Across town, Robbie, Rick and Ramona had almost finished sorting her late mother's belongings when Robbie's radio buzzed. "Sorry, honey, let me take this…" he said, putting down the box he was carrying.

"Sheriff Simon, come in Andy…" he began, then stopped as his deputy started talking.

"Robbie, you and Ramona had better get to the Center, we have a huge dust cloud coming in from Phoenix. Visibility is nearly zero and there are cars and trucks overturned everywhere. Are your folks with you? Over."

Rick paled, suddenly knowing that something was wrong. His daughter-in-law put down the bag she was holding, and touched his arm. "Dad…are you all right?"

"Honey, I'm fine…but your Mom…Robbie, tell Andy if he's near the ranch to please stop and get her…." Rick began, as Robbie said, "Andy, Dad's with me, but Mom's at the ranch…are you anywhere near there?"

Suddenly the deputy swore, then they could hear yelling in the background of his transmission. "Put your hands up, now! Travis, you idiot..are you drunk?"

"It wasn't my idea…it wasn't…the place is haunted…." The council member's words were slurring, and Robbie's face was disgusted.

"What a jerk…Andy, are you there?"

"Yeah, Robbie….I've got my hands full here..Mark Travis is drunk as a skunk..keeps babbling about someplace being haunted and not "his fault"…I'm going to turn around and head back to town to put him in jail…Sorry I can't get to the ranch, but the dust cloud is getting too close."

At once a beeping sounded from Rick's watch, and he saw it was his wife. Hitting his send button, he spoke

"Sweetheart, where are you? Are you at the Center?" His tone was nervous, and Laurie swallowed hard as she replied.

"No….I'm trapped in the hall closet at home…. Redwing and his son and Travis came to the door and forced their way in…they tried to get me to tell them where you were. When I tried to get away, they grabbed Jacky and I and threw us in the closet. They said they were going to wait for you to show up..but the windstorm hit….I think they did something to the house, glass is breaking and I keep hearing banging noises…. Rick…I can't get out!" He could here the terror in her voice, and he tried to calm her down.

"Laurie, hang on, …Robbie and I are coming…sweetheart, we'll get you out." Rick's fury and guilt at leaving her alone must have come through, as he heard a deep breath then she spoke, sounding calmer.

"I'm okay, love…you know me, I don't like the dark." He heard the attempt at a chuckle in her voice. "Just be careful…I love you, and so does Jacky."

He replied soothingly, "I love you too, just hold on to my voice…I'm coming for my princess."

"I'm waiting for my prince…" she replied softly. At once Robbie took Ramona's arm, "Honey, we need to go, I want to drop you at the Center……"

"No, I'll go with you to get Mom….I want to make sure she's okay." Ramona told him firmly. Grabbing her purse, she followed Robbie out of the house as Rick locked the back door then the front. As he came outside, he saw with horror the size of the approaching dust storm.

"Laurie, just hold on.." he yelled into his transmitter. "We'll be there in just a few minutes…."

Rick could barely hear her, but her words were for their son.

"Tell Robbie to be careful, the Redwings might still be around the area…."

"I'll send out an APB to Andy while we go, Mom…" Robbie spoke up as they climbed into his cruiser and took off. For the better part of a few miles, the driving was uneventful, until he turned off the highway onto Scott Road.

"Look out, Robbie!" Rick yelled, seeing a boulder roll out onto the road. Zigging and zagging, Robbie managed to miss the boulder, then tumbling tumbleweeds and tree limbs followed. As they rounded Rocky Peak curve, Rick could feel Laurie's worry for them.

"We're almost there, darlin'….hold on a few minutes more.."

Just as the cruiser turned onto the last stretch of road before the ranch, Rick spotted a car crashed up against a cactus, and the familiar faces of Floyd Redwing and his son leaning against it. Talking to them was Robbie's other deputy, Sam Horseman, and immediately Robbie slowed down.

"Sam, take those creeps to jail…they broke into the ranch and terrorized my mother, then locked her in a closet!" he explained. Sam looked at them, his face angry. "Sure, Rob, that explains Redwing swearing he's being "chased"….and the moron had this with him." He held up Rick's rifle, making the older Simon's blood run cold.

"Thanks, Sam." Rick nodded at him, as Robbie took the weapon from him. He was relieved as Robbie floored the cruiser and tore through the dusty air towards his home.

"Almost there, sweetheart…" he told her.

As Robbie turned into the driveway, a collective gasp echoed from each of them. The front door of the house was hanging off its hinges, and several windows were blown out.

"Oh, my God…" Rick wanted to swear, but didn't want to take the time to do so. He vaulted out of the cruiser the minute his son stopped the car, then ran, almost stumbling over tumbleweeds and broken cactus up the walk.

Calling his wife's name as he entered the home, Rick saw very little debris inside, but his chair and the dining room table and chairs were overturned. There was a chair stuck under the knob of the hall closet, and quickly he ripped it away, then threw open the door.

"Laurie, sweetheart…" he murmured, seeing her blinking in the sudden light..At once Jacky barked, then wagged as Rick pulled Laurie from the floor and wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you all right, darlin'?." He asked, his voice breaking at how she shook in his embrace. "Can you walk, sweetheart?"

"Yes, darling… I knew you'd come…but Redwing…" she choked as Rick kept one arm around her, and picked up Jack with the other. As he started to guide her out of the living room, Laurie added, "He was going to go looking for you, love."

"He's in custody…darlin', he won't be hurting anyone for a while…" he reassured her, stopping and picking up her purse as they approached the front door. There Robbie stood, his face worried until he saw his mother.

"Mama, are you okay, did they do anything to you?" Laurie lifted her face and kissed his cheek.

"No, son….Redwing's son was rough but Travis…he didn't want them hurting me. He helped them lock me in the closet though…then something frightened them off…." She explained. As they helped her down the steps and into the cruiser, Ramona hugged her mother-in-law in relief. "Thank God you're all right, Mom.." Jack gave her face a lick and Ramona took him in her arms as the two women got into the back seat.

"Okay, Mom, Ramona, I need you to hunker down, we're going to get to the Center as fast as we can…." Robbie told them, as he started up the cruiser and sped out of the driveway, then back on to the highway. Rick snuck a glance back through the rear window and tried not to let the two women know of the dark cloud of dust seemingly following them.

Despite the strength of the wind, Robbie managed to hold the cruiser onto the road and then through the curves of the parking lot at the Cultural Center. Already over a hundred people were on their way inside, and Robbie quickly pulled into the private entrance for Chief Rob.

As the Simons climbed out of the car, Laurie looked toward Window Rock, then grabbed Rick's arm.

"Darling…look…."

Before their eyes the dust storm was stretched as far as they could see, and suddenly Rick realized their home might not survive the onslaught. Shaking that thought out of his head, he and Robbie steered their wives inside, Laurie once again holding tight to Jack.

Inside, Rob met them at the door, leading them to his rooms. As soon as they entered the comfortable office that Chief Joseph had used, Rick saw his wife's legs start to give out, and he caught her up in his arms.

"Rob, see if Rudy got here…I need him to look at Laurie…" he told him, worried at the heat he felt coming from her body. Robbie automatically took Jack from her, and he started whimpering.

"Hush, Jacky…go with Robbie now, baby." She said, reaching out a shaking arm and petting him.

Immediately he settled down, then licked Robbie's face, making him sputter.

"Jack, you goof…save that for your mom.." At that Laurie mustered up a smile that faded as soon as her son and daughter-in-law left the room.

"Here, darlin'," Rick laid her down on the old sofa bed the chief had used, then sat down next to her as she began to sob. "Rick….oh…Rick.."

"Laurie…sweetheart…" he comforted her, holding her and cuddling her in his arms.

"It was horrible..I kept thinking you would come home and they'd hurt you…one of them picked me up and put his hand over my mouth… Oh I tried to fight them, Rick…they were too strong, and Redwing was going to kill Jacky…" she wept.

"My brave girl….it's all right now…you're safe and I won't ever, ever leave you alone again." He promised desperately, furious at the nightmare his wife had gone through.

"I didn't tell them where you were, they said awful things….oh I was so mad…I almost got away from them. just too slow,." Laurie sobbed, then her tears eased as Rick raised her face to his. He saw the bruises around her mouth, and kissed them.

"Angel, I know, I know…shhhh…I'm sorry…my fierce girl." He comforted her, stroking her hair and face gently. At that she kissed his fingers as they touched her lips, then snuggled tighter into his embrace.

"Rick, darling…how I love you." She said, finally calmed down. "You didn't do anything wrong…we didn't know those monsters would …do something this terrible."

"And I love my princess….it's going to be all right now…Look, here's Rudy." Relieved, Rick made room on the sofa as the old doctor came in the room, his calm face now concerned.

"What is going on here, my girl is sick?"

Laurie let out a sigh and leaned against Rick as he explained what happened. Rudy was just as angry as Rick, but as he took her temperature and listened to her lungs, both men saw her finally relax.

"Well, Missy, you have a fever, but your congestion is down, so I think with a little rest you should be alright." Rudy finally said, after checking her blood pressure again and seeing it had dropped to nearly normal. "I'll give you something to bring down your temperature, then to bed with you."

"Thanks, Rudy…I was worried…" Rick began, then Laurie put her arms around his neck.

"I'm all right now…as long as Dr. Simon helps take care of me too." She smiled. Rudy chuckled as Rick kissed her, saying, "Always, sweetheart."

"Okay, "Dr", time for you and your patient to have something to eat. I'll see if Rob can rustle something up for you. Good thing the kitchen was just stocked for the Harvest party!" their friend grinned as he got up. Just then Robbie came back in, followed by a tearful Robin, who made a dash for her parents.

"Mama, Pop! I couldn't find you….or the children.." she sniffed, and both Rick and Laurie hugged her.

"No, no, sweet…we're all right…Robbie?" Rick looked up at his son.

"They're okay, Grandma has them at Uncle A.J.'s….Ian took them there and that's where Andy and Lala and Davey are." He explained. "They were okay when I called, but now the phones are out…"

For the rest of the day and night, the thick walls of the Center kept the noise of the dust storm at bay. Occasionally Rick or Robbie would leave the room to peer outside, but it was dawn before the sky was clear enough to actually go out of the building.

As the sun came up, Rick's eyes blinked open, then came to rest on Laurie, who had fallen asleep on his chest. Gently placing his hand on her forehead, he was relieved to see her fever had broken.

"Good morning…oh, Rick..did you get any sleep?"

Startled, he saw Laurie was looking up at him, then smiled as she yawned.

"Yes, sleepy girl…how do you feel?"

An impish grin crossed her face, as she teased, "with my hands…"

Laughing, Rick kissed her, then a knock on the door reminded them they weren't at home.

Helping his wife sit up, he called out, "Come in, we're decent."

Chief Rob's head popped through the door, and he smiled at Rick's "bedhead". "Good morning, Rick, Light, you look better."

"I feel better, Rob, thank you…" she smiled, then grew serious as Rick asked, "Any damage to the Center?"

"We got lucky, only a few hay bales and loose boards in the stables." Rob said, then added, "The highway should be re-opened this afternoon, if you want to check out damage to the ranch.. Uh, uh.." Rob held up a hand as Laurie started to get up.

"Not you, Light. Rudy says bed rest for you today. We won't know until after 12 when the State Police issue a report to Robbie when anyone can leave…so breakfast is in the auditorium. As soon as the crowd goes down, Rick…I'll grab a tray for you guys."

"Okay…" Laurie pretended to whine, breaking both men up. At that moment, Robbie came up behind Rob, and he turned around, only to laugh again as their son flourished a filled tray with bacon and eggs and toast.

"Son, I'm glad you're a mind reader…." Rick joked, then a familiar voice spoke up.

"Yeah, he's a mind reader of course, he just happened come by when I had fixed your plates." Robin pouted as she sidestepped the two men and delivered two cups of coffee.

"Well, both my children read my mind…" Laurie held out her arms and hugged first Robin then Robbie. "Any morning I get to see your faces is a good morning. Eat with us?"

Robbie passed a look of relief with Rick, then replied, "Sure, Mama…we'll get our plates."

After a "mostly" lazy morning, Rick insisted on patrolling with his son, while Robin kept her mother company.

As the two Simons ventured out on to the reservation road, then turned on to Scott Way,

Rick kept hoping that their home would still be standing. As they came around the corner of Rocky Peak Road, Rick craned his neck, then his heart plummeted to his feet.