Disclaimer: This story is fictional. Some of the things that happened or will happen with Jim are inspired by bits and pieces of my life. Parts of the character are fictional as well. All other characters were made up and any similarities are just coincidental. This is gay romance between teenage boys, there may be sex, but for the most part, it's about their true love of each other so if that offends you, please discontinue reading. Also, if it is illegal for you to read such material, you have been warned. Continual reading could cause a knock at your door.
I hope you're enjoying it so far and that the story draws you in wanting more. This story was "inspired" by another story, a great story, here on Nifty, "Riding Lessons" by Andrew Todd. Some people have compared my writing style to that of Mr. Todd's and for that, I am flattered. While Another Chance does pay tribute to "Riding Lessons", it is a story of its own and has its own plot and agenda. If you have any suggestions or concerns, don't hesitate to email me at zarek@roadrunner.com mailto:zarek@roadrunner.com . Thoughts and suggestion are always welcomed and may or may not be implemented. Concerns will be considered and addressed as much as possible.
AND, if you enjoy the stories on Nifty.org, please give a donation to help cover their expenses. While the site is currently free, only donations from loyal fans can help keep it that way. Any amount will help.
Another Chance
Chapter 68
Colt apologized to Jim for opening the Sorry! game and Jake voiced his concerns about them not being downstairs when they heard the horse barn collapse from the tornado. Zac assured Jake that they were safe and encouraged the boys to continue playing the game while they waited out the tornado. Jim called his mom, trying to assure her that they were safe, but his phone lost signal while he was talking.
The lights flickered and went out. Jake screamed and tried moving towards Jim and Zac but tripped over something and fell. Jim used a flashlight app on his phone to give some light until Jackson grabbed two battery-operated camping lanterns from a shelf. Jim saw Jake lying on floor and went to his side. The boy wasn't moving and had the Twister mat wrapped around his feet. Jim nudged him, "Jake, are you alright?"
"Owwwww, Daddy, my head hurts," Jake cried. Jim flashed the light at Jake's head and noticed a bump forming in the center of the boy's forehead.
"You're going to be a unicorn for a few days, I think," Jim said with a smile. He recalled Jake saying at one time that he wanted to be a unicorn when he grew up. Jake smiled and the boys went back to playing their game. That is, they were until they heard the house creaking and the sound of wood splintering into pieces. Jackson looked up and saw the tornado going right over their heads. The house was gone.
Meanwhile, Heather looked at her phone when it rang. It was Jim calling, "Mom, there's a tornado. It already took out the horse..." and the phone went dead. She immediately hung up the phone and called Nick.
"Park County Sheriff's Department, This is Sheriff Nick Archer, how may I be of assistance?" Nick answered the phone. He saw that it was Heather, but remained professional, knowing that she never calls him at work so as to not distract him.
Heather was a little frantic, "Nick, Jim just called me from the ranch. He said there was a tornado and I think he said that it took out the horses."
Nick wished that he could hold her and tell her that everything was going to be alright, but truth is, he didn't know what to tell her other than the usual. "Just calm down, Heather. I am getting reports of a tornado in that area, and I will personally go check at the ranch. I'm sure the cell towers or something were damaged. Do you know if Jackson has a basement?"
Heather calmed down after hearing Nick say he would personally look into it, "I really don't know. The only time I was ever in the house was for Zac's birthday last year."
Nick knew she wouldn't stop worrying until she knew the boys were safe, "The Sheriff's Department is about twenty minutes away from the ranch. I'll go check it out and either I will call you, or if I can't, I will have the office give you a call."
"I can't sit here waiting for you to call. I'm heading there, myself," Heather declared.
Nick knew it wouldn't do any good but he had to suggest it, "Heather, stay home and let me do my job. You don't know what you'll see and it probably looks worse than it really is. You're thirty minutes away, so if you stay home, you'll have answers faster."
"Like hell, Nick," Heather became agitated, "That's my family out there. Joe was on his way already when Jim called. And Marilyn's husband Vince took off quickly right before Jim called. I think someone called him. Hold on, Marilyn's at the door."
Nick could hear Marilyn talking, "Vinnie should be at the ranch any minute. The security team called him as soon as a tornado formed. They don't have all the details, but saw all the horses leave the barn just before the tornado demolished it. They don't know if Jackson or the boys made it out."
He heard Heather respond, "Jim called me but his phone went dead. He said the tornado already took out the horse when it did, maybe he meant horse barn. I'm on the phone with Nick and he's trying to convince me to stay here."
Marilyn chuckled a little, "Vinnie recommended that I do the same and then said that he'd see me out there in a few. He knew it would be pointless to argue. You want to ride with me?"
"Hello Nick?" Heather spoke into her phone.
"No, this is Deputy Shannon. The Sheriff handed me the phone and told me to tell you that he'll see you when you get to the ranch."
"Thank you Deputy," Heather chuckled before hanging up the phone. She turned to Marilyn and said, "Let's go."
Brenda reminded them that Austin was with Jim and she was coming as well. Marilyn concurred, "Yes, you can come with us. I'm glad Vinnie bought me a bigger vehicle. With Zayne and Zack in their car seats, we wouldn't have had room for three adults in my last car."
Vince Abrams got out to the ranch just as the tornado took out the house. He watched as the tornado headed for the road and then just vanished leaving only the destruction that it caused as a sign it even existed. He started calling out, "Jackson, Ryan, Colt, Anybody?"
"Dad, we're in the basement, but the stairs collapsed," he heard Zac shout. There was a gaping hole where the house once stood. Splintered wood, clothes and destroyed furniture covered the yard.
Vince grabbed a rope from the back of his Hummer and ran over to the hole. He threw one end down and told them to tie that end around Jake. Nick was pulling up beside Vince's SUV as he freed Jake from the rope. He also grabbed a rope from his SUV, then helped Vince pull Austin up. While Austin was untying himself, they used Nick's rope for Colt.
Marilyn was pulling into a parking space as they were pulling Jackson up. Jackson thought he should go last and help by pushing everyone else up. Marilyn ran for Zac, Heather ran for Jim, and Brenda stayed with the car and the babies while Austin ran to her. She wrapped her arms around Austin and asked if he was scared. "We thought we were safe in the basement, but I was still a little scared. I think I made a mess in my shorts."
Brenda chuckled, "That's perfectly normal when you get scared. I'm just glad you're safe. You smell like poo, but you're safe."
Austin hugged his mom, "Yeah, and I can't get away from the smell."
"Look Grandma, I'm a unicorn!" Jake exclaimed, showing Heather his bump.
Heather had a worried look on her face, "How'd you do that?"
Jim explained, "He tried walking over to me after the lights went out and he fell."
Heather asked of Jackson, "Where's Ryan?"
"He left at noon for Washington, DC. He goes before the board for an extensive interview all next week and wanted a few days to relax. I think he knew about the tornado and skipped town, myself," Jackson quipped.
Heather laughed, "How would he have known about the tornado? Jim told me about it before the news even mentioned it. I just wish Jim wouldn't have been cut off during his message. So, where are the horses?"
As if on cue, Gold was bringing the herd of horses back to where the barn used to be. Jackson looked and every horse was there, safe and sound. "You did an excellent job, Gold. You did exactly what Jim asked you to do."
Colt came from looking around where the barn collapsed, "Dad, the saddles are twisted and ruined." He was holding the mangled mess that had his name stitched into it.
Jackson hugged the teen, "That's alright, I have no deductible so insurance will cover everything that was destroyed. We'll get you a new one."
Heather was concerned, "What are you going to do for a home until you get it rebuilt? You are going to rebuild, right?"
Jackson smiled, "Jacob has two spare rooms, I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping us out."
"So," Zac asked, "are you going to convert the party barn into a horse barn?"
"Nope," Jackson answered. "The rodeo buildings shouldn't have taken any damage, I'm sure, since the twister formed between here and there. We can house the horses there until a new barn can be built. And speaking of rebuilding, Jim and Zac, if Ryan gets the Federal Judge position, when we move next summer, I would like the two of you to move here and take over the ranch, so..."
"You mean run it for you, right?" Jim questioned.
Jackson shook his head, "Yes and no. I mean, I would keep part ownership and get maybe ten percent of the profits from the meat portion, but I would like to sell the ranch to the two of you, that is, if Ryan gets the position and you're interested. We'll discuss that more once we find out if Ryan gets the position. But with that in mind, I thought you boys would like to discuss plans for the new house."
Austin had joined the group after Marilyn came and got Zayne, and Brenda was carrying Zack. "Jim," he grinned, "you should show Jackson some of the designs that you have."
"You like designing houses?" Jackson was a little surprised.
Jim explained, "I don't get into the specs like a blue print, but I do like drawing the floor layout."
"Jackson," Heather offered, "why don't you and Colt come to our house for supper tonight and Jim can show you some of the houses that he drew?"
"What do you say, Colt?" Jackson asked, "You want to taste some of the best food in these here parts?"
Colt grinned, and teased Jackson, "You think she cooks better than you?"
"Admittedly, I think I'm a good cook," Jackson answered, "But Jim is a better cook and Heather is even better than him."
"Well, if you don't like my cooking?" Heather joked.
In his most pleasant voice, Colt accepted the invitation, "I think we'd be honored to enjoy a meal with you, and while there, maybe Dad can get a cell signal to call Uncle Jacob."
"He should get a signal, and if not, he's free to use our home phone," Heather chimed.
"What about Jeff?" Zac inquired.
Jackson laughed, "You didn't see him using my truck yesterday? He and Caleb moved in together. That was one of the reasons that Caleb needed money and was eager to train that family. Mom and Dad agreed to pay for Jeff's housing while he attends school, and they told Caleb that they wouldn't mind him living with Jeff, but Caleb insists that they split everything down the middle so they can be considered equals."
Zac nodded his head, "I have to admit, if Jim and I weren't married, I would want to do the same thing. But since we are, we each keep a portion of our checks and deposit the rest into our household account."
Jim glanced at Marilyn and Aunt Brenda as they finally joined the rest of them, "Why didn't you leave the babies with Joe? Actually, I'm a little surprised that Joe didn't come out."
"Joe!" Heather exclaimed, "I was so relieved when I saw you standing here, I forgot. He left before Vince did."
"I'm not sure what way he normally goes, but I didn't see him on my way," responded Vince.
Marilyn concurred, "We didn't see him either."
Jim was looking at his phone, "I'd try calling him, but the tornado must have taken out the cell tower closest to here."
Nick got on his radio and asked if there were any reports concerning a vehicle matching Joe's SUV. The person on the other end was quick to respond, "Deputies are checking it out right now, sir. A vehicle matching that description was left abandoned at the corner of Road 2Ab and Hitching Post Drive. It appears to have been forced off the road."
Nick looked concerned, "Did they run the plates? Who owns the vehicle?"
The voice responded and Jim thought he recognized the female voice, "The vehicle is registered to Joseph C. Bolt. WAIT!!! Oh my word, wasn't that the boy that you and I were watching over; Joe Bolt? Him and his really hot brother, Jim, I think his name is."
"Dawn, Jim is standing right here," Nick chuckled.
"Hi Jim," Dawn quickly said flirtatiously, not the least bit embarrassed by what she said.
Jim was the one embarrassed, "Remind her that I am married."
Nick chuckled a little, "Dawn, Jim said to remind you that he's married and let the deputies know that I am on my way."
"I'll let them know, sir," Dawn confirmed. Nick took off before Heather could react. He knew that if she went to Joe's SUV, it wouldn't do her any good and she would probably get in the way.
Zac walked over to Jim, "What? Have you been cheating on me?"
"Wh-wh-what?" Jim stuttered, "No, you heard me tell Nick to remind her that I'm married. I love you too much to ever cheat on you."
Zac smiled, "But you're so cute trying to defend yourself, I couldn't resist. I trust you, babe."
Jim wrapped his arms around Zac, "Are you sure we are only related via marriage?" Then Jim kissed Zac.
Heather was stunned, "Where did he say Joe's SUV is? Marilyn, can you take me there?"
Vince put his arm around Heather, "Hon, let Marilyn take you home. It wouldn't do you any good to go to his SUV. He's not there and we don't know what happened yet. Go home, Joe may be trying to call you there, and let Nick investigate. You know that if he has anything, he will talk to you."
"How can I go home? Joe's out there somewhere?" Heather began to cry.
Jim hugged his mom, "You know Dad looked out for him before. I trust Dad and Nick will bring Joe home again. We don't know what happened, but between those two, I know Joe will return safely."
Heather kissed Jim on the forehead, "You're right, it won't be easy, but I do trust Nick to do his best to bring him home safely. And even though he is dead, somehow Jon has protected him. It would be easier if I knew what happened to him."
Jim picked up Jake, "We're heading home, would you like to ride with us?" Heather just nodded her head.
"I'm going to help Jackson get the horses in the rodeo barns and then I'll be home," Zac stated.
Austin looked sheepishly up at Jim, "Can I ride with you or do I ride home with Mom and Aunt Marilyn?"
Jim tussled Austin's hair, "You came with me, didn't you?" Austin grinned as he got in the back seat of Jim's truck.
Heather asked Jim to go by where Dawn said Joe's SUV was but Jim said it wouldn't do any good to do so. "Besides, what if Joe tries calling home. It would be better if we just head straight home."
Heather looked down, "When did you become the parent? You are right, but you can't blame me for worrying."
Jim patted her hand, "No, quite the opposite, I'd be disappointed if you didn't worry about us." Jim pulled in the driveway and there was a box on the porch. "Were you expecting a package?" Heather shook her head.
Once Jim was parked, Heather got out of the truck and picked up the box. She noticed two things, first that the box wasn't sealed, whoever left the box merely tucked the flaps. And the second thing she noticed was the box was very light. She opened it and gasped, dropping the box. She started to faint so Jim rushed over to catch her. He managed to grab her just before she hit the ground. As Jake watched with bewilderment, he was concerned, "Is Grandma alright?"
Although he was extremely concerned, Jim tried to hide it yet be as honest as he could, "She will be. She's just worried about Uncle Joe. Austin, can you get the door while I help my mom get inside?"
Jake couldn't help it, it just comes naturally to five year olds, "What's happened to Uncle Joe?"
Jim picked Heather up and carried her inside. Austin ran upstairs to change his clothes. As he put her on the couch, he responded to Jake, "That's what we would like to know. Why don't you join Austin upstairs and play?"
Heather started waking up as Jake was heading upstairs. "Those are the clothes Joe was wearing when he left," Heather cried. Jim looked in the box to see remnants of what once were Joe's clothes.
Jim comforted his Mom as best as he could, "I know, Mom. I'm calling Nick to let him know." As Jim reached for the phone, he noticed the blinking light indicating a message was waiting to be heard.
He hit the play button, it was Joe's voice, "Mom, some men forced me off the road and grabbed me. They told me to call you from my phone but since you didn't answer, they will try calling later. I'm scared, Mom."
Jim didn't want to use the house phone to call Nick in case they did call back, so he pulled his cell phone out and looked to see, he did have full signal. Jim spoke really fast, as if Joe's life depended on it, "Nick, Mom really needs you right now. Someone has Joe and cut off his clothes, even his briefs. They left the remnants in a box on the porch. Then they had Joe use his cell and call the house. We weren't home yet, so they'll be calling back."
"Alright, calm down and say that slower. You said it so fast that I only caught about half of it," Nick responded. He looked at his deputies, "Take this vehicle back to the forensics lab and tell them to find any clues that exist. Once they are done, take it to the repair shop. This is my fiancé's son's vehicle and I want to return it to him as good as new."
Jim listened to Nick instructing the deputies and then when Nick was ready, he repeated what he had said at a normal speed. Nick told Jim that he was on his way and he was calling the FBI since this had officially become a kidnapping.
Nick walked into the house as the phone rang. The voice ID said, "Call from Joe Bolt, Call from Joe B..." as Heather put the phone on speaker.
"Joe, are you alright?" Heather cried.
"Mom, they stripped me and..." was all that Joe got out before the phone was taken from him. In those few words, Jim could tell that Joe was in pain and crying. Jim pulled out his phone and started messing with it.
Another voice came on the phone, "Listen here, lady, I have your son. So far he is unharmed and it's up to you whether he stays that way or not. Don't call the police or he will lose a hand."
Heather wasn't sure if she should tell them, but she figured it was better than letting them think she called them, "The Sheriff's Department already called me because they found his vehicle abandoned. And my fiancé is the Sheriff. Just tell me what you want."
"What we want is ten million dollars. Don't tell me that you don't have it, I don't care. I will give you twenty-four hours to get it. I will call you back at this time tomorrow and if you don't have it, I will start cutting off Joe's fingers, one at a time every twelve hours."
Heather wasn't sure what to say. She didn't have that kind of money and she couldn't get a loan for it, "I don't know where I will get it, but I will. Just don't hurt him." The phone went dead so Heather hung it up. "What am I going to do? I don't have that kind of money?"
Jim smirked, "We could go get Joe."
"Do you know where he is?" Nick asked. "Why didn't you mention this before?"
Jim felt proud of himself, "I didn't know before. As long as the battery isn't removed from his phone and he's within range of a cell tower or Wi-Fi, I can find him. Joe and I downloaded locator apps. We never thought we would need them, but figured if we misplaced our phones or went to a concert or amusement park and got separated, they would come in handy. Right now, Joe's phone is at... Crap, it disappeared, they must have removed the battery again."
"Approximately where was it on the map?" Nick asked. Jim said that it was toward Yellowstone and showed where it was on his app's map. "That's still a good size area, any chance you can zoom in when they call next time?"
Jim looked as though he failed a major test, "If the battery is in long enough, I can. I was trying to do that when it disappeared."
Zac came in the door with Jackson and Colt in tow. Along with them was Matt. "Please tell me that you found Joe," Matt requested.
Zac explained, "Matt heard on the news about the tornado and came out to check on Jackson. He also offered Jackson the use of a house until his is rebuilt."
Jim frowned, "I thought I found him, but they must have taken the battery out of his phone."
"They?" Matt looked puzzled, "Who is they?"
"I'm sorry, I forgot you weren't here," Jim apologized, almost in tears. "Someone kidnapped Joe and called using his phone. They want ten million dollars by tomorrow or they're going to start cutting off his fingers. Zac, how much do we have in that fund? I know it won't be enough, but Mom needs everything that she can get."
"No, don't touch that money," Matt was rather insistent. "That's for you two to get your own place, or as a down payment for Jackson's ranch. I can have the money for you tomorrow."
"Thank you, Matt," Heather cried, "but I don't know when I'll be able to pay you back."
"Hey, Joe is a part of my family," Matt declared. "I'm not lending you the money. I told you that I want to use the money to help others. I see this as helping Joe."
Heather wrapped her arms around Matt and just cried. She whispered in his ear, "I can see why the boys like you and consider you a friend. You've no idea how much this means to me."
"I think I have an idea, but I can only imagine," Matt replied. "Let me call my bank and get things in motion."
Nick clasped his hand onto Matt's shoulder, "Thank you, Matt. Hopefully, we won't need to give them the money. Thanks to Jim, we may be able to find Joe without paying them, but it's nice to know you are there."
Matt, speaking more pointedly, said to Nick, "I do have some questions for you, being in law enforcement, you may know the answers, but then again, hopefully you've not seen enough of this and don't."
Nick responded, "No, I have to admit this is my first kidnapping, but if I can answer your questions, I will."
"Why," Matt began, "would they kidnap Joe and ask for that kind of ransom? It's not like they really expect Heather to get it, do they? I'm concerned that there's more to this than merely wanting money."
Nick nodded his head, "That is a valid question and I have to agree with you. Most kidnappers go for rich families, I believe. Maybe they saw Joe at the ranch."
"And," Matt continued, "I'm not concerned with the money, they can keep it so long as they return Joe unharmed. But once it's paid, how can we be sure Joe will be returned? What prevents them from taking the money and then asking for more, or worse, killing Joe?"
Nick took a breath and lowered his voice so no one else could hear, "Now you understand why I don't want to use your money if we can find Joe without. I've never been a part in solving kidnappings, but I've heard that the person is rarely returned unharmed, if at all."
Heather looked over at Nick and he was worried that she might have heard him. He sat on the couch beside her and took her in his arms. "How are you holding up?" Heather placed her head on his shoulder and just cried. "I totally understand. I was angry with what Wallace did to Chris, I can imagine you're worse. Have faith, we will get Joe back."
"You don't know that!" Heather cried.
Nick grimaced, "No, I don't, but I do believe it."
The doorbell rang and Jim opened the door. A man in his early twenties was standing there. "I'm Agent Lenny King with the FBI. Is there a Nick Archer here? He called our Wyoming office," the man said as he showed Jim his badge and credentials.
Jim let him in and told him that Nick was on the couch with his mom. Nick spoke up, "I'd get up and shake your hand but right now, Heather needs me."
"I totally understand," Agent King acknowledged. "I understand that you are the Sheriff as well as the fiancé to the boy's mother. I need to ask you to think like you are not the Sheriff and leave the FBI handle this. You are too close."
"Agreed, but I do want to point out a few things I believe will help you. First, this young man has offered to supply the money the kidnappers asked for," Nick averred, indicating Matt.
"Very good, hopefully we won't need it, but it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan." Agent King nodded. "You said a few, so what else?"
Nick nodded towards Jim, "He has a locator app on his phone and it's tied to Joe's. If they put the battery back in Joe's phone, he can find out where the boy is."
Agent King smiled, "Excellent, let me plug your phone into my laptop. Then I can save the image and zoom in even if they take the battery out. And what's third?"
Nick looked down and hesitated for a second, "I agree that I may be too close to truly think logically on this, but you have full use of my deputies. And if you go in, I'd like to be a part of the rescue."
Agent King looked directly at Nick, "I have no problem using your deputies, but I don't think it would be a good idea for you to do anything except comfort this distraught lady."
"I had a feeling you would say that," Nick responded, somewhat disheartened. "Mind if I ask how many kidnappings you have handled? You look rather young."
"I am fresh out of the academy about six months. I joined the Wyoming office because it sees the least amount of action and therefore is a good starting point and I was born in Casper, so I have knowledge of the area. This is my first kidnapping situation; however, I have had extensive training to handle it, which is more than you can say."
Agent King asked if he could start setting up his gear on the dining room table to which Heather informed him that they hadn't eaten dinner yet, but if he needed to, then by all means. "They probably won't call until the appointed time, I can wait until after you've eaten. Kid with the phone app, what was your name again?"
Jim looked at him, wondering why he was asking, "My name is Jim sir."
"Thanks, Jim," Agent King responded, "Did your app indicate where the phone might have been last time the battery was in?" Jim showed him the same thing he had shown Nick. "Excellent, that's still a large area, but gives us a starting point. Sheriff, do you know of any buildings in this area?"
Nick studied the map, thinking, for a few minutes. He started pointing to a place along the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway, "There's the abandoned Smith Mansion here. The owner was building it by hand and was blown off on a windy day. The house isn't very stable, and is said to be haunted. Right here," he continued, "is the Bill Cody Ranch."
King shook his head, "I have doubts that they would use the inn. I think the mansion is our best bet."
Nick concurred, "You are probably right, but I'm just letting you know what's there. The problem with the mansion is, they can see for miles all around it, making it nearly impossible to sneak up on them unless you do it at night. Also, the building is very unstable. The owner was building it completely by hand. It doesn't even have plumbing or electricity."
King asserted, "All the more reason it would be a more ideal place for them to use."
"I would recommend," Nick was suggesting, "having a team check it out under the cover of darkness." Heather had been rather quiet, so Nick lifted her head off of his shoulder. He saw that she had cried herself to sleep.
"I concur," Agent King agreed. "I know that you would like to be a part of this operation, and I have checked you out. Just so you know, IF this were anyone else, I would want you on the team."
Nick felt a little proud of himself, "I appreciate that. Did that file you read include my taking down the guy who abused my son? I understand what you are saying, and I agreed at first, but then I remembered that and I started rethinking. I want to be a part of this. I know I can bring Joe back without anyone getting hurt, except maybe the criminals."
King shook his head, "It's not going to happen. It's not protocol."
"FUCK PROTOCOL!!!" Nick yelled. Jake came running out of his room.
Jim put his hand on Nick's shoulder, "Nick, calm down. You'll wake up Mom, and I'd rather Jake not hear such words."
"Too late, I'm awake," Heather groggily replied.
"I'm sorry Sweetheart, I didn't mean to wake you," Nick averred as he caressed her face.
Heather grabbed his hand, "Nick, at least I know you care about Joe. I mean, I always thought you did, and I never doubted it, but now I really know."
"Can you come up to my room, Nick? I need to talk with you privately." Jim questioned.
Nick carefully got up and Heather laid on the couch, trying to go back to sleep, but too worried about Joe to rest. Having come home shortly after Agent King's arrival, Brenda decided to fix a light meal so that Heather could try and relax.
Up in Jim's room, Nick apologized again for using the f-word and so loudly. "I can understand you being upset. I agree that if anyone can rescue Joe it would be you, and I'd like to help," Jim offered.
Nick looked sternly at Jim, "I appreciate your wanting to help, but the only help I want from you in this is helping me find out where Joe is. I can't safely extract Joe if I am worrying about you. And if I did let you do this and lost both of you, your mother would kill me."
"So, you're going to shut me out like Agent King is shutting you out?" Jim questioned.
Nick smiled, "Don't even play that card with me. IF you were properly trained in law enforcement or military, I would love to have you join me. I've seen your martial art skill and I know you know how to use a firearm, but this is different."
"You are going to shut me out," Jim pouted.
"Only because I love you like a son. I promise, you get me the location, I will bring Joe home."
Jim sat at his laptop and started downloading the app. Once it was downloaded, he went to settings and put his cell phone number in to synchronize with its settings. "Ummm, Nick, what would you say if I told you, we don't need to wait for them to put the battery back in Joe's phone?"
"What? How?" Nick asked.
Jim lit up the room with his smile. "You know how I said it that the app could be used to find your phone if you lost it? What would happen if the battery died or you dropped it and the battery fell out?"
"I would guess, you'd just have to search for it," Nick replied, "unless..."
Jim grinned even more, "This app on the computer has a `Last known location' feature. I can pinpoint exactly where Joe's phone was when it last had the battery in."
"You do that and you will have been most helpful," Nick agreed.
Jim found Joe's phone had been at the Bill Cody Ranch when the battery was removed. "It's not like they would go there to make a phone call and head back, especially if Joe doesn't have any clothes. They must be renting a room there," Nick surmised. "I know you want to join me, but I need to work alone, and I have an important assignment for you..."
Jim sulked, "What, fetch you some coffee?"
Nick pulled Jim into a hug, "Don't be like that, I don't want you to go because I care about you and Joe. Do I think you are capable? Maybe more than some of my deputies, but they were trained for such things. You're not. In about ten minutes, go downstairs. Agent King will probably ask where I am."
"You want me to lie to a federal agent?" Jim asked, a look of shock on his face.
Nick shook his head, "No, I would never ask you to lie. But don't tell him where I went at all, just tell him that you discovered the `last known location' feature on your laptop. He'll probably figure out where I went."
"I don't want to get you in trouble," Jim declared, his face relaxed a bit.
"I'll either come back with Joe and won't get in trouble, or I won't be able to come back. If I don't come back, comfort your mom at my funeral," Nick half-jested.
"Don't joke like that," Jim shouted.
Zac came running into the room, "What's going on?"
"Make sure this one doesn't follow me," Nick requested. He slipped out the window and climbed down the wall.
Heather was sitting on the couch when Jim and Zac came downstairs, "Where's Nick?"
"Yes, where is the Sheriff?" Agent King questioned.
Jim swallowed hard, "He told me to tell you about a feature of the locator app that is on my laptop but not the mobile app. It's called the `last known location' feature."
King nodded, "Yes, I was looking for that and was surprised that the app didn't have it. I have it on my laptop, but since Joe's phone doesn't have the battery in, I can't get his last know location until it does."
Jim opened his laptop and showed Agent King the last location of Joe's phone. King immediately got on his radio, "Agents, there's been a change in location. The hostage appears to be at the Bill Cody Ranch. I can't tell you the room, but I can tell you that is where they are using his phone. And if you see Sheriff Archer, arrest him. I will decide on what charges after the boy is safe."
Jim was looking down, he felt like it was his fault that Nick was going to be arrested. Agent King looked at Jim, "You never answered my question and since you didn't say anything when I ordered my men to arrest him, I'm guessing that he went to go find the boy. And that guilty look on your face tells me that I am right. Sit on that couch and don't move unless I give you permission. If that boy is hurt in any way, I will charge you as an accessory to whatever I decide to charge the Sheriff with."
"Supper's ready," Aunt Brenda called out. Austin and Jake came running down the stairs. Jake looked at Jim just sitting on the couch and jumped on his lap.
"Aren't you going to eat, Daddy?" the little boy questioned.
"I don't know, Daddy might be in trouble," Jim responded.
Jake asked, "Did you do something wrong?"
Jim gave a slight smile, "That depends on who you ask. According to Agent King I did, but I don't think I did. Nick and Grandma don't think I did."
Jake got off Jim's lap and walked over to Agent King, "Why is my daddy in trouble? He doesn't think he did anything wrong."
Agent King turned to look at Jake, he was getting ready to say something but Jake kept staring at him. He turned to look at Jim, "Look, I know that you thought you were doing the right thing. If the Sheriff is half as good as his reports say he is, he'll bring Joe back safely. If he slips up because he's too concerned with bringing him back, then I could charge him with obstruction and you as an accessory. I hope he's successful, I really do, but I couldn't risk the chance."
Jim was on the verge of tears, "I don't know what you read, but I know Nick is more than capable of bringing my brother back. I don't think you should have shut him out or told your men to arrest him."
King got on his radio, "Regarding the orders to arrest the Sheriff, if he has rescued the boy, then cancel it. Only arrest him if the boy is severely injured or worse."
"Roger that," came the reply.
Jim looked up, "Thank you!"
King gave a hint of a smile, "And you don't have to sit on the couch. I won't charge you as an accessory."
Jim stood up and Jake came running to take his hand as they walked into the dining area. Jackson looked up at him, "Is everything alright?"
Jim gave a half-hearted response, "It will be when Nick gets back here with Joe,"
"I've seen him in action, he'll be back soon enough. Remember what he did at the ranch when that gang was after Joe and you," Jackson chimed. Jim felt better with Jackson's optimism.
Agent King walked in, "Did he seriously take on that many people at once? Does he think he's Chuck Norris?"
Jackson was quick to sing praises, "He did have help. Under the direction of Zac's father, my security staff assisted, but yes, he and they took on that entire gang. Only injuries received were the lumps of the gang members, and some of them didn't make it."
King smiled, "I believe that most of your security staff are former military."
"That is correct," Jackson concurred, "and the ones NOT former military are former law enforcement."
"Jim," King started, "here is your phone and laptop back. Hopefully, I won't need them once Joe is rescued."
"Good," Jackson stated, "After we're done eating, you can show me some of the designs that you have."
Jim looked a little sheepish, "Some of the designs I have are not exactly mine. I like finding designs and changing them to something I like a little more. I have one that I did that with, I think would be perfect for the ranch. Their rendition of the house no longer matches my version of the floor plans exactly, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like."
I have created a mailing list. If you would like to be added to it to be informed of new submission, please contact me at zarek@roadrunner.com mailto:zarek@roadrunner.com . Please let me know that you read it on nifty.org.