"Lucky you have a hard head, Rick."

Rudy Wells peered over his glasses at a scowling Rick, busy holding an ice pack on his head.

"Lucky nothing, I shouldn't have been surprised like that, I feel like an amateur…." He growled, only to have his brother let out a snort.

"Amateur nothing, Rick. I didn't see those thieves either until one of them nearly took my head off-wait a minute…" A.J. paused, then Rick finished his thought.

"They thought they were taking you out, then when I fell, they grabbed me to put a scare into Robbie."

Rudy shook his head. "This gets worse and worse, son. I don't want you or Robbie out of anyone's sight until we find out who's behind all this. Now let me give you something for that headache, then you'd better go home to Laurie."

At that Rick frowned. "Rudy, I don't want her to worry. I'm just going to say I got knocked off my horse, she doesn't need all the particulars."

"You're going to tell me what?"

Rick saw his brother all but cringe as the curtain of the treatment room swished open and an upset Laurie stepped forward. Behind her was his mother, equally unhappy.

Before they could say anything, however, Rudy held up his hand.

"Cecilia, Missy, can you two wait outside, I need to put a couple of stitches in Rick's scalp first. Then you can yell at him."

At that Laurie's face softened, and she came forward and kissed his cheek.

"Sweetheart…." He whispered, all his defenses down. He put his arms around her and she broke down in tears.

"I'm sorry, I was so afraid when Rob said that you were here, they hurt you…."

"Shhhh, I'm okay, darlin', don't cry. I'm safe, I won't let them use me to stop our son." He told her, then kissed her tears away.

"I'm all right." Laurie kissed him back, trying to smile, then released him so Cecilia could give him a hug. "Rick, one of these days," she sighed, then released him as Rudy stepped forward.

"Okay, you two, that's more like it. Now I'll let him go home, but you're not to drive or go riding for a couple of days, Rick, understand?" Rudy gave him a look, and Laurie giggled as her husband reluctantly nodded, then winced at the movement.

"Laurie, I think you'd better drive."

As they left the emergency room, Rick found the rest of the "posse", except for Steve, waiting for them in the small visitors area.

"What did Rudy say, Sis?" A.J. came forward, clutching his brother's hat.

"He's got a concussion, A.J., but he's going to be okay, if he goes home and stays put for a couple of days." Laurie answered, holding onto Rick's arm.

At that the others brightened up, except for Robbie, whose red eyes betrayed him.

"Son…" Rick spoke up, getting his attention. Robbie glanced up at him

"You did a good job tonight, don't beat yourself up over what happened, okay? This is part of the risk, part of your job. You don't want these creeps to win, do you?"

The young sheriff swallowed hard. "No, but Pop, I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Neither do I, or your mother…but this ….this has always been a part of my job, and now yours. Did your uncle and I let the bad guys stop us when you and Robin or your mother were threatened?"

Robbie shook his head.

"Well, then, I expect to hear you arrested those jerks, and that you know who got away, right."

At that, Rob grinned. "Yes he did, and yes, we know who's behind these thefts. Like you thought, Chad Fogel was one of the rustlers we caught, the other two were hired help from Mexico. We have an all-points out on Mitch Fogel and John Ngoy, his foreman."

"Good work, guys." Rick grinned, forgetting his headache. "Fogel won't get far, I'll lie low for a day or two then …."

"No, Pop. Your part is done, Andy and I can handle it from here. And…" he shook his head as Rick started to protest. "It's not because I'm afraid Fogel'll come after you. It's because it's my responsibility to police this area, not yours. I couldn't have gotten the three we did get without all of you, but now it's our department's job to catch them."

There was a moment of silence, then Rick held out his hand. "I understand, Robbie. I don't have to like it, but .. I'm proud of you son."

The younger Simon took a step forward and shook his father's hand, then embraced him emotionally. "Thanks, Pop."

"Uh, A.J.?' Ron Johnson was standing in the doorway of the clinic, and at once Rick felt a chill go through him.

Through tight lips, A.J. spoke. "You found Starboy?"

"Yes, although I'm going to need one of you to i.d. him, we think he was left behind the stables at Starlight. It looks like he was injured when someone tried to ride him away, so they shot him and left him to die." Ron cleared his throat, then added, "He's at the vets, they tried, but…"

Rick wished he could feel only rage at the cowardly act by the rustlers, but instead he was heartsick for his nephew, as well as for his wife and daughter.

"Oh, God." A.J. hung his head, and Rick went over and hugged him. "I'm sorry, A.J., Do you want me to…?"

"No, I'll go home and tell him."

As the others left and went their separate ways, Oscar stayed behind, his eyes cold with anger.

"Rick, I'm driving you and Laurie and Cecilia home, I'm not leaving anything to chance. As a matter of fact, Steve's at Robbie's house now, he'll keep an eye on them until these killers are caught."

Laurie looked up at her husband, hoping he wouldn't protest. Instead he said, "Thanks, Dad. I can use the extra pair of eyes. Besides, you can help me keep all these women in line." He managed a smirk, and the older man grinned.

"Better said by you then me, son."

"Oh, you…." Laurie hugged his neck, then wound her arm around her husband.

"Come on, Rick….I need to take my warrior home."

Weary, Rick let his wife take charge of him once they reached the ranch. It did feel good to lay down and let her put ice on his forehead, but the frustration at not finding Ricky's horse in time started to eat at him.

Wisely, Laurie let him talk his anger out, and he soon fell asleep.

"Rick, Rick, wake up."

Startled, he opened his eyes, then realized she was probably following doctors orders.

"I'm awake, darlin'.", he told her, then saw her smile.

"Rick, A.J.'s on the phone, it's not Starboy they found!"

Sitting up carefully, Rick felt better but still moved slowly and snatched up the extension.

"A.J., what happened?"

"You're not going to believe this, but someone switched tags on Starboy, the dead horse is one of the thoroughbreds, and his markings are very different then the registered ones for Starboy."

Rick tried to contain his relief. "If that horse wasn't Starboy, where is he?"

"He's at the Center, in the stables; Fogel and his men managed to hide him and his friends in plain sight. We're bringing him to the ranch for safe keeping, if that's okay?" A.J. began, only for Rick to break in. "You'd better!"

With the cloud lifted from them, Rick insisted on helping around the ranch the next few days, until he was cleared to drive. Although there was no word of the two robbers, he was on edge waiting for them to strike, but there was no activity or sightings of either man.

He was actually relaxing and watching television the morning of the preliminary hearing, when the phone rang. "I'll get it, Rick." Laurie told him, putting down the laundry.

"Simon residence" she answered. There was a long pause, then an electronic voice came on: "I want my son freed, you've got two hours to make it happen, or I'll take one of yours."

Click.

Rick knew it was bad by the look on his wife's face. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"Rick, it was one of those awful voice changers, listen…." She hit play on their recorder.

As the threat sounded in his ears, he swore under his breath.

"Why that nasty piece of…..Darlin', hand me the phone." Rick spoke, his anger rising.

Calling his brother, Rick managed to contain himself until he heard A.J.'s voice. "Rick, what is it?"

"Fogel just called and said we had two hours to free his son, or he'll take one of ours." Rick found it hard to repeat. "I promise you, he's not getting anywhere near our family."

"I know he won't, Rick." A.J told him, "Not with Steve around. Linda and the kids are getting used to him and Jaime being here, as it is. He actually told Jaime it would be great if they got a condo in the complex. I'd better call him."

Just then Rick's transmitter beeped, and he found Robbie on the other end.

"Pop, I have a hunch that Mitch Fogel might make an appearance to try to free his son from custody. Can you and Uncle A.J. meet me at the back of the Courthouse?"

"Sure." Rick was anxious to be of use again, then he remembered the threatening phone call. "Son, you should know he or Ngoy used an electronic voice changer and called here, saying if we didn't free his son, he'd take one of ours. I want you to watch yourself, don't be out of anyone's sight until he's found, okay?"

"Okay, Pop." Rick heard the reluctant agreement in his son's voice and thought, "He's really grown up."

"Good, cause your mother will get mad at both of us if anything happens. As a matter of fact, I want your Uncle Oscar and Rudy to stay with her at the courthouse until she testifies. I wish she wasn't the one to identify that scrap of shirt, but she should be safe there."

An hour later, Rick, A.J. and Rob were crouched down behind the loading dock of the county courthouse, watching the three defendants coming out from the jail transport. Scarcely had the security door closed when shots rang out, and a deputy fell as two men rushed the transport. Instantly Ron Johnson came from behind a pillar and yelled, "Police! Freeze!"

One of the men turned and aimed his gun at the chief of detectives, only to be cut down by several shots. The other managed to elude the gunfire and disappeared behind a parked van.

"You've got nowhere to go, Fogel!" Robbie yelled, silently directing Deputy Andy and Rob to take their best shot if they spotted him. Suddenly Rick had a cold feeling sweep through him, and he recognized it…