In this AU, the boys are in modern day Texas. Sarah and Adam are still alive. We hope that we've set down a good foundation for others to build on.
We began this AU to explore the relationship between Chris and his family, in an effort to see Chris Larabee as the loving father and husband we believe the series was trying to portray him as. And to see how the boys would interact with Sarah and Adam. We welcome other writers who can share that vision and invite you to build on what we've started. We hope you can respect the premise of the AU.
The boys don't belong to us, dangnabit! Thanks to Mirisch, Trilogy, MGM, TNN, CBS, Hallmark Channel for bringing them to us. And many thanks to those seven wonderful actors for giving them life.
And eternal thanks to Rowan for her beta and her suggestions and remarks. (but we will continue to spelled it 'alright'!!). And thanks to Setcheti for giving the story a read and giving us her opinion before we posted it.
"Buck, have we gotten any more from the Sheriff?" Chris asked, his voice echoing over the headset they had to use in order to be heard over the sounds of the rotor blades. They were traveling in a Ranger helicopter, fast approaching the old mill.
"Nothing since that last call twenty minutes ago. They found evidence that someone has been living there the last couple of days and tire tracks from two or three vehicles. They also spotted some footprints leading into the woods."
"They follow?"
"As far as they could. They lost the tracks when they hit a rocky spot."
Chris glanced over at his friend. Buck was looking out the window at the ground.
"What aren't you telling me, Buck?"
Wilmington continued to stare out the window for several long seconds. "Nothing, Chris."
"Buck..."
"Look, Chris, it might not mean anything. Let's just wait until we get on site."
"Damn it, Buck!"
Wilmington sighed and closed his eyes briefly. He looked over at Chris and nodded.
"Alright. But remember you asked...they found some blood. Not a lot, but enough to be noticeable. And it's fairly recent."
"Shit!"
"Now, Chris, we don't know if Adam was even there. And even if he was, it might not be his blood. It could be Fowler's."
"Or Tanner's. And if it's Tanner's, what does that mean for Adam?"
"Don't give up hope, Chris."
Larabee closed his eyes in an attempt to halt the tears he felt building up. After a minute he rubbed his hands over his face. He was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. They'd had almost no clues to follow in Adam's abduction. And once they'd finally gotten a clue, it could very well turn out to be Chris' greatest nightmare.
His active mind was conjuring visions of Adam left bleeding in the woods. Or buried somewhere that he would never be found.
"...listening to me, pard?"
Chris blinked, realizing that Buck was still talking to him.
"What?"
"I said, are you listening to me? I don't think you've heard a word I've said for the last ten minutes."
"Sorry, Buck. I just keep getting these pictures of Adam..."
"Don't borrow trouble, Chris. We'll find him. The Sheriff's Office is bringing in the K-9 units to see if they can track whoever went into the woods. But it's supposed to rain this afternoon, so they're not sure how effective the dogs will be."
"God Buck. We gotta find him soon."
"You just keep remembering that Tanner is with Adam. I got a good feeling about the guy, Chris. He'll keep Adam safe."
Chris just nodded as he felt the helicopter loosing altitude. He glanced out the window to see a large field that appeared to be the pilot's target landing zone. A patrol car with lights flashing was parked nearby, obviously their ride.
"Let's get up there, Buck. I want to see this place for myself," Chris said as the chopper settled on the ground.
"Right behind ya, pard," Buck replied as he followed his friend from the aircraft.
Vin had waited a long time before venturing out of the cave. Leaving Adam behind in the cave once more, he slipped out and scouted around. He couldn't detect anyone in the area so he headed back. He was tired and sore. And his arm was beginning to hurt.
Although the bullet only grazed him, he hadn't had the time or supplies to clean and bandage it. And now it was infected.
He shook the thought away. There was nothing he could do about it at the moment. He slipped back into the cave. Adam was sitting toward the back, his arms wrapped tightly around his drawn up knees.
"Hey, pard, you ready to get out of here?"
"Are the bad men gone?" Adam asked softly.
"I think so. I can't hear or see anyone out there. But we'll have to go slow and stay quiet, just in case, okay?" Adam nodded but didn't move. Vin hadn't wanted to scare his young charge, but he wouldn't lie to the boy.
"C'mon, the faster we get going the faster we get you home," Vin said with a forced smile. That gave the Adam the incentive to move. He slowly stood up and limped the few steps to Vin's side.
Tanner frowned. "Does your leg hurt, Adam?"
The boy nodded. "A little."
"Let me see." When Adam sat down, Vin gently took the small leg in his hand and ran his fingers up under the denim. Pulling the jeans up, Vin saw some swelling just above the ankle of Adam's right leg.
"Can you move it around?" Adam gingerly moved his foot back and forth, then in a circle.
"Yep, but it hurts."
"Okay, it looks like you sprained it. Guess that means you'll be riding instead of walking."
"Riding?"
"Yep. You've heard of pigging back rides, right?" Adam nodded. "Well, look like you get to ride piggy back today."
Vin picked the young boy up and carried him outside, grimacing slightly at the pull on his injured arm. Once they'd cleared the cave, Vin carefully lifted the boy onto his shoulders. Being careful not to grab Adam's injured ankle, Vin held onto his legs and the two began their trek out of the woods.
He knew it would be a long day. And he'd already wasted most of the morning trying to be sure Fowler was gone from the area. Vin debated on whether to return to the mill, to see if Fowler's car was still there, but decided against it. Instead he headed east, in hopes of finding a town or a road where they could hitch a ride.
The search was called off at four o'clock that afternoon. The dogs had followed a trail into the forest, but lost it when the rain started coming down harder. And it was becoming too dangerous for the planes and helicopters to fly.
They still had no proof that the trail would have led to Adam or Tanner, but they had found the footprints of a small child, which gave Chris some hope that Adam had been in the area. And from what they'd seen, the tracks were of a small child and an adult, followed by several other prints.
Chris prayed that meant that Tanner had been able to escape with Adam. He only hoped that Fowler hadn't found them again. He and Buck had reluctantly climbed back into the helicopter for the flight back to Houston. Chris closed his eyes, dreading the return, imaging the look on Sarah's face when he came home without their son.
From his seat, Buck Wilmington watched as a slow tear fell down the cheek of his closest friend. His gaze dropped down to Chris hand, the knuckles red and scratched from where they slammed into wall of the building when the Sheriff had informed him that the searched was being cancelled due to the weather. The Sheriff had been smart enough to keep his distance from Larabee, otherwise it might have been his face that the fist collided with.
Buck had finally calmed Chris down, but it took some talking to convince the man not to try to search the forest alone. He reminded Chris that Sarah was alone and Fowler was still running loose. That, and the Sheriff's promise that his men would begin looking again as soon as the weather cleared in the morning, prompted Chris to head back home. But he ordered the pilot to take a circuitous route out, and the two passengers kept a close eye peeled to the ground as they flew over.
Vin and Adam were huddled under some trees, waiting for the rain to stop. They'd heard some helicopters and a plane in the air quite a distance to the south, but none had come close to their location. Vin figured there must be a small airport in the area. Airport meant people. Once the rain stopped, they'd head that way.
Faintly, he heard the noise of a helicopter coming closer. He cocked his head in an effort to hear better through the rain. It was getting closer!
Vin stood up, trying to find an open spot in the canopy of trees around him. Reaching down, he roused Adam from his dose.
"Adam, c'mon!" he said, insistently.
"What?" the young boy said sitting up and rubbing his eyes with his fists.
"I hear a helicopter, we gotta try and signal it." He lifted the boy into his arms, not even noticing the injured arm this time, and began to quickly walked toward a clear area. As he walked, he untied the blanket he'd wrapped around his waist. As they entered the clearing, he could hear the helicopter get closer. It sounded like it was almost overhead.
Vin put Adam down and looked up. The chopper was passing slightly to the south of them and down hill from their location. He began to wave the blanket over his head. He thought about using the gun he had taken from Fowler but decided against it.
He didn't want to alert Fowler, if he and his men were still in the area. Also, he figured he might need the weapon. And he knew it would be impossible for anyone in the chopper to hear a shot over the noise from the rotors. For several frantic seconds he hoped for some indication that someone on board had seen him. But the aircraft continued on its way, never deviating from its path.
Vin slumped, his arm slowly lowering, the blanket dropping into the mud at his feet. He continued to watch as the helicopter flew into the distance, eventually getting too far away to see. The rain pelted him, plastering his hair against his face, raindrops running down his cheeks. Raindrops mixing with tears of frustration.
"Vin?"
Tanner blinked at looked down. Adam stood in front of him. The boy was as bedraggled and worn out as the man. Vin took a deep breath.
"Sorry, pard. I guess we walk out."
Adam dropped down in the mud. "I'm tired, Vin. I wanna go home." He pulled his knees up and buried his face in his arms.
His sobs tore at Vin's heart. He reached down and picked up the young boy. Holding him close, he began walking again, but slowly, since it was hard to see with his own tears blinding him.
Chris opened his eyes, unsure what had disturbed his sleep. He and Buck had arrived home wet and weary. Sarah had fed them both and sent them straight to bed. Sarah lay next to him now. Buck was in the guest room down the hall.
He lay unmoving, listening. There it was again. He quietly slipped from under the sheet, reaching into the drawer of his nightstand. He pulled out his service revolver.
Shirtless and barefoot, wearing only a pair of boxers, he silently padded to the door of his bedroom. He stopped to listen again, but heard only silence.
"Chris?"
"Shhh," he said, looking over to shoulder to see Sarah sitting up in bed. He put a finger to his lips. "Stay put." He reached down and turned the knob pulling open the door and slipping out of the room.
As he stepped down the hall, he stopped at the door to Buck's room. The door opened and Buck joined him in the hall, gun in hand. He'd apparently heard the noises too. The pair moved into the living room.
"So nice of you to join us, Ranger Larabee." Buck and Chris spun, guns raised, to face the voice as the lights flared on.
"Fowler!" Chris snarled, the grip tightening on his weapon. Only the thought of Adam still missing prevented him from placing a bullet between the dark eyes of the man before him.
"Ah, I see my fame has proceeded me," the man said smugly, striking a match and lighting the slim cigar he held in his other hand. Two men stood on either side of him, guns raised and pointed at the Rangers. "It looks like we have a stand-off here."
"Where's my son?!" Nothing else mattered at the moment. This was the man who took Adam and Chris was determined to find out where he was.
"Ah, young Adam, such a handsome lad. Pity he had to misbehave."
Chris took a step toward the man, only to be stopped a hissed warning from Buck. "Chris, don't move. There's another one to your left."
Larabee turned his head as he heard the click of a safety being disengaged on the fourth man's weapon, but he kept his own gun trained on Fowler.
"If you gentlemen will just lower your guns, we'll get what we came for and be on our way," Fowler directed. When neither man moved, Fowler shook his head. "Gentlemen, my client was very clear on the merchandise. Mrs. Larabee will be accompanying us."
"Over my dead body!" Chris yelled.
"That's not part of my client's instructions. On the contrary, the idea is for you to live and suffer."
"What have you done with my son?" Chris asked, his finger tightening ever so slightly on the trigger.
"I hope you enjoyed your time with him while you had him," Fowler commented, inhaling on the cigarillo that he smoked. "Because he's currently on his way to his new owner."
He smiled as the realization sunk sink just what he was saying.
The shot surprised no one. Instinctively, Fowler dived sideways, although slower than he'd planned. The bullet grazed him, slicing along his ribcage. Chris screamed out his rage.
A second shot, from Buck's gun, followed a split second behind. It took out one of the men that had been standing next to Fowler. He then turned and fired at the man who had been to Chris' left, striking him in the chest. The last man, the other one who had been next to Fowler, was turning to fire at Chris, who was ignoring everyone in the room except Fowler.
Buck moved, tackling Chris and dragging him behind the oversized sofa. Larabee fought him, still intent on reaching Fowler.
"Let me go!"
"Chris, stop it! You're gonna get yourself killed."
"Did you hear him? Did you hear what he said?!"
"Yeah, I heard him. I also know that he might be lying!" Chris stopped fighting and stared at his friend. "We gotta take him alive if we want to find out for sure."
Two shots slammed into the sofa, causing both men to flinch and crouch lower. They split up, each going to opposite sides of the large piece of furniture.
"On three," Buck said. Chris nodded, then silently counted down. On three, both men stood and fired off several shots. A cry indicated they'd hit either Fowler or his remaining man.
More shots came their way from two separate weapons. So Fowler and his man were still functioning. Neither Buck nor Chris had extra ammunition, and their fifteen-round magazines were half empty. Chris wondered what had happened to the two Texas Rangers who were supposed to be patrolling outside.
The sound of breaking glass down the hallway was followed by the roar of a shotgun.
"Sarah!" Chris yelled.
Chris started to move to join his wife, but jumped back when a bullet slammed into the wall near his head. A second blast from the shotgun was followed by a loud crash in the bedroom.
"Sarah!"
"I'm fine, Chris," she yelled back. "I'm not hurt!"
Chris slumped against the back of the bullet-riddled sofa in relief. Glancing once at Buck, his features turned hard. "Time to finish this."
Buck nodded. "I'm with ya, pard."
Movement down the hall drew Chris' attention. It was Sarah, on her belly, cradling the shotgun in her arms. She crawled out of their bedroom and across the hall into Adam's room. He didn't know what had happened in their bedroom, but she was safe for the moment, and that's what counted.
He turned his attention back to the two men in the room. A reflection in the glass showed him that Fowler was heading for the sliding glass door. A quick shot shattered the glass, showing the kidnapper with shards. A muffled curse brought a smile to Larabee's face. But then he noticed that Fowler was taking advantage of the shattered door, crawling through the broken door onto the back deck.
Chris and Buck rose together and fired off two simultaneously shots at the last man who was trying to follow his boss. The shots hit him, one in the shoulder, one in the leg, flinging him against the wall. He slid down, leaving a bright red stain on the blue paint.
"Larabee!"
Both Rangers turned, freezing when the recognized another Ranger, blood flowing down the right side of this face.
"Slade, are you okay?" Buck asked.
"Yeah, Marcus is down, but still breathing. How many more are there?"
"Just one," Chris growled. "Buck, check the bedroom. Slade, cuff this one." Chris gestured toward the man against the wall. "And check the others; make sure they're dead."
"Got it. I already called for backup and paramedics," he said as he moved toward the last man that had been shot. While Buck kept him covered, Slade cuffed the injured man, not caring if he caused him pain. After quickly checking the others, he and Wilmington headed down the hallway.
Buck looked back, seeing Chris slip out the shattered slider. "Don't kill him, Chris," he whispered to himself. "We still need to find Adam."
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