"Robin, call your father and ask him if any of the guys are driving a dark brown sedan?" she called out, keeping her voice calm. Hitting the intercom at the gate, she told the unseen driver, "This is private property, what is your business?"
"I'm here to see Mrs. Ramona Simon…is she in?" a refined voice said, just as Laurie noticed the red light on her transmitter. A wave of relief washed over her as she realized her husband was listening. Not able to see through the vehicle's tinted windows, Laurie decided not to take any chances.
"No, she's not available right now, but if you want to leave your name and a number?" Laurie answered, now fearful that someone knew her daughter-in-law had been there. Suddenly the car gunned forward as if to crash through the gate, then executed a u-turn and drove back out onto the road. It sped down the highway as from around the bend came a familiar truck.
"Rick…thank God… someone needs to tail that car…" she gasped, then was silent as the older Simon answered, "Already taken care of, darlin'…..we'll find out who's so nosy!"
"Thanks, love….I should have known you were in the vicinity…" Laurie smiled as Rick pulled into the driveway and right up to the front door.
In a moment he had bounded out of the truck and only waited for the door to open before gathering her into his arms.
"Good work, sweetheart, now where's my birdie…" Rick said, then hugged Robin when she appeared behind her mother.
"Thanks for coming so fast, Pop…why…hey, is that?:" Laurie giggled as their daughter ran towards the porch and into Ian's welcoming arms.
"See, darlin'….he's got his, and I got mine." Rick grinned, then strolled arm in arm with his wife back into the house.
"But Rick, who's tailing them?" Laurie wondered as he sat down in his chair, then pulled her into his lap.
"Ricky and A.J….they're staked out at Rocky Point Bend and Tombstone Highway. That way we'll know which direction they were coming from…but …" Rick frowned as he realized very few people knew about Ramona or Robin staying with their parents.
"But who besides our family would know about Ramona staying here.." Laurie finished worriedly. "Obviously they didn't know she was over at Linda and A.J's…but still."
"Just Chelsea's pediatrician, the nurses…wait a minute.." Rick suddenly sat up straight, then turned on his transmitter.
"A.J….it's Rick…over."
"Hey Rick….Ron and Phoenix P.D. just took over following these jerks…..We're on our way home now."
"Dad, maybe I ought to take Robin and the kids to Grandpa's…" Ian interrupted him, leading Robin back into the house. "I hate to be chased out of our own town, but .."
"But it's a good idea, son." Rick replied, smiling at the look of relief on his daughter's face. "Give Chief Pete a call and we'll do what we did to get Ramona out of here unseen."
An hour later, Rick and A.J. had alerted Ron to their plans, and after dark, Ian's grandfather entered the ranch through a back road and picked up Robin.
"I'll give you a call when the kids and I are settled in, Pop." She told Rick before scooting out the kitchen door and hiding in the back seat of Chief Pete's truck.
"After ten minutes, Ian will leave to pick up the kids then he'll meet us at my ranch." The former tribal chief told Rick and Laurie, as they walked him out to the vehicle.
"We can't thank you enough, Chief….I know you aren't exactly prepared to host 3 growing children." Laurie offered, handing him a bag of cookies.
"Nonsense, Light, I'm sure Katie and Davie and Petey will be fine, but I won't say no to my favorite daughter's cookies…" the older man explained, a calm smile lighting his weathered face. He turned then bid them farewell and vanished into the cab of the truck.
As it pulled away from the yard then disappeared in the evening dusk, Rick caught sight of a flash of light from the edge of their land, and put his transmitter to his lips.
"Ricky, tell your dad there's someone watching us from Scott Ridge, about 2 miles south of our house….just saw a flash over by the beginning of the creek."
"Got it, Uncle Rick….Dad and Uncle Steve are going to check it out now…." His nephew responded. Surprised, Rick responded, "Steve's back?", remembering that their friends had been summoned out of town by NASA to attend a hearing.
"Yeah, Uncle Steve says he and Aunt Jaime were being ignored when they gave suggestions, so they up and left." Ricky explained. His namesake chuckled.
"Someone was just asking for it by treating your Uncle and Aunt like that….I'm glad they're home though. Wait a minute…." Rick narrowed his eyes as he saw another flash of light. Immediately following the sighting, a helicopter flew overhead, and a night vision beam of light struck the foothills.
"Uh, Ricky….do you guys see that …"
"Rick, I have a couple of Hawks up now looking for your spy….." Oscar's stern voice crackled over the radio. "Rick shook his head, then smiled as Laurie brought him a cup of coffee. "I'll have dinner ready for the guys in a few minutes…" she whispered, then left the back porch as Rick pulled out his binoculars and focused on the bottom of the foothills.
"Thanks, Dad….wait a minute…."
As he watched the beam of light moving across the valley, it stopped, and instantly two distant lights started to move.
"They've got someone on the run, Dad…what does the pilot say?" Rick asked, only for A.J. to respond.
"It's a jeep of some kind, moving across Rocky Peak Road….seems like they didn't think they'd be spotted. The kicker is, they've trespassed on the Bald Eagle Habitat…I think …yes…they're being stopped by the Park Rangers."
Wishing he had a stronger pair of binoculars, Rick nevertheless was able to pick out the shape of the two jeeps. A few minutes passed, then both sets of lights started to head in the direction of the ranch. At once the two helicopters turned and followed both vehicles, and A.J. radioed, "Looks like these guys have given up…We're on our way back home, but we'll return in the morning, so we can go over what we have on Ron 's suspects."
"Good, because Laurie's already planning on you being here for dinner." Rick chuckled.
"I knew I could count on my sis…" AJ. responded gleefully.
The next day father and son pulled into the driveway, just in time to find Oscar Goldman and Cecilia Simon just getting out of their car.
"There's my boys…" she beamed, hugging Ricky then his father. Oscar just grinned at her enthusiasm, then lit up as he saw Laurie holding the front door open .
"Dad, it's freezing out…you and Mom get in here so you can warm up!" she said, then giggled as the older man led Cecilia up the steps and took his turn at a hug.
"Now you stop worrying, I have it on good authority your husband has some hot chili on the stove." Oscar teased. "If not, I have ways to keep your mother warm…."
"Oscar, you stop that…you'll give our children ideas…" Cecilia shook her finger at him, then smiled at Laurie.
"You and Oscar sit down, I'm going to grate some cheese and onion to go with Rick's firehouse special."
"Yes, Mom…" she returned, handing Oscar a cup of coffee then sitting in her rocking chair. Soon A.J. and Ricky joined them, then Robbie arrived with Ramona and Chelsea in tow.
"Chief Pete's right behind us with Ian and Robin and the kids…" the younger Simon explained, as Oscar gave him an anxious eye. "Ron says we're safer here….someone tried to get through the gate last night, only Chief Pete set Toby and Jake loose and they scared the intruder so much, he dropped his wallet! At least we have a positive id on the jerk."
"Finally!" Oscar exclaimed, brightening. Just then Rick's voice echoed from the kitchen.
"Everything's almost ready, who wants steak with their chili?"
As a chorus of "I do's" went up, Ramona laughed and accepted a hand up from her doting husband. "I'll be glad when Chelsea is old enough to have baby food…I sure miss Dad's chili!"
As she shifted the little girl into the crook of her arm, a loud beep went off, and Oscar looked startled.
"That's impossible…that sounds like…" he began, then frowned and silently signaled for quiet. Pulling a thin silver stick out of his pocket, he aimed it at the young mother and child, and another beep sounded.