"Rick, Rick…..come on, listen to me, we're going to find Laurie, come on."
A.J.'s voice brought him back, and he gratefully let him pull him to his feet.
He found his voice, adrenaline and anger driving him. "Let's go."
While Rick drove, A.J. called Oscar and Rudy, then Steve Austin on his transmitter. All of them immediately agreed to meet at A.J.'s.
Suddenly they saw Chief Johnson's car screech to a halt on the shoulder of the freeway, then he beckoned them over. Pulling over, Rick and A.J. jumped out, then stopped just shy of the body of a woman, surrounded by a growing pool of blood. A sheriff knelt next to her, trying to stop the bleeding, while another stood by, having run a traffic break to protect the scene.
"It's her, I think, Rick." Ron said tersely. As they stopped next to the woman, a gasp came from the wounded convict.
"Easy, …uh Cheryl." Rick strove to remain calm as he saw her try to speak. The woman was supposed to be in prison for trying to kidnap his wife and holding his brother hostage years ago.
"He's ……crazy. "she choked, then looked up at him. "He says he's taking her home."
"Home? Whose home, did he say?" Rick hoped against hope Archer had been talked into taking Laurie back to the ranch.
"Don't know. I think….something about Kasey." She coughed, then a paramedic came up and started to treat her.
"Ron, does it ring a bell, any of those addresses you were checking out?" Rick spoke quietly, then his spirits rose as his friend nodded.
"He grew up in Phoenix, mustn't be too hard to find which house he lived in. He had 2 homes in his name besides that place he holed up in before."
"Chief Johnson?" The paramedic stood up, a dour look on his face. "Yes?" Ron turned.
"She's in very bad shape, so much blood loss, we'll try to keep her going, just so you know." the medic said quietly.
Ron bit back a cuss word as Rick just shook his head, then the three men went back to Cheryl Minor's side as another paramedic readied her for transport.
"Simon…." Cheryl's voice was faint, so Rick leaned over to hear her. At once he had to know.
"Cheryl, why did you help Archer? Didn't you know he was crazy?"
A thin smile appeared on her face. "No, I thought he was weird, but, like Willowby, he had money. Never saw it coming though. He was supposed to …." She coughed again, then held up a hand as the firemen came to put her in the ambulance. "Wait…..he was supposed to take me to Las Vegas, said I could get lost there. 'Stead he pulls over then jerks out a gun. Says, "You hurt Laurie's son, she'll never forgive you for that…..or me. So…." Then he shot me. What an idiot." She laughed wearily, then closed her eyes as the firemen carried her away.
"God, no….." Rick's face was the color of paper, then he took a deep breath.
"Ron, let's get going, we have to find her before he goes off again."
The chief of police nodded, then got back into his vehicle and led the way back on to the freeway.
When Rick pulled into A.J. 's complex several hours later, there were several reporters around the entrance, and only the presence of a police cruiser stopped Rick's truck from being held up. As he and A.J. got out of the truck, Steve Austin opened the garage door and they went in, then Sheriff Rob and Ron came in the front door.
Rick's head ached, and only the sight of his mother holding a worn out Ceci kept him from breaking down.
"Son, any news?" she quietly asked, then let out a long breath as he wearily shook his head.
"No Mom, he's not at any of his places. Steve?" he looked up at their friend, who had been comforting Robin.
"I feel like she's not that far away, pal, but she's not responding, I'm afraid she's unconscious. As soon as she comes to, she'll contact us." He replied, then Robin hugged him.
"Thanks Uncle Steve, I don't know how we'd manage without you."
Steve cleared his throat. "I'll always be there for you, honey."
Rick smiled at the big man, then opened his arms and embraced his daughter. "It's going to be all right, Birdie, we'll find Mom.."
"I know, Pop." She sniffed, then laughed as her son toddled over to her. "Granpa uppie."
"There's Petey." Rick felt a little better as he picked up the child and bounced him on his knee.
At once he had a surge of warmth go thru him, then he felt Laurie, as if she was there with him.
Startled, he put Petey down, concentrating on her presence. "Laurie, sweetheart, where are you?"
Suddenly he heard her voice, faintly in his thoughts. "Rick! Please hurry, find me, please."
"Darlin', hold on!" he "called" to her, "Can you see where you are?"
"Old house, smells so nasty, Rick, I feel sick, please come……" she "answered' then faded away.
"Rick?" He looked up to see Rudy Wells, a concerned look on the doctor's face.
"Rudy, she's alive! Laurie's alive, she feels sick and was very faint, but she was there. My poor sweetheart." He replied, then nearly lost it as his friend squeezed his shoulder.
"Thank God you heard Missy, now we know she's not that far away. Steve…..can you sense her?" Rudy looked over at the former colonel, who actually smiled.
"She's barely awake, but she's in an old place…." He started, then Rick finished, "an old house, that smells nasty, she feels sick from it."
"Good, that's good, we need to look for her in an older section of town, maybe?" Rudy paced, then Ron spoke up, having heard the last part of the conversation.
"We know what Archer's latest fixation on Laurie is about, guys. And it fits with what his note said."
"What?" Rick whirled around, then saw the pained look on the policeman's face.
"Laurie's Great Grandmother wrote about a man named Barnabas Collins, who was rumored to be a vampire. Somehow Archer got a hold of some of Kasey's notes, and wants to know the whole story, he thinks Laurie knows it. He told his psychiatrist that if he and Laurie were married, she'd tell him all the stories that no one has heard. And.." Ron took a deep breath, "he wants what Rick has had all these years, to be her husband in every way. He wants to be Kasey's husband."
"God, no." A.J. covered his face with his hands as the meaning sank in. A sob burst forth from Cecilia, and instantly Robbie went to comfort her.
Rick felt like breaking something, then an idea came to him. Trying to keep his voice level, he asked, "Ron, can we check the property records for this area, for a property that may have been purchased recently by one of Archers' investments or maybe even his wife?"
A gleam appeared in Ron's eyes. "He didn't' take her home, he's recreating Kasey's home, that's why it's an old house!" he almost yelled, then simmered down when Cecilia added, "That would explain his thinking he could get her to tell him the "real" story of things!"
"Well, that's not going to happen." Oscar's voice broke in, and Rick turned to see the older man standing in the doorway. The look on his face did not bode well for his wife's abductor.
"I just got off the phone with Laurie's cousin Carolyn, Barnabas is already on his way here. He's pretty upset, and angry enough to want to take Archer on himself. I have an idea of how to rescue Laurie by giving that madman what he wants…the "true" story."
Rick actually felt like grinning, but settled for a hug from his father-in-law. "I always knew you had a tricky mind, Oscar, thanks!"
While they started looking through real estate records, the object of their search came to in a dark, musty smelling room.
As Laurie managed to open her eyes, she saw an old-fashioned dresser, then turned her head and saw she was on a four-poster bed, dusty and hung with cobwebs.
"This is a nightmare, nothing but a nightmare." She thought, then tried to sit up.
"Oh…..", she gasped, fear gripping her insides. Her wrists and ankles were bound with tape, and her shoes were missing. And…her rings, her anniversary and renewal rings…were gone. Only her wedding and engagement rings were still on her hand, probably because her fingers were swollen.
Slowly Laurie managed to turn and push herself upright.
She remembered waking up, smelling something bad and feeling sick. Rick's voice came to her, and Steve's. She had to get out of here, something horrible was going to happen if she didn't.
Glancing around for something to free herself with, she saw something move, then let out a scream as a spider slowly dropped from the hangings of the bed.
"Laurie, good. You're awake."
Looking toward the direction the voice had come from, she let out a sob. Older, hair was dyed and he had a mustache, but there was no mistaking the man she had feared would come after her and her family again. James Archer stood in the doorway.
"James…there's a spider. Please…." She hated begging, but she was afraid of spiders.
"Oh, dear, please don't worry." He came toward the bed, then in one motion knocked the spider to the floor then squished it under his foot.
"There, Laurie. You're safe, just as I promised." He beamed at her, then sat down next to her.
"James, why? I don't want to be with you, why did you take me?" she asked as calmly as possible.
"Laurie, you don't understand, do you? We're meant to be together. I want to know all the stories your Grandmother left for you, see. I know about the unwritten ones." He smiled, then his eyes darkened.
"You left me in that place to rot, didn't you? You wanted me out of your life, but I'm here and you're never going to leave me again, do you hear me?" Archer raised his voice, then Laurie stared at him and spoke forcefully.
"You don't own me, James. I want you to untie me, and let me go."
The older man shook his head, still smiling, then suddenly reached over and slapped her. Laurie cried out in pain, unable to defend herself as he grabbed her hair, yanking her towards him. "Laurie, you ungrateful girl. You don't understand, do you, do you!" he raised his voice in fury. "I created you, and if you don't do what I say, you'll never see your family again. I took you from them, I can just as easily steal your daughter or son, or grandchildren! Maybe I'll kill Rick, he's at fault for all this!"
"No, James, don't….he's my life, the one I love…no!" Laurie screamed as Archer slugged her in the face, driving her head back with the force of the blow.
"I'm going to be the only man in your life, I want everything he had with you!" he raged.
Taking a deep breath, Laurie managed to look Archer in the eye.
"If you cared about me, you wouldn't hit me or threaten me like this. I cared about you, James, but I won't if you hurt me like this." She didn't know if she'd gone too far, but something Laurie said made him draw back, an almost penitent look on his face.
"I'm sorry, Laurie. You make me so upset, though. Maybe after you have something to drink and rest awhile, you'll tell me one of your stories. Please understand…." Archer put a hand to her face and she managed not to back away. Taking out a handkerchief, he dabbed at the blood on her cut lip and cheek.
"You are going to be my Kasey, and I'm your Gene. We're meant to be together, and you're never going to leave me again, okay?"
Swallowing the bile that rose in her throat, Laurie replied, "I won't leave if you don't hurt me or my family. Now could I have some water?"
"Of course, my dear." Archer was at once the good friend, turning and fetching a glass of water from a table in the rear of the room.
"James, did you bring my purse, I had it at the time you….came." Laurie realized there was a way to let Rick know where she was.
"No, I'm sorry. Is there something you need?" the man frowned, then paled at her next statement.
"Yes, my heart medicine. I have to take it everyday, otherwise I'll start having trouble breathing." She answered, putting a frantic tone in her voice.
"Why, why do you have to take medicine?" His voice mirrored her own "anxiety".
"James, I have a heart condition, I had a heart attack a couple of years ago. Please, you need to get my medication for me, I won't be able to tell any stories if I can't breathe?" Laurie quavered.
"All right, all right! What's it called and where do I get it?" Archer asked, upset that he was going to lose what he'd been wanting.
"It's a special medication by Dr. Rudy Wells, you remember my doctor?" Laurie gave him a cautious smile when he nodded. "You need to go to the pharmacy at Phoenix Greater, they have it on file and they'll get it for you if you give them my name."
"By Dr. Wells, I'll remember. They should be open in an hour or so. Now drink your water, then you can tell me about your Grandmother Kasey and Barnabas Collins." Archer stared at her, and Laurie willed herself not to show the shock and dismay she felt.
"Barnabas Collins? What about him?" she asked as calmly as possible.
"I saw your notes, he tried to take your Grandmother from Gene Adams, he was rumored to be a vampire. I want to know the true story. I'm not getting your medicine until you do." As if to emphasize his point, he crossed to an old rocking chair, then sat down.
Suddenly Laurie heard Rick calling to her, faintly in her thoughts. "Laurie, sweetheart, I'm coming as soon as I can. Please hang on."
"Rick, Rick…" she felt like screaming. Instead she sent her thoughts to him, telling him about what Archer was doing.
"Darlin', it's all right. Tell him about Kasey and how she and Gene fought Barnabas….we're looking for you and we'll find you, I promise. ….Barnabas says it's okay." Rick's words brought tears to her eyes.
"Laurie, come on, tell me the story…." Archer started to get angry, then his expression eased as Laurie said, regretting every word. "I will, only know that I am breaking my word."
"Of course, I respect you for this. Your Grandmother is so alive in you when you speak, I feel she'll understand." The older man replied, his expression happy now he was getting what he wanted.
Laurie managed to pull herself up against the headboard, shuddering as a cloud of dust came from the yellowed pillows.
"Rick, hurry…please. I love you." She "called", then sensed her husband's reassurance.
"It was a year after Gene and Kasey were married…" Laurie began, then Archer interrupted her, irritated.
"No, no, Laurie. Tell the story, the way you always do, as Kasey."
She took a deep breath, then began again.
"It was a month before our first anniversary as I rode into town . On the way to our office, I noticed a large wagon in front of the old Collins house.
A disheveled man stood directing two of the local handymen as they unloaded boxes and carried them inside. I stopped to let one of them cross back, and he tipped his hat. "Deputy."
At once the stranger looked up, then grinned.
"I heard there was a woman sheriff in this town, thought they were pulling my leg. I'm glad I was wrong."
I smiled. "I'm glad they were wrong too, Mr. …."
"Loomis, Fred Loomis. And you're…."
"Deputy Adams. You're moving into Silver Rock?" Suddenly Mr. Loomis stopped smiling, then looked around as if afraid.
"Uh, yeah. Actually, my master, Mr. Collins, is moving. He's inherited the old house."
As Laurie spoke, the dawn was illuminating the Phoenix skyline. Rick was glad for the sun's light as he and Oscar waited at the airport for his wife's cousin.
Both men were exhausted from the search through public records, which had brought only one lead, a house on the outskirts of Phoenix in a historic district. It was currently in escrow and was being purchased by a management company that had handled James Archer's assets after his incarceration. Ron was waiting for a search warrant then meeting them at the home while Steve fended off the media at A.J.'s home. Only a flare up in his bionic eye had kept him from going after Archer.
"Should be coming out any time now, Rick."
Rick stopped pacing and looked into the worried eyes of Oscar, who had kept him on an even keel during the dark hours before Laurie had reached out to him.
"I know, Dad. She's so upset though', you know how she feels about breaking her word. I know Barnabas will understand, but still….." The older man immediately put a hand on his arm.
"Rick, we'll find her, and she'll know whatever she had to do was necessary to survive. I just wish Ron would hurry up……Rob and A.J. are already around the corner from the property, just in case."
At that moment the gate door opened, and a few passengers straggled through the waiting area.
A moment later Barnabas Collins came out the door, and Rick's jaw dropped.
He looked like his portrait. Exactly like the picture of the "first" Barnabas in the hallway of Collinswood.