"Steve….."
Both men turned, then Steve hovered over Jaime as she opened her eyes.
"Oh, Jaime..honey, thank God…you scared me." Steve choked, then she reached up a hand to him. He knelt down next to her as she whispered, "my head hurts, Steve…what happened, did we crash?"
"Yes, honey…but we made it. Rick and Laurie are all right too. I'll climb down the mountain and …" he began, only for Jaime to struggle upright.
"Noooo.. don't leave me, Steve….it's too dangerous…please."
"Shhhhh, it's all right. I won't leave you, Jaime…it's all right." Frantically he tried to placate her as Laurie gingerly slid over and clasped her hand, then gently helped prop her up as Rick took a blanket and covered her, then put one behind her head.
"Yes, Steve." Jaime calmed down, then managed a smile as Laurie tried to joke, "I can now tell the story of Pinocchio without props."
"It does a lot for you, Sis." At that Laurie teared up, then said emotionally, "I like that, Sis."
Jaime nodded, wincing, "It just slipped out, but you and Linda are the closest to me."
"And we always will be…" Laurie wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater, then tried not to laugh as Steve pretended to roll his eyes. "More women in my life, I'm out-numbered!"
"Join the club!" Rick nudged him. Just then a crack of thunder sounded, and Steve warned, "We'd better get into some kind of shelter until help arrives….what's over there?"
Carefully Rick made his way past the broken trees, then called back, "There's some cover just past the rocks..let me check it out."
"Wait a minute…" Steve picked up the plastic box and opened it, then pulled out a thin white rope and a flare.
"You had a survival kit?" Laurie said, surprised. Rick chuckled as he walked back to the group. "Steve, are you sure you weren't a Marine? I didn't know air jockeys were this smart!"
"Very funny, Jarhead." Steve shot back, smirking. He handed Rick the supplies, and instantly Rick tied one end of the rope to the tree stump, then played it out behind him as he went into the woods.
When the rope drew tight, Laurie followed it until she found her husband busily reinforcing a makeshift lean-to. "Okay, darlin', you stay here and I'll get Steve and Jaime." He told her once he was finished. As he started back, she took his arm, then drew his face down to hers and kissed it. "Thank you for not leaving me, love. Whatever happens, we're together."
"Hold that thought, Angel." He whispered, returning her kiss. He helped her sit down, then followed the rope back to the crash site. Another crash of thunder went off, and she almost missed the beeping noise of her watch.
As she caught the noise, Laurie looked at the dial, then misted up, seeing her son's id.
"Robbie? It's Mom."
"Mama…are you all right? Where are you?" his voice crackled. Just then another bolt of lightening went off over her head and she nearly screamed. Taking a deep breath, she managed to speak.
"We're in the mountains, Steve says we're on Humphrey's peak. Can you get a hold of Ron or your Uncle Oscar….Your dad talked to your Uncle A.J., but we ran out of gas and crash landed about an hour ago."
"Mama…breaking up…." For a long moment there was static, then Steve and Rick appeared, Steve bearing Jaime in his arms.
"I've got Robbie on my transmitter, he's breaking up, but I told him where we are…" Laurie breathlessly explained.
"Good work, sweetheart, there, is that him?" Rick heard a faint voice, and Laurie immediately handed over her watch.
"Robbie? Son, can you hear me?"
"Pop…Thank God…As soon as it's light, we're coming to get you. We know where you are, and Uncle Oscar's on his way." Robbie's voice was stronger, and Rick was relieved to see the signal's strength.
"Tell Robbie they need to use a Huey, that's the only helicopter that can handle this height and terrain." Steve said, busy making Jaime comfortable.
"I heard Uncle Steve…is he and Aunt Jaime all right?" The young sheriff asked, then Laurie could hear the worry in his voice as he learned about their injuries.
"Don't worry, Son. Your Uncle Rudy will take care of all of us." Rick hastened to ease his worries. Just then the storm broke overhead, and he told Robbie, "Just in case we get cut off, keep your transmitter open."
"Okay, Pop…" Rick heard his son start to respond, then static drowned him out. Beside him, Laurie started to tremble. "Here it comes…" she whispered, then Rick pulled her against him with his good arm as the lightning crackled around them.
Through the hours that passed, Rick and Steve took turns watching over their wives, waking Jaime every hour, then propping Laurie up to make sure her nose didn't hemorrhage. With the first light of dawn, the rain let up, and Rick felt like cheering when he got a signal on his transmitter.
"Rick, it's Oscar…we're on our way to you. Was Steve able to retrieve the survival kit?"
He grinned at the now sleeping pilot, arms wrapped around his wife. "Sure did. Do you want us to send up the flare?"
"Yes, good thinking, Son. When we're about ten minutes away, I'll contact you. How are the girls?" Rick heard the note of concern in his voice, and reassured him.
"They did pretty well last night, in spite of the storm. Laurie hasn't had any more bleeding, and Jaime was pretty clear every time we checked her. We let her sleep the last two hours, so has Steve. I'll go ahead and wake them."
"Thanks, Rick…By the way, the police found Callahan last night…she was at a bar and got drunk and disorderly at a night spot in Buellton." Oscar informed him, a sad edge to his tone.
"I'm glad, Oscar…..this way we don't have to worry about the other shoe dropping." He sighed. Going to wake Steve, he saw he was already stirring. "Wake up, Steve, the cavalry's on it's way." A pair of blue eyes opened, then closed. "You're dreaming, pal. Go back to sleep."
Rick wanted to laugh, but he wanted off the mountain worse. "Steve, rise and shine, Oscar's on his way…..Listen."
Minutes later, Oscar was transmitting. "Go ahead and shoot the flare off, Son. We show you to be on the left side of the peak."
Rick was only too happy to oblige. Walking back to the crash site, he shot off straight up, and within a minute the sound of heavy blades was overhead.
"Rick, I owe you breakfast in bed, go ahead and get Laurie…I'll carry Jaime." Steve said, relieved. Within minutes, the party of four was assembled on the cliff, Rick and Steve standing protectively in front of Jaime and Laurie. As the large helicopter tried to land, a gust of wind nearly blew it off the ground, and Steve raced forward and steadied it.
"Open the doors and lower a rope, quick. I'll hold it steady." He shouted into the aircraft, and immediately the entry door slid open. Oscar, bundled in a parka and holding a rope, leaned out.
"Hurry, Rick…you first, then Jaime and Laurie, then Steve."
Fighting his instinct to stay behind, Rick helped Jaime to her feet, then Laurie and walked them to the chopper. Accepting Oscar's strong arm, he vaulted into the helicopter, then helped pull Jaime and Laurie in.
"Oscar, give me the rope, I'll pull him in." Jaime told the older man determinedly, and he handed her the life line, then kissed her cheek. "I'm glad to see you, Babe."
Flipping the rope out the door, she called, "Steve, now!"
Letting go of the skid, Steve grabbed the rope, and as the copter lifted up, pulled himself inside and closed the door. Immediately another gust tilted the craft, and the pilot called back, "hold on, we're getting out of here."
"We're holding, we're holding." Rick replied, his good arm around Laurie, his injured arm being looked at by a very relieved Rudy Wells. Steve caught his breath, then managed a chuckle as Oscar shook his head. "What happens when I let you four out of my sight? Teach me to go on vacation!"
"I have to agree with you, Dad.. d'next time you come twoo!" Laurie told him, beaming despite her swollen nose.
Jaime smiled over at her, then added, "And come swim with the dolphins with us!"
The four men looked at each other, then Steve laughed. "Somehow I think our next vacation will be a lot closer to home!"