook her head, then sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm being such a baby." She looked up at her husband's face, full of fear, then added resolutely, "I'm all right now. I know it wasn't real, this was a warning and …." She smiled at him "I'm not going to let my fear run our lives. "
"That's our girl." Rudy hugged her, then looked worriedly at Rick. "I thought this whole thing was taken care of."
"So did I, but, just in case…." He kissed Laurie's hair as he wrapped her in his embrace. "I want Ramona and the children to move in with Robin and Ian for a few days. A.J. and I can keep an eye on Robbie."
"That's a good idea, son. Now let me call Oscar, I want him to hear what Missy saw." Rudy answered.
As he took the extension into the kitchen, Rick felt Laurie nuzzle his neck. "Sweetheart…", he whispered, then she laid her cheek against his.
"I love you, Rick, When you hold me, you take away all my fear, do you know that? You are my safety." She murmured.
Full of emotion, Rick took refuge in her lips until they were both breathless. "Laurie, I love you more everyday." He finally said, releasing her mouth reluctantly.
"I know, with all the sweet things you do and say." Laurie snuggled against him, then giggled as he picked her up in his arms.
"I know a sweet thing I want right now, but first let's have dinner." Rick chuckled, carrying her to the dining room.
The next day Oscar called with some disturbing news.
"Rick, we found some DNA in the wreckage of the plane, and it's like I suspected, the pilot was "Carlos", the leader of a drug cartel out of one of the border towns. He was being followed by the FBI regarding a murder in Yuma of an agent, and he apparently cut and run. Now he could be anywhere."
"Dad, there's no chance he'll come looking for his stash of drugs here, will he?" Rick felt like choking, seeing his family endangered by this murderer.
"No, son. I very much doubt it. What I don't like is there is no intra-agency agreement if we find him, he apparently made a deal with the FBI and if we find him we have to let him go. Make sure you and Robbie keep a close eye out, and by no means let Andy or Ricky be by themselves." Oscar emphasized.
"Don't worry, Dad. Ramona took some maternity time, I'll have Robbie leave Andy home with Lala instead of coming over. They'll be fine. Rob has Robbie on light desk duty, which annoys the heck out of him but, well, at least he's safe." He replied. "A.J. is on a Little League field trip with Ricky, but he'll be back tomorrow."
"That's good, son. Now Rudy and I are supposed to be over for lunch, something to do with the hospital benefit Laurie's planning." Rick snickered at Oscar's reluctant tone.
"Dad, it's just an excuse to get you two here for lunch with her. I hope you're not canceling, she's making quiche to go with some of Robin's biscuits. Plus I was going to go with Robbie to the office, he's going to show me some pictures of that Carlos's associates so in case any strangers come around…."
"I hear you, son." Oscar sighed, then chuckled. "What kind of cake are we having?"
"Your favorite, so please go along with it. " Rick laughed. "You've still got it, Dad."
"I try." He retorted smugly. "Tell my daughter we'll be there about 12:15."
