"What!" Rick nearly walked into the car door. A.J. worriedly asked, "Mom….Gregory Abbott called? About what time?"
"About 15 minutes ago…Laurie just left, she said she was meeting you guys and that she'll call Rick as soon as she parks behind the Center. Why, are you guys going to be late?" Cecelia asked, curious.
"No, Mom….Rick wasn't meeting Abbott to sign anything … Mom….call Ron…tell him to meet us at the Cultural Center as soon as he can. We'll try to head Laurie off before she gets there…." A.J. explained. Quickly he climbed into the truck cab as a stone faced Rick got behind the wheel. Without a word he put the truck in gear, then screeched out of the parking lot.
"A.J., call Robbie…" Rick started to tell his brother as they sped down the highway. "And have him get a hold of Rob…." A.J. finished, turning on his transmitter.
"Thanks, A.J….I should have thought of that….but all I can think of is Laurie walking into a trap….and Ramona and the kids!"
"If Rob's there….he won't let anything happen to them." A.J. assured him, just as his nephew's voice came over his watch.
"Hey, Uncle A.J….what's up?"
As the younger Simon explained the danger, Rick pushed the fear from his mind, and tried to reach out to his wife, "telling" her "Laurie, sweetheart…don't go into the Center. Wait for us in your jeep."
At first he didn't feel any response, then slowly he felt her thoughts, almost puzzled. "Rick?"
"Laurie…stay in your car….wait for us…" he told her frantically, as he came off the highway and into the stretch of reservation road that led into the Center's parking area.
"Rick, is that Abbott? Look there!" A.J. cried out, pointing at a car waiting to enter the intersection. Instantly Rick swerved and turned in front of the old-style town car, forcing it to stop.
"Pop….Rob's on his way to meet Mom….don't let Abbott get away." Robbie called, as Rick jumped out of his truck, gun in hand. Seeing his client's face, Abbott started to back up, only to freeze when Rick aimed his weapon straight at him.
"Don't move, don't even breathe, Abbott…or I'll finish you off, you traitor!"
The sound of a siren seemed to take the fight out of the attorney, who turned off his motor then held up his hands. "Please don't shoot! It wasn't my idea!" he shouted, as Rick approached. Just as the sheriff's cruiser pulled up, Rick ordered Abbott out of his car, saying, "All right, Abbott….where's Adams…is he after Ramona?"
"No…no…he only wants revenge against you and Laurie…He's going after her right now…I'm sorry…I had to help him…you'd better hurry!" the man begged, going down on his knees as Robbie came up behind him and cuffed him.
As if to lend credence to Abbott's words, Rick's transmitter came alive with Chief Rob's voice. "Hey, Rick, Light's parked back of the Center now…I'll wait with her until you get here."
"Thanks, Rob…be there in a minute." Rick replied, nodding at Robbie. "Turn him over to Andy, son…then meet us at Rob's office, okay?"
"I will, Pop..thanks!" Robbie told him, relieved. As he dragged Gregory Abbott up from his knees, the sheriff added, "And I'll make sure Ron knows this jerk here is in custody."
"Good idea, son." Rick patted his shoulder, then rejoined A.J. in his truck and pulled out of the intersection, turning almost immediately into Scott Drive. Driving around the rear of the Cultural Center, he spotted his wife's jeep, then a familiar figure standing next to it.
"I see you now, pal…hey, look out!" Rick yelled, as a large man came out from behind some bushes and knocked Rob to the ground. Jamming his foot on the accelerator, he sped towards the jeep, then he and A.J. gasped as Laurie bolted from her car. As the attacker pointed a gun at the dazed chief, Laurie rushed him, lowering her shoulder and slamming him into the pavement.
Swerving to avoid striking her, Rick braked sharply and screeched to a stop opposite the back entrance, then leapt from his truck only to see the fugitive roll to his feet then grab his wife by her hair and jerk her upright.
"Stop or I'll shoot!" Rick yelled, leveling his gun at Adams. Instantly the evil doctor grinned and started backpedaling toward the edge of the parking lot, his arm crushed against Laurie's throat. Rob swore behind him as he lurched to his feet, then called out,
"Let her go, there's no where to run, Adams!"
"Oh, yes there is…but first…I need to pay back Simon here…for taking away everything from me… Stop struggling, Mrs. Simon", he grated, twisting Laurie's arm as she flailed in his grasp.
"No….I won't let you…" she gasped, then let out a cry as he again pointed a gun at Rick and A.J.
"Okay, Simon….you have one chance of saving your wife…drop your weapon and join me over here…or watch me drop her over the edge…alone."
Without pause Rick lowered his gun, while "telling" Laurie, "Do as he says, darlin'..it's all right."
"That's it, Mr. Simon….come closer…You….everyone else…stay back!" Adams shouted as Robbie and Chief Ron approached from the side entrance of the parking lot.
As the other men froze, Rick "heard" his wife say, "Steve's in back of us on the ridge…Jaime's right behind you."
Slowly he approached the would-be murderer, all the while saying, "Nowhere to escape, Adams…drop the gun…."
"Oh, but I have an escape…now die, both of you!" Adams yelled suddenly, raising his gun.
Before he could fire, Laurie closed her eyes, then slumped against her captor, only for him to throw her away from him, then aim his weapon. Rick dropped to the ground, yelling "Now!", then fired. Adams staggered, then shouted, "No!" as a rain of bullets hit him.
As Adams fell to the ground, Rick saw his wife start to roll over the edge of the parking lot, down towards the rocks below. "Laurie!" he called, then rushed forward and managed to catch hold of her leg. Landing flat on his stomach, he gasped for breath as he slid to a stop on the broken edge of the pavement. Below him, he could see Laurie dangling in mid-air, not moving.
Terrified, he called her name again, "Laurie! Darlin'…answer me!"
At first there was no sound from her, as first A.J. then Ron came to his aid, only to see the edge of the asphalt start to crumble. "Everyone back up!" Rick hollered, then a sharp intake of breath from below him let him know Laurie had regained consciousness.
"Rick!" she cried out, and instantly he tried to calm her. "Darlin'…don't move…I won't let go."
Seeing a bush sticking out of the hillside, Rick told her, "Sweetheart, grab that bush and hold on…hurry."
"I can't…I'm dizzy!" she sobbed. Rick saw the ground around him starting to break up, and frantically he pleaded, "Just try, darlin'…please."
Gingerly reaching out twice then moving away, Laurie finally managed to catch hold of a sturdy branch and held on tightly. At the same time, Steve Austin came to Rick's side.
"Rick…don't move…just hold onto Laurie until I give the word, then let go." He told him. Below the two men, Laurie heard Steve's voice, then twisted to look up at him as he said, "Honey, I need you to hold on for one more moment, okay? Jaime's coming down to get you."
Wordlessly she nodded, then locked eyes with Rick as she murmured brokenly, "I love you…." Steve pulled Rick up a couple of inches until Laurie was level with the bush, then said, "Okay, let go of Laurie."
Reluctantly he did so, telling her, "I love you too." At once Steve carefully pulled him up and over the edge of the concrete until he was once again on solid ground. Steve started to give him a hand up, only for Rick to say, "Wait." Both men watched as Jaime Austin lowered herself down by a rope until she could grab Laurie around the waist.
"Let go of the bush, Sis..now." she told her, then held tightly to her friend as Steve grasped the rope and pulled both women up and onto the pavement. At once Rick got to his feet and pulled Laurie into his arms.
"Rick…oh…love…" she started to cry, and he tried to comfort her.
"Shh….it's all right…my brave Laurie…." He soothed, his voice shaking. Behind them Steve patted Rick on the back as Ron insisted on Chief Rob going to the hospital emergency room. After a few minutes, Rick had Robbie help his mother up, then let Steve give him a hand to his feet. As he stretched his sore muscles, he couldn't help but grin at the fuss the tribal chief was making.
"I just had the wind knocked out of me…that's all. I'm okay." Rob argued, only for Robbie to turn and say, "Rob…Dad, just let us make sure..please?"
Seeing the worry in his son's face, Rob looked over at Rick, who stared back at him and said, "Yes!"
"Okay…but Light and her warrior are coming too…"
Laurie smiled weakly and said, "I don't go anywhere without my brave prince."
"That's my girl.." Rick grinned, then accepted his son's arm to help walk them over to the hospital. As they started towards the entrance of the building, Rick turned to the Austins and said, "If I didn't say it before, I'll say it again…thank you for always being there for us…Thanks for saving our lives."
"Anything for our family.." Steve managed, the emotion plain on his face. Choked up, Jaime could only nod when Laurie whispered "me too."
When their friends disappeared into the emergency room, finally there was time for Chief Ron to get statements and in turn, tell A.J. and Robbie why Adams had made his move at the Center.
"It was some warped kind of vengeance Adams had planned, seems he's been hiding out in the construction trailer down the hill." Ron explained, as the Austins took a seat next to the two Simons.
"That's crazy, but what doesn't make sense is Gregory Abbott's helping him." A.J. replied, disgusted. "He's been Laurie's attorney for over 35 years, for God's sake."
"I know, it doesn't make sense except for the fact Abbott's daughter desperately wanted a baby, and Chelsea was to be kidnapped and given to her for a price. When Rick and Laurie prevented it from happening, Abbott agreed to help Adams in return for Chelsea being taken and adopted by his kid." Ron explained, adding, "When Abbott realized Adams was going to kill both Laurie and Rick, that's when he bolted…deciding not to hang around just in case."
"That's horrible…thank God you guys checked in at the ranch…" Jaime said, then let out a cry as Ramona rushed into the room, holding a babbling Chelsea in her arms, with Andy, Lala and Davey in tow.
"There's my goddaughter now…hi, guys.." Jaime greeted them all then took Chelsea in her arms as Ramona was filled in as to what had happened.
After an hour Rick and Laurie came out from the trauma room, Laurie still in her wheelchair. Seeing her left arm in a sling, everyone hung back for a minute until she announced, "I'm all right, children…".
Rick pushed her forward as Robbie came forward and hugged her. Rick stood aside as first Ramona then their grandchildren made the rounds of "hugs and kisses".
As the group finally started to file out of the hospital, Laurie caught Rick's hand in hers and squeezed it.
"Thank you, darling…..I wouldn't have been able to hang on to that bush if you hadn't called to me, let me know you were alright."
Moved, Rick kissed her hand and murmured, "I'll never let you go, ever...my princess."
"I won't either..." Laurie returned, then let out a yawn.
"On that note, let's continue this at the ranch, shall we?" Rick winked at his wife.
"It's a date, love." Laurie said happily. Beside them, A.J. winked at their friends.
"So's the surprise waiting back at the house." He whispered.