Chapter Ten

Roy, Chet and Mike, who had just started their shift, were sitting at the table eating lunch when Johnny walked into the room. Because he was late, the three coworkers feared that something might be wrong with their captain. Johnny quickly put those fears to rest.

"Cap's doing fine." He then told the men what he'd told the captain. "I don't think it will do him any good if a bunch of us show up at the same time, though."

For a moment silence reigned in the room, and then Roy asked why Johnny was late. "I was beginning to think that; maybe, something had happened to you, too."

Johnny was tempted to make a wisecrack back-almost did-only Roy looked so worried he couldn't. "Sorry," Johnny poured himself a cup of coffee and then joined his friends at the table. "I went to the police station."

"The police station!" Chet stared at him. "What did you get hauled in for?"

Johnny threw Chet a look that said, 'Very funny,' "I did nothing wrong, but someone sure has. If I ever get my hands on the man, I'll have to remember I want my freedom more than his hide!"

Roy and the others made no attempt to hide their confusion. "What happened? Who made it onto your list of unlikable characters?" Roy kept his eyes on his partner, as did their two friends.

"Whoever left Cap out in the middle of nowhere, had to think there was no one around to help him! That's who!" Johnny snapped.

"You mean it's no longer a question? That is, they know for sure someone took him out there?" Mike stared at him in disbelief-as did Chet and Roy.

"Had to," Johnny began telling them what Captain Stanley had said when he-Johnny- checked in on him. "That's why I went to talk to the police; they had to be told." They might have continued talking only Captain Hammer-who had temporally been assigned to Station 51-walked in with one Detective Collins. The detective looked more than tired; it made them all nervous. That made all four men sit up straight.

"What is it?" Johnny, who had seen the detective at the police station-but not had a chance to talk to him, stiffened. The other men had the same reaction.

"I have some news for you; though, to be honest, I would have just called only I have some other business to take care of anyway." Detective Collins pulled a chair out and sat down, as did Captain Hammer.

"You found the culprit? Where is he?" Johnny started shooting one question after another only to be interrupted by Roy.

"Give him a chance to speak, will you?" Roy said, turning his eyes away from Johnny and towards the detective.

Detective Collins, who understood Johnny's reaction all too well, still had to smile at Roy. He was sure out of the two firemen, Roy was the more level headed one. "No to your first question, which naturally means I can't answer your second question."

"So, what can you tell us?" Chet and Mike both asked at the same time, causing the others to at least crack a small smile.

"First, one very guilt-ridden man came into the station this morning." Detective Collins looked around the room. "He confessed he'd been drinking the other day. In fact, so drunk he 'borrowed' an old ambulance that was no longer being used, but still working. Anyway, he said he knew he'd run another driver off the road. He told us the area and the time he estimated it was. No, he didn't stick around the accident only, the day, the area and estimated time puts him in the same area as your captain. Before you ask, it had to be your captain. There were no other accidents on that day that took place in that area."

"That explains his balking at us getting an ambulance out to the Hansens' when we first found him." Roy mused.

"So...Captain Stanley wandered off on his own? What about his missing watch and other things? All of it indicates someone else being with him." Confused, Chet spoke up and asked; the same question was in his coworkers' eyes as well.

"Oh, we have good reason to believe someone else came along, only the captain wasn't supposed to be anyone's target." Detective Collins rubbed his shoulder, apologizing as he did so. "Had a run in a few days ago, the shoulder's still tender."

"What makes you say that?" Johnny asked, confusion showing on his face.

"When you were at the station talking to Officer Hayden, one of our prisoners that was being held in one of the holding cells, overheard everything the two of you said. After you left, he really went crazy on us-saying he needed more protection. Naturally, we weren't going to give him any without knowing what was going on. He started singing like a bird." Detective Collins shook his head. "Due to the case, I can't tell you everything only that there is now a warrant out for a few men. One of the men - whose last name is McCutler- from what this prisoner of ours says, was after another man who looks a lot like your captain." Detective Collins looked around the table. "That being the case, we are pretty sure Mr. McCutler mistook your captain for the man he was after. Though, if that is the case, why he took Captain Stanley out to the area he was found in and abandoned him is beyond us. Thinking your captain was the man he wanted, you'd think the man would have simply killed him. Anyway, We're all hoping one of the men we're looking for actually has your captain's watch on them."

"I hope so too." Johnny turned his cup half filled with coffee around. "Cap didn't deserve what he got." He then asked, in a very worried voice, "Won't the captain be in danger? I mean, if you're right and that man thinks Cap can identify him." Worried looks jumped into the eyes of all the firemen.

"We have men assigned to keep an eye on Captain Stanley. And, no, we haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. We will, though." The detective stood up, excusing himself as he did so. "I need to get my business taken care of."

"See you another time," Johnny and the others said before falling silent. The silence was only broken when the alarm started ringing through the building, sending them to a structure fire.

~oOo~

Dixie-who had finished her shift and would soon leave for home-made her way to Captain Stanley's room.

"You look like you're doing well." Dixie smiled. "Hope you don't mind my coming."

Captain Stanley, who had watched her enter the room, inwardly sighed. He may recognize her from the day before, only that was it. How he wished he would remember someone."It's fine."

"Cassie Hansen called to see how you were. From the sounds of it, she's begging her mother to bring her here, so they can check on you." Dixie couldn't help but grin; the child had sounded so comical on the other line. It had been all she could do not to laugh at the time. "I think you have an admirer."

Now it was Captain Stanley who couldn't help but smile a little. "Somehow, I think she'll admire a few people by the time she grows up. Though, I admit, it does give me a chuckle." He paused and then asked, slowly, if she knew how long he'd lived in Los Angeles.

"Don't rightly know, just that you started working as a fireman shortly before I started working here and," she jokingly shook her finger, "don't ask something along the lines of 'Has it been that long?'"

Captain Stanley, who had grown somber, couldn't help it. He started laughing. "M..might be a good question-o..only I won't ask it!"

Dixie just shook her head as she too started laughing.