"Sweetheart!" At once Rick came forward and swept her up in his arms. "You got here early!"

"Yes I did, oh I missed you!" Laurie buried her lips in his, then trailed kisses down his neck. "I know Robin needed me…but I was so homesick for you…"

"And I thought it was just me…" Rick matched her kiss for kiss, then carried her to the living room sofa and sat down with her in his lap. "I don't care what A.J. and I have going-never again, darlin'. Where's Robin and Ian?"

"They went on ahead, the kids were already asleep. They'll stay in the guest room for the night." Laurie assured him.

"Well good, except I'm going to have to wait to give you my "special" homecoming gift." He pretended to pout. Laurie just laughed. "It'll be extra special then."

"Go home, you two….talk to you in the morning." A.J. and Linda's voices interrupted them, and willingly Rick and Laurie got up from the sofa.

"Don't have to ask us twice, sis." Laurie giggled, taking Rick's hand as he loudly said,
"Good Night!"

Driving home and greeting Robin and Ian, Rick almost forgot about the strange phone call Steve had received, until the next afternoon. As he came in from feeding the horses, he saw Laurie on the phone, a puzzled look on her face.

"No, I haven't heard from him, Agent James, I rather doubt he'll be calling here. What's going on?"

At once Rick remembered Steve's story, and a strange foreboding swept through him. "Laurie?" he whispered, then saw her point to the extension, and he silently picked up the receiver.

"I said, Mrs. Simon, that it would be better not to mention my phone call. This was just ….well, we were just doing a routine inquiry. No need to be alarmed."

Rick saw the Caller ID showing an 800 number, and he made a "keep going" motion with his hand.

"Well, considering the circumstances of our last conversations with the Secretary…I think.." Laurie was interrupted by an unmistakable growl of frustration.

"You had better not think any more about that, Mrs. Simon…if you know what's good for you. Goodbye." The call was terminated with a loud click, and Rick let out a deep breath.

"Rick…." Laurie's eyes were wide with apprehension, and he crossed the kitchen and took her protectively in his arms. "Shhhh, it's all right, sweetheart. You did good….my brave girl."

She clung to him for a moment as he comforted her, then raised her face to his.

"Thank you, darling….I'm all right. But …what was that all about…is the Secretary missing? And why would they call us?"

"Not just us, darlin'…let's sit down. I have to call A.J. and Steve….They got a similar call yesterday, but not a threat like that." Rick spoke calmly, but his stomach was churning.

Going into the living room, Rick dialed their friend, then brother. Finding them not answering, he next called Oscar at his summer cabin.

"Hey Rick." The older man picked up on the first ring. "Rudy and I just got in, want some fish?"

"Yeah, but more importantly, have you had any strange calls yesterday or today?" Rick asked, then heard an intake of breath.

"Not really, but why don't we come over in about 20 minutes. That'll give Laurie time to rustle up some potatoes to go with this fish." Oscar replied nonchalantly.

"That's an offer we can't refuse." Rick answered, smiling at his wife.

When Oscar and Rudy arrived, they found more then potatoes awaiting them. Rick had rustled up some fry bread, and Laurie made a salad and strawberry shortcake to top off their dinner.

"Now that makes all our hard work worth while." Oscar beamed, handing his son-in-law a cooler full of trout, then hugging Laurie.

"Our hard work, hah! Who caught the majority of those rainbows?" Rudy facetiously boasted, bringing up the rear with their fishing poles.

Rick snickered. "I take it you did, Rudy….Dad, I bet all you got was stale cheese!"

The good humor lasted all through the impromptu meal, until the foursome sat in the living room with their dessert.

Rick waited until his wife went to close up the barn, then quietly said, "Dad, something's not right. First A.J., then Steve, then Laurie got funny phone calls from someone claiming to be an Agent James from the OSI. This guy asks if Laurie has heard from the Secretary, then says nothing's wrong and to forget about the call. When Laurie tried to keep him on the phone by saying it didn't sound like nothing, this so-called agent told her not to "think about it any more if she knew what's good for her."

Oscar turned pale with anger, as Rudy shook his head. "I was afraid something's been brewing, ever since the President refused the Secretary's request to retire instead of resign. Oscar, you don't suppose…"

"Yes, I do….I'm going to make a call to Stu at the agency…I'll find out who made these calls." He growled, then stopped short as a scream sounded from the back yard. "Rick!"

"Laurie….God no…" Rick bolted from his seat, cursing himself for allowing his wife to close up the barn by herself. As he ran outside, he saw a figure on the ground near the patio, with Rex barking and growling next to it. His heart pounding, Rick was flooded with relief to see Laurie holding a baseball bat in her hands, standing over a shaking man.

"Please, call off your dog!" he pleaded, then Rick tried not to laugh as Laurie retorted angrily "Turn over and put your hands on the ground, or I pound you into the dirt and let Rex finish you! You'll never touch another woman again."

Immediately the man turned onto his stomach and lay with his arms outstretched. At once Oscar softly told Laurie, "Honey, put the bat down and go to Rick. I'll take care of this."

Eyes suddenly wide, she nodded obediently and handed the weathered wooden bat to Rudy, then rushed into Rick's embrace. "Rick…" she whimpered, and he picked her up and carried her back into the house, as Oscar grabbed a length of twine and trussed up the intruder. "I'll call Robbie, son."

"Sweetheart, are you all right? Did he hurt you?" Rick asked, taking her into the living room. She shook her head. "No, darling. But, he scared me…he came up behind me as I was locking up, and put a hand over my mouth..I felt something hard in my back. He said… I was going to learn to keep my mouth shut, but when he ." Laurie swallowed hard, then continued when Rick caressed her hair. "he touched my chest, I stomped on his foot and gave an elbow to his throat…. he let me go and I hit him with the first thing I could grab."

"My brave, fearless girl…." Rick couldn't say anything more, so he sat down with Laurie in his arms and held her tight.

"Laurie…honey. Let me see her, son." Rudy came into the room, then gently examined her.

"I'm okay, Rudy….but this guy…who is he and why did he come after me?" Laurie asked worriedly.

"This guy, Laurie, was under my command at one time, but never again."

Oscar came into the room, furiously dragging a bruised and battered captive with him. Just then a siren wailed, and Rick opened the front door to Robbie, who came bounding in and hugged his mother.

"Robbie…oh son!" Laurie was relieved as she kissed his cheek, then smoothed his hair back from his forehead. "Did Dad call you?"

"Yes, mama. Who is this guy?"

Laurie turned her focus on the silent stranger. "That's what I want to know-who is he, Dad?"

"Agent Mike James…..a man I once thought would take my job once….obviously I made the wrong choice." Oscar remarked bitterly. "Okay, James….I want you to spill now…who sent you?"

James shook his head. "I'll be dead in less then a da…." Suddenly a shot rang out, and the man pitched forward lifelessly onto the floor.