"What does?" Ron Johnson came up next to the brothers, then frowned as Rick filled him in on his wife's premonition.
"Is she all right, Rick. It's been a while, hasn't it, and these things drain her so…."
"She was okay when I left-Mom and Linda and Rudy were with her and Abby's coming. It's just that this one was so vivid……..I'm thinking it would be better if one of us stayed with Chrystal."
Both Ron and A.J. were silent, then A.J. nodded.
"That might be safer then just having a guard there." Ron admitted. "The principal is very concerned that we're making a mountain out of a molehill. Only the fact that someone did try to kill Chrystal made him agree to this setup as it is."
As if aware he was being talked about, a thin, balding man came up to the three men as they prepared to take their places.
"Chief, I take it these are the investigators?" he asked, looking down his nose at Rick and A.J.. Seeing an angry gleam in his brother's eye, A.J. took the initiative.
"Yes, I'm A.J. Simon and this is my brother Rick. You're Mr. Chester, right?" As the man impatiently nodded, he continued. "We're the ones who were asked to look after Ms. Austin by her parents. Surely you don't think Colonel Austin and his wife are overreacting?"
"Uh, no. Of course not, we wouldn't do anything to lose a teacher of her caliber. As a matter of fact, Mrs. Austin has been kind enough to speak to many of our students about her career and the importance of education." Chester said hurriedly. "Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions, please."
"Certainly." A.J. pretended to accept the fawning cooperation, then made a face as he walked away. Ron cracked up as Rick growled, "I'd like to give him a PE lesson or two."
"Down, Rick down. He is a snotty little man, but…" Ron stopped when he saw the judges gather at a table at the end of the gym.
"Show time, guys. A.J., you take that side of the gym…Rick, upstairs and to your right, show Madden your pass and stick like glue to Chrystal."
Following his instructions, the brothers split up and Rick soon was ensconced with a bucket of popcorn in the announcer's booth, a nervous Chrystal next to him.
For the next hour, she faithfully kept an eye on her young charges, and several of them were very happy by the comments Jaime made as to how they could better their performances. When the tryouts were over, the head PE teacher stood and praised the girls, then promised to have the final selections announced at school assembly in the morning. At that, Rick received a beep from his transmitter.
"Hey Ron." Rick saw it was the chief of detectives signaling him.
"Rick, did Chrystal recognize anyone?"
"I don't think so….everything was pretty normal…" he started, then was almost knocked out of his chair by the young teacher's standing and saying, "That's one of them!"
"Where?" Rick shot out of his seat, then looked to see where she was pointing. Down on the gym floor, two men were gesturing demonstratively as they spoke with the principal.
"Which one, honey?" he asked, then caught his breath as one of them turned and looked up at them.
"Him, the one with the loose tie. That's one of the man I saw walking away." Chrystal answered emphatically.
"All right, Chrissy, stay here, don't let anyone in …..Ron, did you hear that?" Rick started for the door as Ron answered, "Yes, I'm coming out onto the floor, have Chrystal stay right there."
"I'll be right there….oh, hi, Mrs. Mitchell." Rick stopped in mid-stride as the vice principal stood in the doorway.
"Mr. Simon, I think your brother was looking for you." She said, nervously.
"Thanks, ma'am. He'll be right up for you, honey." Rick told Chrystal, then clattered down the stairs. As he reached the bottom of the flight, he thought he saw someone in the shadows, then it hit him.
Ducking into an alcove, he put his transmitter to his lips.
"A.J., where are you?"
"With Jaime, one of the girls found a threatening note in her locker….and you're not going to believe who's her mother.."
"Yes I would, get up here, quick!" Rick turned, then stealthily crept back up the stairs. Above him he heard a muffled cry, then a low voice.
"Don't make a sound, Chrystal, or I'll kill you."
Immediately he stopped, not knowing if he should rush her attacker or wait until they were within range. The decision was made for him as creaking footsteps approached, then he saw the young woman just above him, her arms forced behind her and a weapon of some kind in her back.
As she came down the last set of steps before the landing, Rick snaked an arm out and pulled Chrystal from her abductor's grasp, then caught the hooded figure square in the face with his fist. At once a metallic object went flying down the stairs, then the attacker lunged at the two of them. "You're both dead!"
"No, don't touch them!"
Suddenly a furious Jaime Austin was in front of them, yanking the attacker by the arm away from Rick and Chrystal, then throwing them over the stair rail.
A strangled noise escaped from the figure as it hit the floor, then A.J. appeared in the hallway. "Don't move!" he yelled, his weapon drawn. As the person lay there, moaning, A.J. reached down and pulled the hood off, to reveal a disheveled Mrs. Mitchell.
"Honey, are you all right?" Rick asked, seeing Chrystal shaking. He saw her wrists were bound with rope, and quickly freed her, then released her to her mother.
"I was so scared, Mom, I can't stop shaking…" she gasped, then took a deep breath. "Thank you for saving me, Uncle Rick. But, I can't …I can't believe it, why would Mrs. Mitchell do that, I didn't do anything to hurt her."
"I'm sorry, Chrissy. I'm afraid she was behind the threat one of the girls just received. She must have realized you might recognize the men you saw, and decided to stop you from identifying them." Rick explained, as Jaime helped her down the steps. "I think the guys you saw were Mrs. Mitchell's husband, and their accomplice."
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Ron arrived with two security officers, who loaded the dazed woman onto a stretcher. "Chrystal….did she hurt you?" he asked worriedly, then relaxed as she shook her head.
"No…thanks to Uncle Rick and Mom, she didn't get a chance. As soon as you left, Mrs. Mitchell grabbed my arm and showed a gun to me, telling me not to make a sound. I was so shocked I couldn't move, then she pulled me out of my chair and tied my wrists, then forced me out of the room. I thought I heard someone coming, so I tried to call out, but she put a hand over my mouth."
"I heard you, baby." Jaime's voice caught, then she hugged her daughter tightly. "I heard your cry, and I was terrified I wouldn't get there in time."
"You did, Mom, it's okay, you and Uncle Rick found me…." She replied, then raising her head, managed a smile at the others as Ron shook his head.
"Thank God for brave women and smart husbands…."
"You can say that again." A.J. grinned, throwing an arm around his brother.
As the small group left the gymnasium, a thought struck Rick, and he turned to look at the assembled onlookers.
"A.J., wait a minute…..we're still missing another conspirator…."
"Let it go, Rick. I'm going to have Chrystal give her statement, then send you all home." Ron interrupted him, steering the brothers toward the parking lot. "I have a feeling Mrs. Mitchell and her accomplice will finger him soon enough. I have two men interviewing all the parents, no one leaves until we find him."
As Jaime and Chrystal were climbing into Ron's cruiser, a sports car screeched into the lot, and Steve Austin and Oscar Goldman jumped out, followed by an anxious Laurie Simon.
"Dad!"
Steve raced to his wife and daughter, catching them up in his arms and kissing them, then Rick got out of his truck and embraced his wife.
"Darlin', what are you doing here? You promised to stay put ….."
"I had to…I saw the face, the person in the hood….and the lookout in my vision…" Laurie's words tumbled out of her mouth as she added, "If I saw that man again…"
"Thank you for coming, Mr. Ortega, we appreciate your efforts…" a supercilious voice interrupted them, then the unwelcome persona of Mr. Chester came into view. As he turned to say his goodbyes, Laurie gasped.
"That's him, the one who ….."
"The one who was in front of my classroom." Chrystal chimed in, stepping back.
Ron got back out of his cruiser, then his skeptical expression changed to one of disbelief.
"Are you two sure?"
"Positive, Ron……I saw him, clear as day."
"That's him, Uncle Ron….." Chrystal interrupted him, then shrank back as the principal turned, then started to advance toward them. "You!"
"No you don't…." Steve Austin leaped in front of his family, then reached out and picked the now cowed Principal Chester up and shook him.
"Please, let me down, I'm sorry…Please." He begged, as a 45' caliber pistol fell from his sports coat. "I just wanted my daughter to have a chance."
"Nice work, Steve…thanks." Ron said, as he yanked the would-be assailant off the pavement, then handcuffed him.
"I don't believe it….but that explains a lot…" Rick smirked, wanting to thumb his nose as the man was led away. Instantly he felt a tug on his arm, and he looked down into his wife's hazel eyes.
"Looks like I get to collect my forfeit." He chuckled, dropping a kiss on her lips as he put his arm around her.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to pay up." She responded archly, breaking all their friends and family up.