Chapter Nine

A/N Thanks, Guest. I have edited Chapter 7. The correct spelling of JERRY should be showing in that chapter shortly.

Pete walked up to Mac's home and knocked on the door. It wasn't long before Bill MacDonald opened the door. "Come on in. Dad will be happy to see you."

"Thanks," Pete stepped into the house and caught the smell of freshly baked bread, along with other enticing food. He looked at Bill only, before he could ask what he was thinking, Mac's son was smiling and answering the question in Pete's eyes.

"Lisa is in the kitchen. Do you believe she's been here since six this morning, had breakfast cooked by seven and has been doing some deep cleaning?" By the time Bill finished explaining, he and Pete were standing in the MacDonalds' living room. Mac was sitting in a recliner listening to the TV.

"Did I hear Pete?" Mac asked once Bill quit speaking.

"You did." Pete answered as he sat down on the couch. "I don't go to work for a few hours and was told Bill had to leave soon. Thought I'd drop in for a spell. That is, unless I'd be interrupting supper."

Mac couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, and don't worry about. Lisa's one fine cook, just ask Billy. Besides, I already told her to plan on having to feed you as well. That is, anytime you happen to be here." His smile shrank a little as he added, "And, yes, my son has to leave right after we eat."

Bill, who hated leaving his father, reminded his father he could take up to thirty days off. His father wouldn't hear of it.

"If you do that, how are you going to get leave to come and see me at Christmas?" Mac always looked forward to his son's visit at Christmas, and wasn't about to ask anything that would put that particular visit in jeopardy. "Besides, in between Lisa, Pete and a few others, you won't have to worry about me."

After a few minutes of visiting with Pete and his father, Bill excused himself-saying he had to get his luggage out to his jeep. "Won't have time to if I wait."

Once his son was out of the room, Mac asked what more, if anything, had been learned about Leon Phillips.

"Only that he is indeed back in the area." Pete did his best to keep any sound of frustration out of his voice. "Nothing to say he's up to anything illegal."

For a minute, no one said anything, then Mac started talking again-knowing Pete would think he was changing subjects even if he really wasn't. "I had a dream last night, one I've had before."

Pete didn't know what a dream had to do with anything, unless… "What about?"

"Red."

When he heard that, Pete sat straight up and listened as Mac continued talking.

"In the dream, I was following Red only he didn't know it. One minute I'm following him, next I'm crouched down next to what appears to be a wall only there's something between Red and myself. He doesn't know I'm watching him and then…." Mac tapped the arm of the recliner. "Then there's nothing… I wake up. Like I said, I actually had that dream more than once since you told me about the incident at TJ's food wagon. I can't help but think it means something, I just wish I could tell where I was in the dream."

"For now, I wouldn't stress about it." Pete knew from experience trying to force anything to come back to you didn't work.

He and Mac continued visiting until Lisa poked her head out of the kitchen and said it was time to eat.

While Pete was eating with the MacDonalds and Lisa, Jim was talking to Jean. The two of them were seated on the couch in their living room.

"How can a man with Leon Phillips' reputation among those who know him, not have a record an arm long?" Jean, who wanted to know as bad as everyone else did, if the car accident was alone to blame for Mac's predicament, or if Doctor Phillips was right. Even as she thought about the shared last name, Jean sure the good doctor was glad he wasn't actually related Leon Phillips.

"I don't know only we're all keeping an eye out for him." Jim added, not knowing about Mac's dream, "He and Mac had to have been in the same area. We just to get evidence of that."

"Maybe you'll get a break and have the proof fall into your lap." Jean didn't seriously think it would, only she still liked the idea. After all, she liked Mac-and hated the idea someone had actually done something to him before the accident. However, if there was a guilty party, she naturally wanted them caught. She then asked, "Are you riding with Pete, or does he have to do the job of the watch commander tonight?"

"We're riding together as far as I know." Jim got a concerned look in his eyes; his wife didn't have to ask why.

"You're afraid Mac might not get better, and they'll make Pete the new watch commander. Aren't you?" Jean asked slowly.

"Yes, but not because I'm being selfish and only thinking about myself." Jim readjusted his sitting position. "I don't want to see Mac forced out; the police force of his way of life. He's too good at it, and he truly cares about the men. Not that Pete doesn't, you know he does."

"You don't have to explain it to me." Jean reached over and took a hold of her husband's hand. "We all feel the same way. He'll go back to work-just wait and see."

"I hope so, I can't even imagine his life right now. Though, from what I hear from Bill, his father is already learning the lay out of his home how." Jim had to chuckle just little- even as he hoped Mac wouldn't push it too hard.

"From what I hear," Jean emphasized her 'I', "he's tried pushing himself too hard already and got laid into by his son and Lisa Baldwin-at the same time." Jean couldn't help but wish she'd seen that one.

"I guess I best finish a few things and get ready for work." Jim stood up, leaving Jean to do a few things herself, which included making sure Jimmy was doing the homework he'd promised to do.