Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, except for the obvious ones. This story was simply written for the pleasure of it and no money was made from it.

Written by: Sylvie L.

Summary: Final instalment following "Don't Judge a Book by its Cover" and "The Book is Read, Therefore I Judge". While the Simon brothers are on vacation, the verdict in the Cabriani case is announced. Will the brothers be able to enjoy their time off or will their past come back for vengeance........

In a small courtroom in the United States District Courthouse in San Diego, everyone, whom managed to squeeze inside, was impatiently waiting for the judge and the jury to return. A verdict was reached. After months of gruelling testimonies and shocking evidence, the most famous trial the city had ever seen was finally coming to an end. Luciano Cabriani was soon to find what fate had in store for him.

Seated a couple of seats behind the assistant district attorneys, who were prosecuting the case, Lieutenant M.P. 'Downtown' Brown of the San Diego Police Department nervously awaited the eventual redemption. With all of the incriminating evidence mounted against Cabriani, Brown could only hope that his wish would soon be granted and that Cabriani would pay for all the death, pain, and suffering which he had caused. This was a moment that Brown couldn't miss. After spending so many sleepless nights and being directly involved in Cabriani's arrest, Brown was determined to see it to the end.

Finally, the judge, including the twelve jurists, slowing returned. "The court is now back in session," the bailiff stated. After taking his place next to the judge's bench, he continued,  "You may be seated."  As a final action, the bailiff then took a folded piece of paper from the jury box to the judge. Once the judge finished reading it, the bailiff took it back to its original owner.

Turning his attention to Mr. Cabriani and his two high profile lawyers, the judge stated, "May the defendant please rise." All three men complied with the judge's request. "Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict? "  The judge then asked as he turned his head to face them.

The spokesperson for the group, a tall bearded black man stood up. "Yes, we have, " he replied as he gave the judge a slight nod.

Surprisingly, Brown could have almost sworn that he saw a slight grin on Cabriani's face, as if he knew something no one else knew. Under the circumstances, Brown quickly dismissed it as a sign of pure arrogance.

With all of the room's attention focused on him, the jury's spokesperson declared in a clear unemotional voice, "In the matter of the people versus Luciano Joseph Cabriani, we, the jury, find the defendant... not guilty of two counts of first degree murder, not guilty... " The rest was a total blur for Lt. Brown as he gasped in incredulity. In fact, gasps of both complete disbelief and elation were heard throughout the whole courtroom. Brown, among many others was flabbergasted. As the jury found Cabriani not guilty of all 11 counts against him, Brown simply remained seated, as he was suddenly unable to move. He was stunned beyond comprehension. 'With all of the evidence against Cabriani, how could the jury have acquitted him?' Brown thought to himself as he shook his head in utter confusion.

After the judge dismissed the case consequently giving Cabriani back his freedom, Brown quickly got up. He couldn't take it anymore; he had to get out of the room. Seeing Cabriani gloat amongst his attorneys and associates, Brown's stomach was starting to turn. As he exited the room and walked in the adjacent hallway, Brown ran into his steady girlfriend and famous local newscaster, Temple Hill who was covering the trial for channel 3 news. Noticing that Brown was purposely avoiding her eyes, Temple' shoulders visibly slumped, as she suddenly understood it all. Seeing anger and betrayal in Brown's eyes, she decided to simply let him leave. Trying to hide her deep disappointment and to remain professional, Temple bit her lower lip as she approached, amongst others, the courtroom's doors in the purpose of questioning everyone related to the trial. She had a job to do. Her feelings as well as Browns' would have to wait.

As the warm and inviting sun trodden on his skin and the soft wind passed through his blond hair, A.J. Simon blissfully drove through San Diego's streets. With Bob Seger's 'Against the wind' playing on the radio, A.J. taped on the steering wheel as he grinned. Everything was right with the world. Having finished all of his physical or physiological rehabilitation, A.J. felt invisible. With the last few months finally behind him, he could now enjoy life as before. It was time to keep an old promise to himself and to his brother, Rick. As earlier planned, their vacation to Barbados, after a few false starts, was at last becoming a reality. Back at the house, Rick was undoubtedly impatiently awaiting A.J.'s arrival. After making a few final arrangements, they would be both on their way to the exotic paradise.

Driving up to his house, A.J. felt both a little nervous and elated. He couldn't remember the last time where he had actually gone on vacation. A change of atmosphere was deeply needed. After carefully parking his red Camaro into the garage, A.J. entered his house. Noticing Rick's absence, A.J. took the time to recheck his already prepared luggage that he had left on the dining room table.

Satisfied that nothing was amiss, A.J. then walked to the telephone. As he was about to dial, a familiar voice coming from behind him, stated, "I already called a taxi." Turning around, A.J. noticed his brother, dressed in a flamboyant Hawaiian shirt and jeans cut at the knee, standing just inside the patio door with his luggage beside him. "It should be here in about five minutes," Rick continued.

Looking at his watch, A.J. could see that they were right on schedule. In a few hours, they would be travelling over parts of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. "Is Marlowe at Mom's?" A.J. asked as he suddenly noticed the dog's absence. Even though A.J. sometimes complained about Rick's pet, he couldn't help but include the large brown dog into the family.

"I brought him over about an hour ago," Rick stated as he approached his brother.

"How is she feeling? Any better?" A.J. quickly asked. Cecilia had been suffering from laryngitis for the past few days.

"The medication that the doc gave her is helping. She told me she will be as good as new in a matter of days."

"Good!"

Rick smiled as he clapped his hand together and enthusiastically asked, "Ready?"

Wanting to take one last look around the house, A.J. said, "Why don't you bring the luggage outside, while I make a final check?" Even though he knew that his mother would be periodically at the house in order to water his plants, A.J. still wanted to make sure that everything was properly locked and most importantly that he didn't forget anything.

"Sure," Rick responded, as he indulged his little brother's neurosis. As A.J. dashed up the stairs, Rick brought both the luggage out to the driveway. It was only then that he noticed a suspicious parked car across the street. Squinting under the brim of his everlasting straw Cowboy hat, Rick desperately tried to identify the driver. Noticing that he had caught Rick's attention, the man suddenly got out of the small hatchback and approached him.

It took a few seconds for Rick to clearly view the strange man's face. As he did, fury quickly swept through Rick. "Get the hell out of here!" Rick angrily threatened the balding older man. It took a tremendous amount of effort for Rick to simply refrain from getting his gun and shooting the man where he stood.

"Rick, I need to talk to you and A.J.," the man said, trying to be diplomatic.

Suddenly, Rick, unable to control his urge for revenge any longer, abruptly took the man by the collar and squeezed. "Wrong, Ray!" Rick said through grinding teeth. "You need to pray for mercy!"

After all of these months, Ray Smith, the mechanic who had betrayed A.J. suddenly wanted to crawl back into their lives. Rick wasn't about to let that happen, especially when harm had been caused to his family. Noticing that Smith desperately wanted to say something, Rick slightly loosened his hold. After taking a few deep breaths, Smith finally spoke, "Please understand Rick, I'm taking a huge risk just talking to you."

Giving Ray one of his devilish grins, Rick let out a snort giggle before saying, "No kidding!" Pulling Smith closer to his face, Rick snarled as he said, "You better go back to whichever hole you crawled out of or you're going to have to be fed through a straw for the next month." Seeing legitimate fear in Ray's eyes, Rick released his hold as he gave the man a slight shove onto the street.

It wasn't until Ray was safely back into his car that he retaliated. "You're nuts!" With that uttered, Smith abruptly drove off.

Rick took a deep breath as he watched Smith leave. Turning around, he noticed that A.J. was still inside and undoubtedly hadn't heard a thing. Sighing in relief, Rick was glad that his brother had been spared anymore grief. A.J. was finally back to his usual self and the last thing that Rick wanted now was something to jeopardize it.

After locking the front door and closing the gate behind him, A.J. slowly approached his brother; he automatically could tell that something was wrong. Even though Rick was trying to conceal it, A.J. knew his brother too well not to notice. "What's wrong?" A.J. asked as he stood next to Rick.

"Nothing," Rick nonchalantly replied.

A.J. could tell that Rick wasn't being forthcoming and was withholding something. Seeing that Rick wasn't to about to divulge yet, A.J. decided to let it be, for now. Thankfully for Rick, a taxi suddenly pulled up.

In his office, Brown paced uncontrollably. He was still in complete shock from the verdict on Cabriani's trial. He was debating on whether or not to notify Rick or A.J. about the matter on hand. Knowing that the Simon brothers purposely hadn't attended the trial in an attempt to dissociate themselves from Cabriani and consequently move on with their lives, Brown didn't know what to do. Should he call and most undoubtedly ruin their vacation or simply wait until their return? Believing that it could wait, Brown made the decision to postpone the bad news.

In an attempt to calm down, Brown took his seat behind his desk. While rubbing his dark brown eyes, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had missed something. The trial was so down pat that Cabriani's lawyers must have performed a miracle. Shaking his head in disbelief, Brown made the decision to pursue the matter up another notch. He couldn't just let it go like that. Maybe going through the case one more time would help him understand what had perspired in the courtroom. As quickly as he could, Brown jumped out of his seat and approached his closed door. After seeking Sergeant Nixon, he slightly yelled, "Nixon, come in my office!"

In his large San Diego mansion, Luciano Cabriani was gleefully celebrating his new found freedom amongst family, friends, and associates. As Cabriani walked by some of the guests in his elegant and spacious living room, he said, "To justice!" Everyone cheered and reciprocated his toast. After a few moments, the crowd started to mingle once again and converse amongst each other. This gave Cabriani an opportunity to seek his right hand man and take him aside. "I want them to pay, Paulie," Cabriani stated once they were alone.

Paulie, a short well-dressed man with a goatee, looked confused, as he asked his boss, "Who, sir?"

"Ruiz, Cross, the private investigators who created this whole mess... who do you think I mean!" Cabriani replied with a touch of sarcasm in his harsh voice.

"But, sir? You have already gotten away with everything. You're a free man, why jeopardize it?"

Placing his hands on Paulie's shoulders in order to be threatening, Cabriani asked with a mischievous grin on his face, "Paulie, are you underestimating my capabilities?"

"No, sir!" Paulie answered with a gulp.

"Good!" Cabriani gladly stated, "I've lost too many months of freedom. One way or another, I'm going to get my revenge." Seeing worry in his aide's brown eyes, Cabriani grinned as he tried to reassure him. "I already was acquitted. What tells you that I can't do it again?"

"What do you have in mind, sir?"

After being stuck for too many hours between a rock and a hard place, A.J. couldn't have been any happier to be finally on solid ground. With Rick's perpetual snoring on his left and with a San Francisco man discovering his fear of flying for the first time on his right, A.J. didn't have much time to relax or even read one of his new bookstore purchased. For A.J., the flight seemed to be twice as long as it had actually been.

As soon as they exited Grantley Adams International Airport, both Rick and A.J. had to adjust their eyes as they noticed that darkness had already fallen. After the long flight, both Rick and A.J. were anxious to get to their hotel room. After successfully calling a taxi, it wasn't long before they reached Peary Beach Resort, which was located in the capital city, Bridgetown. With a valet attending to their luggage, the Simon brothers approached the main desk; A.J. had earlier made a reservation for a suite with two rooms. No expenses were being spared on this trip and this was all thanks to Gabrielle Vanier. "Good evening!" A.J. stated with one of his ice-melting smiles to the female clerk.

"Good evening, gentlemen! How may I be of assistance?" The older woman asked behind the mahogany counter.

"I'm A.J. Simon. I have a reservation."

After looking through her book, the clerk smiled as she lifted her head. "Yes, Mr. Simon. Please sign here." A.J. quickly complied with the clerk's request and signed the book. As soon as A.J. gave her the pen back, she continued, "And how will you be paying for the rest of your fee?" Having already paid a deposit on the suite, A.J. took out one of his major credit cards and handed it to the clerk. "Very well, sir," she stated with a smile.

With the payment taking care of, Rick and A.J. were delighted that they could finally be able to lay on their respective beds. Their suite was elegant, yet not too glamorous. It wasn't exactly the most expensive room of the resort. Besides, the Simon brothers had the intention of spending most of their time outside enjoying the Caribbean weather. "We should call Mom to let her know that we arrived safely." A.J. said.

Looking at his watch, Rick agreed with his kid brother, as it wasn't yet 8 o'clock in San Diego with the time difference. Rick quickly took the phone and dialed. After a few rings, their mother answered. "Mom! It's Rick. Just to tell that we're at the resort... Yes, our flight was uneventful," Rick said as he took a seat in the small living room's love seat.

"I'm going to take a shower," A.J. nonchalantly stated as he entered the bathroom.

Acknowledging his brother with a slight wave of his hand, Rick continued his conversation with his mother. "How are you feeling?... That's good to hear. Hope Marlowe is not in your way... Good... Mom! What's wrong?... Mom?... What bad news?" Rick quizzically asked, "Come on, Mom! What is it?... What!?" Rick exclaimed as he quickly stood up. His mother had just informed him of Cabriani's acquittal. "What's Town saying?" Rick asked after he cursed under his breath. "I understand exactly how he feels." After sparing a glance at the closed bathroom door, Rick could still hear the water run. 'Good, A.J. didn't hear anything.' He thought to himself. "He's in the shower," Rick said as he answered his worried mother's question. "No, Mom. I'm glad you told me... I agree... Yes, take care. Bye." With that said, Rick slowly hung up the phone as the reality of the whole situation suddenly crept into his consciousness. Just like Town, Rick felt like someone had hit him in the gut. He couldn't understand how a jury of seemingly normal people would acquit a monster like Cabriani. It made Rick's blood boil, not that it took much.

Rick once again debated on whether or not to protect his brother. He had already lied to him back in San Diego; Rick was perplexed as to if he should inform A.J. of Cabriani's acquittal. Dumbfounded as to how his kid brother would react to the release of the man whom had almost killed him, Rick wasn't sure how to approach the situation. Luckily, with A.J. still in the shower, he had a few more minutes to contemplate it. As he did so, Rick quickly got undressed and prepared himself for a sleepless night.

After A.J.'s return, Rick had made the decision to withhold the information for the time being. It was neither the time nor the place to inform A.J.. There was no need to ruin his vacation, especially after what A.J. had gone through just to get here. Trying to avoid his brother's eyes, Rick quickly stated as he approached his room, "I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed." Even though he wanted to give the impression of fatigue, Rick wasn't the least bit tired. His nap on the plane had refreshed him, but under the circumstances it was better to keep his distance. That was until he could control his own emotions.

"Same here. I'm never going to get used to these long flights," A.J. stated as he made sure the door was locked and turned off the lights before walking towards his own room.

Seated in his large office in the south end of his mansion, Luciano Cabriani enjoyed the view of his multiple gardens through two beautiful large mahogany French doors. As he quietly sipped his vintage red wine and read the morning newspaper, a feeling of ultimate joy swept through his body. He was finally back where he felt most comfortable. Cabriani had just shown again that nobody could touch him.

Suddenly, a gentle knock on his door was heard. Putting down the newspaper, Cabriani raised his voice as he said, "Come in." His aide, Paul Bertolluci, nicknamed Paulie, carefully entered the room. As Paulie slowly approached his boss, Cabriani could tell that his aide bare bad news. "What is it, Paulie?" Cabriani asked through a frown.

After swallowing the lump that had suddenly materialised in his throat, Paulie replied, "Boss, it seems that the Cross kid can't be found. He's still in the Witness Protection Program. Unfortunately, none of our contacts were able to find either his new identity or location."

Sweat suddenly appeared on Paulie's brow as he patiently awaited a response from his boss. Cabriani lowered his head for a few seconds in disappointment. The one thing that Cabriani hated was a backstabbing disloyal protégé. Thomas Cross, a young man who was quickly getting up in the ranks of Cabriani's group had been the Crown's main witness against Cabriani. The mob boss couldn't understand why Cross had turned his back on him, the man who he had taking him off the streets and giving him shelter. In an attempt to wash out the bitter taste in his mouth, Cabriani took another sip of his wine before uttering, "Sometimes, I wonder why I pay you guys. You're such incompetent fools... What about Ruiz?"

Martin Ruiz, who had testified against Cabriani concerning the murder of Oliver Tate, was also a marked man in Cabriani's eyes. Paulie, feeling a little better, had somewhat good news to tell his boss about the man. "There are reports that he's skipping town tomorrow. I already have a team on the situation, Boss."

"Clean and effective" Cabriani said as he gave a slight smile, "Don't disappoint me, Paulie. I don't want it traced back to me."

"Understood, sir!"

"I also want to get my revenge on those two local detectives that started the whole case. I want them to pay for sticking their noses where it didn't belong. What did you find about them?"

Paulie, once again, smiled before answering, "They're on vacation in Barbados, boss. Got a flight number and everything."

"There's one thing that you must know, Paulie. Patience and revenge don't mix. Take care of them in Barbados... Wait, I'll take care of them myself. Besides, I need a vacation."

"Do you think that's wise, boss? You know being so close to the trial." Paulie suddenly regretted his uttered words of caution as Cabriani's brown eyes poked him like daggers.

"What did you say?" Cabriani viciously asked.

"Nothing, sir."

"Good!" Hearing fear in his aide's voice made the mob boss feel satisfied. With a devilish grin on his face, he continued, "Tell Bruce to fuel up my jet."

"Yes, boss. Right away."

In his small office, Brown woke up in a shudder. He had unexpectedly spent the entire night going over Cabriani's case files and whatever he could find related to the case. Looking at his watch, he noticed that it was past noon. Being a Saturday, the precinct seemed quiet even though it wasn't. As he slouched back into his chair, Brown could see defeat at his feet. He couldn't find anything amiss about the whole case, nothing that stood out to explain the injustice. Most likely as Cabriani had evilly foreseen, everything was going to fall on Michelle Wallace's shoulders. As she was also put on trial for attempting murder and murder charges, just to name a couple, Wallace would be the escape goat in the case. Even though she deserved everything she was going to get, Brown and the feds had bigger fish to fry, so to speak. Wallace would undoubtedly be solely blamed for the attempting murder of A.J. Simon. Her trial was set for next month. Brown guessed that remaining loyal to Cabriani wasn't exactly advantageous as Michelle had probably hoped. She was sinking fast and alone.

Knowing very well that Cabriani was literally getting away with murder, Brown felt the need to shake some trees and see what would ultimately fall down. Closing the folder he had on Cabriani, he rose from his desk chair in order to stretch his legs. As he was about to leave his office for some coffee, the phone rang. Brown picked it up after two rings. "Lt. Brown speaking," he simply stated.

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," an unknown male voice said.

"What!?" Brown exclaimed, as thoughts of a very late April fools' prank popped into his head.

"Cabriani's trial. All's not what it seems."

Before Brown had a chance to question the mysterious caller, he suddenly heard the dial tone. Cursing under his breath, Brown violently hung up the phone. Perplexed as the identity of the caller, he paced in his office. He had searched through all of Cabriani's files; Brown couldn't understand what the strange man was referring to. The voice of the anonymous caller had been deliberately muffled as to hide its true identity. With no opportunity to trace the call, Brown didn't know what to do next.

Suddenly, an idea materialised in his mind. With a slight smile on his face, Brown whispered, "There's no other explanation." As he rubbed his beard, Brown determined the proper way of approaching the situation. Opening his office's door, he screamed as he tried to get a certain sergeant's attention, "Nixon, I need you in my office. Now!"

Uncertain to what he may have done wrong to warrant the lieutenant's constant interruption, Nixon quickly yet nervously entered Brown's office. "Yes, lieutenant."

As soon as Nixon had entered the small office, Brown then said, "Close the door!" as he sat back down behind his desk. Once again, the blond hair middle-aged sergeant complied with his lieutenant's request. When Brown noticed that Nixon had somewhat relaxed he spoke again. "Nixon, I need you to go to the courthouse and see Armstrong; he owes me a big favour."

Nixon gave his boss a slight nod even though he was still perplexed as to the reason why he needed to abruptly go to the courthouse. "Sir, what is this about?"

"I got an anonymous phone call just a few minutes ago and I have to see it through." Brown responded as he leaned forward in his chair. Before continuing on, Brown sighed. "I want to get the court transcripts on Cabriani's trial and any information that Armstrong can find on the jurists during the trial and anybody else directly involved."

Nixon's eyes slightly widened. "But sir, that's going to take proper authorisation, not to mention time."

"Look, don't worry about that. Armstrong will help you with everything that you need. Besides, if what I think has happened is correct, everybody would want to know, especially the A.D.A.'s." Brown stated trying to make his sergeant feel more at ease. It worked.

"Yes, sir," Nixon replied as he got up from his chair.

Just has Nixon was about to exit, Brown said, "And Nixon, this is between the two of us, for now." The sergeant gave a slight nod of understanding. Once again alone in his office, Brown leaned back in his chair as he contemplated what he was about to venture into. Going through trial transcripts and background checks on everyone involved in Cabriani's trial would not only mean miles of red tape but also a quasi-insurmountable amount of leg work. However, Brown had no other solution. The anonymous call had strengthened his doubt about the validity of the trial, and as he had said to Nixon, he needed to see it through.

Getting up from behind his desk, Brown had to get something to eat fast as his stomach started to viciously growl in hunger. Looking at his watch, Brown put on his jacket as he had an appointment to attend to. Temple was probably already waited for him at their favourite restaurant.

Laying down with his eyes closed on one of the resort's beach lawn chairs, A.J., dressed in his beige bathing trunks and a blue tank top, was slowly indulging the radiant sun's heat. The sound of the waves caressing the sandy beach was almost becoming hypnotic. Finally after all of the previous months of hell, A.J. felt that his life was back on track. No more physiotherapy, no more group sessions, and no more doubts about his detective abilities. A.J. couldn't have asked for a better day or a better vacation.

Suddenly, the reality of his whereabouts crept back into his consciousness as he heard other resort vacationers enjoying the beautiful sunny hot day. Not far from where he laid, the resort's beach bar was offering their daily special, which was two martinis for the price of one. Sticking to his margarita, A.J. immersed back into the laissez-faire attitude he had earlier promised himself to be in once he touch ground on the Caribbean island.

As he was about to drift off, a slightly agitated conversation arose his attention. When A.J. opened his eyes, he noticed that a middle-aged black couple were in deep conversation a few feet away. Strangely, he caught them pointing at him as if he was the subject of their conversation. When the couple noticed A.J. giving them a quizzical look, they both abruptly stopped talking and visibly blushed. 'They are talking about me!' A.J. internally exclaimed.

Probably in an attempt to apologize for their rude behaviour, the couple slowly approached A.J.. Standing over him, it was the man whom spoke first. "Sorry for interrupting you but my wife and I both believed to have seen you before."

Since A.J. hadn't yet been in Barbados for a day, he was perplexed as to where they could have seen him. Just as A.J. was about to respond, the woman interrupted him by saying, "I believe I saw you on television back in the States." Sparing a glance at her male companion, she continued, "I believe that you're a politician of some sort, while my husband, here, doesn't agree."

"Well, you're both right." A.J. said with a grin on his face. "I do appear on television back in San Diego once in a while, not too often though. But I'm no politician."

"San Diego! We're from National City." The woman exuberantly stated. While extending her hand, she added, "I'm Leona Ward, and this is my husband, James."

"I'm A.J. Simon." A.J. said as he shook both of their hands.

The woman's face lit up as A.J. had introduced himself. "I remember you! You're that private investigator that was involved in that case about that Cabriani fellow... and weren't you the one that who was almost killed in that car explosion?"

A.J. reluctantly nodded as suddenly words escaped him. Of all the places, Barbados wasn't one where he thought complete strangers would have reminded him of his near fatal accident. Suddenly, his upbeat enthusiasm was starting to fade away. As he was about to give them his good-byes, he was once again interrupted.

"It's a shame about the verdict," the man nonchalantly stated.

Taken by surprise, A.J. quickly asked, "What do you mean?"

"Don't you know?" Leona quizzically asked. As she saw utter confusion in A.J.'s blue eyes, she slowly continued, "I was sure you would know. We were able to catch the verdict before we left for Barbados."

A.J. hated when people would beat around the bush. He simply wanted to know what they knew about the trial's verdict. Bracing himself for the eventual disappointed, A.J. insistently demanded, "So?"

"Cabriani was found not guilty on all counts," James volunteered.

A.J.'s face was suddenly drained from all life. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Knowing very well that he wasn't dreaming, A.J. lifted his head back to face the Wards. Speechless, he was unable to say anything. Seeing that A.J. needed some time alone, both Leona and James apologized for being the barer of bad news and left him alone. Looking around the beach, A.J., still in shock, had to find Rick, wherever he was.

Unlike his brother, Rick had preferred spending the first day of their vacation actually in the water. After a few minutes of search, Rick was able to successfully find a competitive company that offered guided snorkelling tours through the many blue hues of the Caribbean Sea.

Dawn was quickly approaching once Rick had a chance to get back to the resort. After being dropped off, he, with his scuba gear under the arm, entered the building. As he slowly walked into the main elevators, he hadn't realised that someone was in fact keeping a very close eye on him. Being too preoccupied with getting rid of his load and finding a quick place to get a bite to eat, Rick was unaware of his human shadow.

Once inside the suite, Rick automatically noticed A.J.'s absence. Looking at his watch, he secretly wondered where his brother could be, as it was nearly 9 o'clock. 'Probably still at the beach,' Rick internally deduced. After changing into more appropriate clothing, Rick headed for the door. However, just before he reached it, he turned around. Since he hadn't seen his brother for most of the day, Rick felt the need to appease any of A.J.'s possible worries by leaving him a note. Satisfied, he quickly locked the door behind him and ventured off to the resort's restaurant. As he reached his destination, Rick, naturally, looked around the room in search of his brother, but he was nowhere in sight.

Dressed in shorts and a blue Hawaiian shirt, Rick blended in well amongst the other casually dressed customers. Once directed to a table for two by the window, he quickly looked at the menu. After his waiter had taken his order, Rick leaned back in his chair and enjoyed the beautiful sunset. Rick couldn't help but believe that it was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Suddenly, Rick felt a presence behind him. His first thought was that A.J. had found his message and had decided to join him for a late supper. As the person walked past Rick and turned to face him, a smile quickly passed on his face, as Rick's first instinct was pleasantly proven wrong. Instead of his brother, it was a beautiful brunette that stood before him. Smiling, she was the one whom spoke first, "I was wondering if I could join you?"

As Rick wasn't going to decline the company of a beautiful woman, he quickly replied, "Please do."

After taking a seat directly facing Rick, the woman quickly started up a conversation. "No one should dine alone," she said through a smile.

Rick reciprocated with one of his most charming smiles as he could foretell the onset of a beautiful evening ahead. "I agree," he replied, "I'm Rick Simon," he continued while leaning forward in his chair.

"Nice to meet you, Rick. I'm Angie Whitmore."

"So, how long have you been in Barbados?"

"About three days. I though that coming here would be a great opportunity to meet interesting men." Rick couldn't help but grin at her remark. His evening was indeed becoming more promising as time went by.

For the past three hours, Downtown Brown, with the aide of Sergeant Nixon, had been looking through piles and piles of official court transcripts. Sifting through Cabriani's long trial records was almost an unfeasible feat. As Brown had foretold, it was going to be a tedious job. Looking through the jury's activities during the trail almost made Brown wished that the Simon brothers were back in San Diego in order to help him with the case. Brown knew very well the consequences of his actions; they weren't going to sit well with the assistant D.A.'s, but he had to see the tip through. Besides, if what his speculations were found true, his first visit would be to their office.

Wanting total privacy, Brown had asked Cecilia Simon for her spare key to A.J.'s house; she gladly obliged. With the brothers away, it was the perfect location for secrecy, besides being at the house also meant that he wouldn't be constantly interrupted. With all of the papers scattered across the dining room table and Nixon out in search of something to eat, Brown quietly looked through the jury's individual phone records. As he was about to turn a page, the doorbell rang. Knowing very well that it wasn't Nixon since he had left barely 10 minutes ago; it left either Cecilia or Temple, since they were the only two that knew his location. 'But, it could also be a simple door-to-door salesman,' Brown contemplated as he unlocked the door. As soon as he opened it, he was caught by surprise and so was the visitor.

"Lieutenant Brown! I wasn't expecting to see you here," the young woman exclaimed.

"Same can be said about you, Ms. Vanier..." Brown pleasantly replied, "what are you doing back in San Diego?"

"Came to hear the verdict, for all the good that it did!" She bitterly answered as Brown showed her in. As she took a seat on the living room sofa, she angrily continued, "My plane was delayed in Vancouver for nearly five hours. I wasn't even able to be in courtroom when they announced it. I still can't believe that scum bag got away with Chris' murder... and trying to kill A.J.." Glancing around the room, she quizzically asked Brown whom had taken a seat on the living room's sofa, "Talking about Rick and A.J., where are they? I thought that this was their house."

"In Barbados on vacation, I'm house-sitting," Brown quickly replied, "They didn't want to have any part in the trial."

"I don't blame them!" Gabrielle said as she lowered her head in grief. She hated to be remembered about how her very good friend, Christian Matheson, had been brutally murdered. Pushing her sandy blond hair away from her face as she lifted her head, Gabrielle had a first real chance to glance through the house. Noticing stacks of paper and folders on the dining room table, she then turned to Brown and asked, "If you don't mind me asking,... what are all those papers?"

"Oh! ... just some paperwork that I have to catch up with," he answered as he spared a glance back. Brown thought best if she was kept in the dark; Gabrielle was too close to the case.

"One mighty pile!" Gabrielle responded with a slight smile. Brown could tell that she hadn't truly believed his story, but was going along with it nonetheless.

"So, how long do you plan on being in San Diego?" he quickly asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"I have a flight back home Monday morning." She answered as she got up and approached the patio door. While staring outside as the darkness fell on the city, she went on, "It's too bad that I won't be able to see Rick or A.J.." Brown simply remained silent as he could tell that something was bothering the young woman. Abruptly turning to face Town, she quickly said, "I just don't understand how Cabriani could have been found not guilty. He did it... he did it all! Why couldn't they just see that? It's just makes me wonder if he didn't bribe somebody for his freedom. It wouldn't surprise me anyway. He's a mob boss, integrity is not exactly one of the job requirements!" Gabrielle let out a French Canadian swear just before lowering her head in grief.

Seeing that she was about to break down in tears of frustration, Brown quickly approached her and put a hand on her trembling shoulder. "Look, there's nothing that you can do. Why don't you get some rest? ... Okay?"

Vanier slowly nodded her head in acceptance. 'The lieutenant is right,' she quickly told herself as she let Brown lead her to the side door, 'I need to clear my head.' As she was about to walk out the door, she quickly turned around and added, "I know that I can't do anything about it, but maybe you can. Can't you investigate?... you know the trial seems fishy to me. With all of the evidence, how could twelve people believe Cabriani? ... I swear to God that offenders have more rights than victims!"

Instead of giving her a straight answer and consequently telling her the truth, Brown felt the need to divert the situation, "Look, just promise me that you'll get some sleep."

Even though he could tell that she wasn't particular contented with his answer, she nonetheless nodded her head and silently left. Closing the door, Brown gave out a sigh before returning to the dining room. Shifting through the files, something that Gabrielle had mentioned caught his attention. Maybe she was right about the jury. In any case, they would have to be looked into in more detail.

After roaming the beaches for an unknown amount of time, A.J. was finally willing to go back to the resort. He had debated the whole Cabriani situation in his head over and over again. It didn't take him long to conclude that even if there wasn't anything that he could do to erase the past, it still wasn't easy to acknowledge. Listening to the calming waves as they caressed his feet, A.J. was glad that he was alone. This allowed him to vent off some of his anger. Cabriani's acquittal wasn't an easy pill to swallow. It just didn't make any sense. Shaking his head in order to clear his mind, A.J. entered the resort's main entrance.

Once he reached his suite, A.J. took a deep breath before entering. He was finally able to face his brother. Telling Rick wasn't going to be easy but it was something that he had to do... for himself. Once inside, A.J. was taken aback by the fact that his older brother wasn't alone. Rick must have heard A.J.'s brief gasp of surprise as he quickly released his embrace with the woman that was seated next to him. "A.J.!" Rick said, as he stood up from the love seat. The brunette did the same as Rick continued, "Er... this is Angie... Angie, this is my brother A.J.."

"Nice making your acquaintance," Angie said as she shook A.J.'s hand.

"Same here," A.J. half-heartily answered. He had been hoping to have some time alone with Rick, but A.J. quickly deduced that what he had to say would have to wait until tomorrow. He didn't want to spoil Rick's evening as well. After a short and abrupt goodbye, A.J. seek refuge in his room leaving Rick once again alone with Angie.

However, Rick was able to read right through him, as he immediately noticed that something had been bothering his brother and it wasn't Angie's presence. There was just something in his kid brother's eyes that made him know that whatever had occurred couldn't wait. Deciding to pursue his relationship with Angie on another night, Rick decided to let her know his intentions. Taking her aside, Rick quietly spoke, "Angie, can we get together tomorrow?" Rick could tell that Angie was clearly disappointed and was about to protest but she quickly changed her mind once she saw the determination in Rick's eyes.

"Sure," she simply replied just before approaching the door and closing it behind her.

Rick hung his head low as he knew that Angie couldn't possibly understand the closeness that he shared with his brother. He would simply have to make it up to her. Turning back his attention to his brother, Rick slowly walked towards A.J.'s bedroom. After taking a deep breath, Rick found the courage and knocked. Even though he heard no response, he walked inside nonetheless. A.J. silently stood with his back to him. Rick deduced that his brother was preparing for bed. It was Rick whom broke the awkward silence that filled the room. With a touch of worry detected in his voice, he softly demanded, "What's wrong, A.J.?"

It took a few seconds for A.J. just to register what Rick had just said. He suddenly felt like a prisoner of his past; it seemed that he couldn't escape from the repercussion of the accident. Relying on what he had learned during his therapy sessions, A.J. quickly took control of his emotions and opened up to his brother. "Rick, I... I just heard that Cabriani was acquitted of all charges against him."

Rick's shoulder suddenly slumped in defeat. He had hoped to protect his brother but once again, he had failed. Suddenly, Rick realised something and quickly asked, "How did you find out? Who told you?"

"A couple from National City that I met at the beach," A.J. nonchalantly answered still with his back to his brother.

Rick sighed as he approached his brother. Putting a supportive hand on A.J.'s right shoulder, Rick said, "A.J., I'm sorry. I was hoping that you wouldn't find out until after our vacation."

A.J. lowered his head in understanding for a brief second until he realised what his brother had actually said. In a violent jerk, he abruptly shook off Rick's hand and turned to face his brother. "You mean to tell me that you already knew about it and didn't bothered to tell me?" he yelled.

Rick closed his eyes for a brief second, as he suddenly realised that his worst fears were becoming true. He had made the wrong decision. Not only did A.J. now know about Cabriani's verdict, but also it was complete strangers that had informed him. His attempt to protect A.J. had backfired; all he could hope now was that A.J. would soon get over it. Lifting his hands in guilt, Rick answered, "Mom and I agreed that..."

"Don't tell me that Mom was also behind this little secret too!" A.J. angrily interrupted, as it seemed that he was the last one to find out the outcome of the verdict. Of course, he had never actually seek any information on Cabriani's trial; in fact, he had kept his distance, but at least A.J. believed that his own family wouldn't have shut him out like they had. It could only mean one thing to him; both Rick and his mother didn't believe that he could handle the news.

"Look, A.J., we just thought that you deserved a break. We didn't want it to ruin your vacation," Rick pleaded trying to diffuse the situation.

"This only makes me wonder if you're not keeping something else from me, Rick!" Unable to control his emotions, Rick betrayed them by lowering his head in shame. Noticing his brother's reaction, A.J. didn't miss a beat as he angrily continued, "There is something that you're not telling me, isn't there?" With Rick's silence, he felt the need to press the issue, "Rick!" A.J. demanded but yet slightly pleaded.

"Remember back in San Diego just before the taxi arrived and you asked me if something was wrong."

"Yeah?" A.J. quizzically asked as he remembered the incident.

"Well, someone came by."

"Who?"

After taking a deep breath, Rick finally opened up to A.J. and consequently felt relieved. "Ray Smith," Rick replied in a soft voice.

A.J. simply stared back at his brother. He felt a little light-headed. Ray Smith was a name that he had almost believed to have truly forgotten. Smith had betrayed him in such a fashion that the pure mention of his name made A.J.'s blood boil. "What did he say?" A.J. managed to ask through a nervous cough.

"Nothing," Rick answered, as his worries were slightly dampened. Thankfully, A.J. was handling the whole situation with ease, but Rick still felt the need to keep a close watch on his brother nonetheless.

"What do you mean nothing?"

"Exactly what I said, nothing. I told... more like threatened him to leave and thankfully he got my message."

In a sudden outburst of anger that made Rick back away in surprise, A.J. yelled, "Why did you do that for?"

It took Rick a few seconds to get his bearings back. After he did, Rick raised his voice in retaliation, "I thought it would be best for everyone if he left. Anything that... that backstabbing weasel had to say wouldn't have been worth listening to anyway!"

"There you go again!" A.J. accused as he gave Rick an incensed stare.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rick yelled.

"Making my decisions for me," A.J. replied, "I'm sick and tired of your... your false belief that you have to protect me. I don't need my big brother to protect me anymore; can't you get that? I'm not five years old anymore. I'm capable of making my own goddamn decisions."

"Hey! Wait a minute! I just was thinking..."

"No, Rick! That's the problem, you weren't thinking!" A.J. quickly interrupted. Not wanting to discuss the matter any longer, he grabbed his housecoat and headed for the bathroom thinking that a nice warm shower would ease his tensed muscles.

"No, no, not so fast. You made your point, now let me make mine," Rick said as he grabbed his brother's arm preventing him from leaving, "I just wanted to spare you some grief. You have been through enough over these past few months. A.J... I was going to tell when the time was right!"

"Well! It's too late now!" A.J. sarcastically responded just before abruptly turning his back on Rick and left his room.

"Where are you going?" Rick quickly asked as he followed his brother.

A.J. didn't bother to answer as he simply slammed the bathroom door behind him, leaving Rick alone in the small living room. Rick's only response was to angrily grunt under his breath. 'How could such a simple situation get so complicated?' He asked himself before imitating A.J. and slamming his bedroom door shut.

It didn't take much for Rick to wake up the following morning. With his window open, he could already hear other early-bird vacationers swimming in the resort's Olympic size swimming pool. Looking at the clock on the wall, Rick let out a grunt as he realised the early hour. After his argument with A.J. the night before, he had been so pumped up that it had taken him more than an hour to finally fall asleep. Hoping to quickly patch things up with his brother, Rick slowly approached A.J.'s bedroom. He sighed as he waited for an answer to his knock. Suspecting that A.J. hadn't heard him, he knocked again, this time a little more forcefully. Once again, no answer was heard. Rick didn't bothered to knock again, instead he opened the door and walked in. Inside, he noticed that the bed was made, A.J.'s suitcase was open, resting on a small table with his clothing of the previous day placed on top, but there was still no sign of A.J.. After looking inside the bathroom, Rick deduced that his brother probably had a sleepless night as he did and went for an early breakfast. Hearing his stomach growl with hunger, Rick decided to do the same and immediately left in search of breakfast.

After once again satisfying his appetite, Rick decided to roam through the beaches in search of A.J.. It wasn't like his brother to disappear like that. To Rick's unknowingness, a dark, tall man had been following him since he had left the resort. It happened to be the same human shadow that had kept a close eye on him the night before. The stalker was waiting for the perfect moment to make his move. He needed a place where no one could hear or see anything. The man had thought about making his move on Simon in the resort, but had quickly changed his mind. It was too crowded and risky.

As Rick slowly walked amidst the other vacationers, he remained oblivious to the possible dangerous situation that he was unknowingly walking into. Glancing around, he not only kept looking for his brother, but also for Angie. He was hoping to not have the need to postpone their evening once again. After about an unsuccessful half-an-hour search, Rick decided to change his tactic. Remembering that A.J. had mentioned his intention to visit the Andromeda Botanic Garden, Rick decided that that would be his next destination. He didn't like it when they fought. A.J. was more than simply his kid brother; he was his best friend. Even though Rick knew that their argument hadn't been as severe as previous ones had been, he still couldn't shake the irrational feeling that A.J. wouldn't forgive him. It was probably his big brother syndrome resurfacing again.

While quietly walking down a deserted path, which led to a city street, Rick was suddenly brought back to reality when someone violently grabbed him from behind. Trying to free himself from the man's grasp, Rick landed one of his elbows against the man's ribs. Rick's joy of freedom was short-lived as a second man, whom had appeared out of nowhere, joined forces against him. 'They're not playing fair,' Rick angrily told himself. Overpowered, Rick didn't stand a chance. His world suddenly went dark as one of the attackers hit him behind the neck with the butt of a gun. After all of the commotion, no cry for help was heard as it had happened too fast. As the two assailants had planned, there were no witnesses to the abduction. Their boss was going to be extremely pleased.

Paulie impatiently waited for his two hired hands to return from their assignment. He already knew of their success, but Paulie was still nervous. He couldn't help but believe that his boss was taking a huge risk so soon after the verdict. He thought it would be important to be cautious due to the uproar over the case, but Cabriani had disagreed. Paulie could only now obey his boss' wishes and hope for the best.

Seeing the two men drive up the driveway of one of Cabriani's summer homes, Paulie took a deep breath. Once the car was parked, he slowly approached it. Opening the back door, he said, " Get him to the cellar now!"

The two younger men quickly nodded and did as they were told. Once inside the cellar, Paulie watched as the two hired men prepared to tie the unconscious Rick to a wooden chair. "Good job, men!" he mentioned, "Good job!"

Brown was feeling much better once he had taken the time to grab something to eat. As soon as he had walked into the precinct, a young police officer had approached him and gave him the message that he was needed at a crime scene. Even though he wasn't even a homicide detective, they had personally requested him. The murder victim's identity was the cause for the call. Last night, Martin Ruiz had been found murdered in his car not 25 minutes from the airport. Ruiz had been planning to move to Seattle in order to escape his past and start his new future. However, it wasn't to be. Two bystanders had found his car, a navy Ford Tempo, in a secluded area of the city. No witnesses to the crime were found, or was it easier to say none were coming forward. With the information that he had gotten about the murder, Brown had got the impression that Ruiz had been efficiently ambushed; it was definitely a pro hit. Brown feared that Cabriani had been involved, trying to seek revenge, but that would be hard to prove.

Driving up to the scene wasn't a pretty sight as Ruiz's car was riddled with bullets. It was an apparent message not to betray Cabriani's trust; unfortunately, Ruiz got the message too late. The coroner hadn't had the opportunity to remove the body from the driver seat yet, which made Brown have the misfortune to view it. After all of the years on the force, Brown still didn't find it easy to view human bodies in such conditions. Of course, with multiple years of practice, he now had an easier time to mask his disgust. Taking a deep breath, Brown walked towards the car, which had incidentally stopped against the sidewalk, in order to speak to the homicide detective in charge of the investigation. Detective Stanley Morris had worked with Brown before; therefore he knew what to expect from the hard, yet efficient detective. "What do you have, Stan?" Brown quickly asked as he stood between Morris and the car.

"Found this morning by two joggers named Emily Howe and Fred Zwicker. The cause of death is clearly apparent, multiple gunshot wounds to the head and upper body. Death was instant. The coroner says that by the state of decomposition and rigormortis, Ruiz died between 8 and 10 PM last night. He had a plane ticket in his breast pocket for a flight to Seattle scheduled for 11:45PM. As we can see, he didn't make it," Morris stated, "We suspect that Ruiz was the victim of a surprise farewell party set up by Cabriani. But with Ruiz interesting past, we can't be sure. He had a lot of enemies."

"If it's Cabriani, how could he take such a risk? He knows that we're still watching him very closely."

"Not close enough as I can see," Morris responded with a frown of disappointment, "Besides, he already was acquitted. He thinks he's untouchable."

Brown simply shook his head in disgust. He knew that Morris was right; Cabriani was now cocky. He couldn't only hope that the man's cockiness would soon be fatal. "Any evidence linking this murder to Cabriani?"

"None that we've found yet, but the investigation is still early," Looking at the row of low-income houses on the street, Morris continued, "These people are too scared to talk. It's going to be hard to find an eye-witness to the murder."

"Thanks for included me in this investigation, Stan. I don't know about you but I can smell Cabriani's stench all over this crime scene. There's no doubt in my mind that he's involved," Brown stated.

"I agree. He has already got away with murder before; he's not going to this time," Morris said with determination in his voice.

Rick slowly awoke. As he squinted in order to get rid of the haze that had materialised in his mind, Rick wished that his headache would soon go away. The blow to his head was severe enough that he suspected that he was suffering from a mild concussion. The first thing that he noticed was that his Cowboy hat was missing. 'God help them if they damaged my hat,' Rick angrily said to himself. Slowly raising his head, Rick had for the first time the opportunity to view his alien surroundings. Seeing a very small window on his far right, Rick deduced that he was in a basement. The room was of average size containing various equipment and furniture; from what Rick could tell, whoever had kidnapped him was using the room for storage.

The room was dim, as Rick couldn't detect any apparent artificial lighting. With both of his hands and feet bounded to a wooden chair, his hopes for a quick escape were quickly dashed. He could only pray that with time he would be able to free his limbs from the rope. With his hands tied behind the chair and consequently no opportunity to look at his watch, Rick couldn't tell how long he had been unconscious. In an attempt to move around, he tried to bounce, but to no avail as the chair was bolted to the floor. Getting quickly frustrated and wanting an immediate explanation, Rick yelled with all of the force that his lungs could muster. At first, he didn't believe that anyone had heard him; until, after a third try, he finally saw the doorknob move and consequently the door opened. Suddenly light illuminated behind Rick, which blinded him for a few seconds. After his eyes accustomed to the sudden brightness, Rick noticed three men standing in front of him.

"You're finally awake, Mr. Simon. It's about time," the man, who stood in the middle, stated.

"Yeah! No thanks to you!" Rick responded while trying to put names to the faces. The one who had addressed him seemed familiar somehow.

The man simply smiled in response. Putting his hands behind his back, he said, "Mr. Simon, I'm surprised to see that you don't recognize me."

"I know, I know, how can I forget such a scumbag like you?"

"Now, now, let's be civil," he responded before continuing on, "Just to refresh your memory, I'm Paul Bertolluci." Noticing Rick's still confused look, Paulie continued on, "Mr. Cabriani's aide."

As soon as Paulie had finished his sentence, Rick's face twisted in rage as he yelled, "What does that son-of-a-bitch want from me?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Is he too lazy to come and see me himself or... is he too afraid," Rick demanded.

Paulie once again grinned back. Believing that his prisoner would soon find out the reason for his capture, Paulie simply turned his back on Rick and headed for the exit. Just before reaching the door, he turned to one of his bodyguards and whispered something that made Rick very suspicious. As quickly as he had entered, Paulie exited the room and consequently left his two large bodyguards whom remained. Fearing the worst, Rick grimaced as he lowered his head slightly in an attempt to show his anger and suspicions. He quickly deduced that the two apes were not here to socialise. "Now, there's no reason for anyone to get physical, guys!" he pleaded. With his head, he pointed to his tied limbs before continuing, "Look, I'm not going anywhere." The two large men simply ignored their prisoner's pleas for amity and kept up with their stride. Knowing their intentions and awaiting the first blow, Rick grimaced and closed his eyes as he said, "Please be gentle!"

Brown was quietly pacing in his small downtown office. If his gut feeling was to be proven correct, Cabriani was back to his old tricks again, and he couldn't let that continue. If only he could get a break in the case, something that stood out against all the other evidence. However, all of the possible leads that he had came across were either dead ends or impossible to see through due to an enormous pile of red tape. Frustration was quickly sweeping through Brown. Just as he was about to exit the room in order to get some fresh air, Sergeant Nixon interrupted him. "What do you want, Nixon?" he asked as he gave a frown.

"Sir, there was an envelope for you at the front desk." Nixon replied as he handed a small white envelope to the lieutenant.

"Thanks," Brown said. For privacy, he closed his office's door as soon as Nixon left. After making sure that all of his window's blinds were closed, he quickly sat down behind his desk and looked at the mysterious envelope. It didn't have a return address. Without any more thought, Brown quickly but carefully opened it. As soon as he did, his eyes grew bigger in surprise. Staring at the words written on the simple white piece of paper, he read in his mind, 'Lieutenant Brown, meet me at the abandoned warehouse on the corner of Oak and Princeton Street, at exactly noon today. Come alone and don't be late.' Placing the letter down, Brown laid back in his seat. He contemplated on the validity of the letter and wondered if it had anything to do with the strange phone call that he had received earlier. Looking at his watch, he had less than two hours. Debating about the situation for a brief moment, Brown decided that he had no other choice but to prepare for the mysterious encounter.

In an attempt to pass time before she was to meet her friends at a local café, Cecilia Simon was in the process of baking one of her favourite desserts. Her intention was to freeze it and save it for her sons' return from Barbados. Having private investigators for sons wasn't easy for Cecilia. She had always secretly hoped that they would have both chosen a more stable and safe employment, but that's what they wanted to do and she had to accept that no matter the consequences or her feelings. Hiding her reservations about their sometimes dangerous line of work from her sons wasn't easy; in fact, her feelings had slipped out a few times. Luckily, both Rick and A.J. understood her maternal instincts and respected them. These whole incidences with Cabriani simply strengthen her negative feelings about the P.I. business. If they hadn't been private detectives, Cecilia quickly and accurately deduced that they would have never met the crime lord and consequently not have suffered because of it. She had always wanted to protect her sons, but it wasn't always possible.

Deep in thought, it took a brief second for Cecilia to hear the doorbell ring. At the door was a familiar face carrying a large gray plastic bag. Cecilia knew that she had met the young woman before but couldn't put a name to the face or to the location where they had first met. "Yes?" Cecilia asked after letting out a cough in hopes to clear her voice. Her laryngitis had started to clear up; however, her voice was still weak.

Seeing that Cecilia didn't recognize her, the young woman quickly smiled. "I had my doubts that you would have remember me since we only met once at the hospital last year."

After a few seconds, Cecilia's face lit up as she suddenly recognized her visitor. Opening the door to let the woman enter, she quickly said, "Gabrielle, come on in!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Simon," Gabrielle answered as she walked into the large living room as Cecilia closed the entrance door and joined her, "You have a beautiful home," she remarked as she glanced throughout the room.

"Well, thank you and please call me Cecilia," Cecilia answered. For a brief second, the room was silent as the two lone occupants were debating what to say. It was Cecilia that broke the ice, "Can I get you something to eat or would you like a cup of tea?"

"That's very kind of you but I'm fine," Gabrielle responded, "I won't take much of your time," She imitated Cecilia and took a seat on the sofa before continuing on, "I'm only in town for a few days. I was hoping to have a chance to visit your sons; however, I just found out that they're in Barbados."

"Yes, thanks to your generous bonus," Cecilia quickly answered.

"How are they doing?"

"Well..."

Even with Cecilia's voice being frail, Gabrielle could detect a hesitation that meant something wasn't quite right with the Simon brothers. "Is everything OK?" she distressfully asked the older woman.

After a few seconds of debating on whether or not she should tell this practical stranger her worries, Cecilia decided to indulge the young woman's wish. After all, she was the one whom had hired her sons to find Christian Matheson, which led to this whole mess. Besides, Gabrielle had shown nothing but gratitude and friendship towards Rick and A.J. and deserved to hear about their welfare. "Just me being overprotective I guess," Cecilia said with a smile that quickly came and went. After a few seconds gaining strength in her voice, she went into details, "I got a call from A.J. early this morning. He found out about Cabriani's acquittal... I could tell that he was having a hard time dealing with it."

"Who can blame him? I'm having a hard time believing it myself."

"Knowing A.J., I believe that he'll pull through. Those group sessions really helped him deal with his anger... but a mother still worries."

"That's a job requirement," Gabrielle jokingly answered as she tried to alleviate Cecilia emotions, as well as validate them. Cecilia smiled back, which made Gabrielle feel more at ease. She could automatically tell where Rick and A.J. got their compassion and loving nature; she was smiling directly at the source.

"Anyway, he told me that he had the intention of spending the day enjoying Barbados. Hopefully, the fresh air and hot sun will help him."

Gabrielle smiled as she nodded her head in response. She had learned from past experience that the earlier that anyone tackled a problem the better. Changing the subject, she asked, "How's Rick doing?"

"Good considering the events. As you probably already have figured out, Rick isn't exactly someone who bottles up his emotions. He lets them out loud and clear. I know he's more worried about A.J.'s feelings than his own right now."

"It's amazing how a single man can cause so much chaos in other people's lives," Gabrielle quickly stated, referring to Cabriani. Just like Rick and A.J., she would have to try to put it behind her and go on with her life. It wasn't going to be easy, but a hope that someday Cabriani would be finally locked up was the only thread keeping her sane right now. Suddenly remembering her true intentions for her visit, Gabrielle quickly went through the contents of her gray bag and took out two boxes. Both of them were of average size and wrapped with plain wrapping paper. Giving them to Cecilia, she said, "This is for Rick and A.J.. The gifts are both little souvenirs from my native land."

Taking the boxes, Cecilia stated, "I'll give it to them as soon as they get back."

"I would really appreciate that." After glancing at her watch, Gabrielle stood up. "Sorry but I have to go. It was nice meeting you once again, Mrs. Sim... Cecilia," she said as she approached the exit.

"The feeling is mutual and have a safe trip back home."

"I will."

Driving up to his mysterious rendez-vous in a dark corner of San Diego, Downtown Brown was feeling slightly apprehensive as he hated the idea of walking into an unfamiliar building alone and without proper back up. Conflicting emotions swept through Brown as he slowly parked his undercover police car next to the old abandoned building's main entrance. His desperate need for new information on Cabriani's case and his innate reflex of seeing another day, accentuated by his police experience, were battling a fierce inner war. As Brown stopped directly in front of the door, he took a deep breath. With all that he knew, this secretive meeting could be a trap, which meant a near certain death. Suddenly a vision of Ruiz's bullet riddled body ventured into his mind; Brown visibly shuddered as a horrible thought went through his mind as he contemplated the idea of suffering a similar fate.

However, closing his eyes for a brief second just after sparing a quick glance at his watch, Brown carefully opened the door as he had made his decision. He couldn't take the chance that it wasn't a hoax. It was something that he had to do.

It took Brown several seconds for his eyes to adjust to the dimness of the large empty warehouse. Boxes of different sizes were either scattered across the room or piled up over each other in an up-hazarded fashion. Brown quickly deduced that the building had been deserted for quite some time. As he slowly walked amidst the boxes and other various metallic objects, Brown kept his right hand on his gun's holster. He wasn't about to let his guard down and take any unnecessary chances. After a few seconds of uninterrupted silence, Brown felt the need to press the matter and make this anonymous caller show his or her face. He didn't have all day.

"Hey! Anybody here?" Brown stated as his voice reverberated throughout the large room. After hearing no reply, small globs of sweat appeared on his face. He was starting to regret his decision when suddenly Brown noticed a form emerging from behind a large pile of boxes.

Brown was about to take out his gun, but a second voice was heard, "That won't be necessary, Lieutenant. I'm not here to harm you, but... to help you. We both seem to have a similar cancer... Cabriani."

The voice was definitively male and familiar. However, Brown couldn't seem to put a face to it. It wasn't until the man came out of the shadows that Brown recognized him. "You?!" was all that Brown managed to utter. It was a man from the past that he had secretly hoped not to meet again.

With his chin pressed against his chest, Rick felt awful. The two bullies had done a great job in making his misery ten times worse then it had been. Without having a chance to look into a mirror, Rick already knew that his face had a few new bruises. Also, he could tell that he had a small cut directly above his right eyebrow as fresh warm blood ran down his nose. His pounding headache wasn't about to go away. Vision of sweet revenge quickly swept through his mind.

Rick's only touches of hope for a quick rescue was the knowledge that A.J. would notice his absence and consequently notify the police. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of any other way to escape his captors as fog swam in his mind. After a few fruitless moments of trying to loosen his restraints again, Rick let out a deep sigh. Being in a foreign country, unfortunately, he didn't have Brown or the police department to help him out. Even though Barbados is a very small island, he didn't have the slightest idea where he was. Slowly shaking his head in an attempt to clear his mind of negative thoughts, he grimaced in pain. His headache was becoming intolerable and having an empty stomach didn't help matters. If only he could free his hands and put them around the neck of his captors, he could then teach them all a lesson or two on simple courtesy. Suddenly Rick was once again interrupted. As before, Paulie entered along with his two previous bodyguards. "Missed me!" Rick sarcastically stated as he wasn't in any mood to be civil.

"Don't flatter yourself, Mr. Simon," Paulie responded with a smirk. Rick simply remained silent. Trying to control his brewing rage, he bit his lower lip. Staring at Paulie, Rick breathed heavily in an attempt to slow his heart rate.

"Now, now, Mr. Simon! There's no need to loose your temper."

Rick's eyes widened as soon as the previous spoken words hit his eardrums. It wasn't Paulie who had spoken, but instead, it was the man whom was the most deserving of Rick's hatred. "You murdering bastard! You finally show your wretched face!"

The older man simply condescendingly stood in the doorway. "I have a little surprise for you," Cabriani stated ignoring Rick's outburst.

"If it doesn't include your painful and excruciating death, I don't want it."

"Don't worry, Mr. Simon or shall I call you Rick..."

"Go ahead, I'm not one for formalities. Besides, I call you a homicidal jackass anyway."

Cabriani's smile disappeared as he approached Rick. Standing almost directly in front of his captive, he spoke again, "Like I said, I have a surprise for you."

"And like I said, I don't want it!"

Ignoring Rick's response, Cabriani turned his back for a few seconds before saying, "What do you treasure the most, Rick?" Rick simply remained silent not knowing where Cabriani was leading with his line of questioning. "Rick, I asked you a question." Once again, Rick ignored him. Knowing that his reluctant prisoner wasn't about to cooperate, Cabriani shrugged before approaching the sole exit. "That's fine with me, Rick.... However, I still want to give you your surprise." Nodding to his second man, Cabriani silently left the room. It was Paulie's cue.

Without any hesitation, Paulie searched into his breast pocket. Rick's heart skipped a beat as a thought of his ultimate end flew into his mind. However, he let out a short but significant sigh of relief as Paulie took out a small high-tech walkie-talkie instead of a gun. "Now!" was the only word that Paulie spoke into his transceiver before placing it back in his breast pocket. It wasn't long after that the storage room received more visitors. Two large, muscular men entered dragging with them a third unconscious person.

Rick's jaw dropped down as soon as he saw the unconscious victim. "Oh... god! No!' he internally exclaimed but yelled instead, "You bastards!"

Ignoring Rick's comments, the new bodyguards simply dropped their unconscious victim onto the dirty floor. Suddenly one of them appeared with a chair similar to the one, which Rick sat on. After bolting it to the floor, they tied their victim to it. Without any other word, Paulie along with the four bodyguards left the room. Taking the time to control his emotions, Rick closed his eyes for a brief second. 'Maybe, I'm hallucinating.' He thought to himself. But once his eyes reopened, the hard fact hit him again like a ton of bricks. His last hope to freedom was now in the same room where he was held captive. Rick could no longer hope on the help of his brother, as A.J. remained unconscious only a few feet away.

Looking at his younger brother, even with A.J.'s chin slightly reposing on his chest, Rick couldn't see any sign of bruises or slight cuts on his face. He felt relieved to see A.J.'s face still undisturbed. "A.J.?" He softly asked, trying to wake him up, "A.J.?" However, Rick noticed no motion coming from the other chair. Seeing his kid brother's chest rise a slow yet steady rate, he let out a deep breath. Rick would simply have to wait until he woke up from whatever Cabriani's men had done to him.

"You?" Brown repeated as his eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes!"

After taking a few steps closer, Brown shook his head in confusion. He couldn't understand why the man had accosted him. "What the hell do you want? You told us that you had nothing to do with Cabriani. I'll be glad to tell Rick that he was right all along, that you're nothing but a conniving back-stabbing bastard." Brown couldn't help but show hostility, since he had previously tried to interview the man, but he had then been uncooperative. "Why now? Mister Ray Smith?" Brown angrily concluded.

"Look, I'm not here to reminisce besides we don't have time. I'm... I'm simply here to tell you that Cabriani is up to his old tricks again," Smith said as he lifted his arms in protest.

Brown was too curious to let this go. "Go on! I'm listening."

"Cabriani had the trial rigged."

Brown's jaw almost dropped to the floor before replying, "How?" Even though he had his suspicions, Brown still was under the shock of actually hearing it from another person.

"He bought members of the jury."

Brown was astonished. "How do you know this? Do you have any proof?"

Ray Smith put his hand into his pocket, which made Brown find his holster. He didn't like the way it was looking. But much to the detective's surprise, Smith simply took out from his coat's pocket a small audiocassette. "This is my proof," Smith replied as he handed the tape to the lieutenant, "It's an audio tape of Cabriani and his men plotting their escape. They make several criminal references to certain jurists. I would check their bank accounts if I were you."

"How in the hell did you get your hands on this tape? You had to be mighty dam close to the action."

"No, I wasn't," Smith replied. Seeing determination in Brown's eyes, Ray decided to elaborate since he had nothing to lose. "It's my nephew who was able to collect this evidence. He's been in Cabriani's mob for quite some time now. Unfortunately, his conscience kicked in a little too late."

"So! That's the reason why you didn't cooperate with the investigation. You didn't want to involve your nephew."

After looking at his feet for a few seconds, Ray met Brown's eyes once again, "Look, lieutenant, we don't have time to talk about motives here..." Smith let out a deep sigh before continuing, "my nephew and me have suspicions that Cabriani is after Rick and A.J. Simon."

Brown took a step back in surprise and nervously asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Cabriani found out that Rick and A.J. are in Barbados. Rumors are circulating that he's personally over there to... as they say 'deal with them'."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Brown's blood pressure was rising at an alarming rate.

"I tried to warn them a few days ago but Rick wouldn't listen to me."

"I wonder why?" Brown sarcastically replied. As he knew his friend too well, Rick wasn't going to take an unexpected visit from Ray Smith very lightly. Confusion swept through Brown's mind as he remembered his past dealings with the older man. "I don't trust you. How can I be sure that you're telling the truth? You were so stubborn and uncooperative a few months ago when we really needed you and now... now, you're acting like my best friend. I don't get it."

"Listen..." Smith was starting to plead, "I know that I've made mistakes, which I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life. But, please understand that I'm not lying. I truly believe that the Simon brothers are in trouble. Just listen to the tape!" Twirling the audiocassette in his hand, Brown contemplated on the validity of Smith's words. Sure he wanted to believe the man, but how could he blindly trust a man who had betrayed not only him but also two of his best friends. As Brown contemplated the whole situation, Smith spoke again, "If I'm correct, we don't have much time. Please, understand! I can't let it happen again."

Brown silently looked into Smith's eyes in hopes of finding any sign of lying and treachery. After a few seconds, he had his answer and consequently made his decision.

Paul Bertolluci was nervously pacing in his boss' large foyer. He didn't like the idea that the Simon brothers were in the house. 'What if the police find out?' he secretly asked himself. A little voice inside him knew that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it. After the verdict, even though Cabriani strongly felt the opposite, Paulie knew that the atmosphere within the group had aversely changed. All that Paulie could hope was that his worries were unfounded and that everything would turn out to their advantage.

Deciding that time was of the issue, Paulie took a deep breath and walked towards his boss' office. He had to let Cabriani know of his doubts and worries. Nervously but determinedly Paulie stood in front of his boss' door. It took him a few seconds before he found the courage to knock. While taking a deep breath, he heard Cabriani give him the permission to enter. Swiftly, Paulie entered and walked towards Cabriani, whom was sitting behind his desk reading some type of magazine. It was Cabriani who spoke first. "What do you want, Paulie?"

Paulie cleared his throat before answering; he needed to get it off of his chest, the quicker, the better. "Boss," he started, "why are we keeping the Simon brothers here in the house? What if the police come and find them?"

Cabriani slowly put his newspaper down and simply gazed at his second hand man. It made shivers crawled down Paulie's back. 'Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut,' Paulie told himself as he started regretting his uttered words. It wasn't until Paulie met his boss' eyes once again that Cabriani spoke. "What's the matter? Don't you trust my judgement?" He asked in a harsh and commanding voice.

"Oh! No, sir," Paulie quickly replied, "I do trust your judgement. It's just that... it's just that what good of it is to keep them here all of this time. Why don't we simply get rid of them now, like with Ruiz and Tate? The longer they're here, the greater chance of the police finding them."

"You're speculating that the police are in fact looking for them right now and I'm telling that they're not. Rick and A.J. Simon are alone in a foreign country. I can assure you that they won't be missed for quite some time."

"But, sir..."

"Not buts, Paulie," Cabriani angrily interrupted, "I had enough of your insubordination. The Simon brothers will suffer for their involvement. Their deaths have to look like accidents. We're not exactly in the states. We have to be cautious." Trying to appease the tension in the room, Cabriani felt the need to validate his orders. The last thing he needed right now was a loose thread. He needed Paulie at his side. Sparing a glance at the clock on the far wall, he quickly continued, "In less than two hours, Rick and A.J. Simon will be swimming in deep ocean off Cuckold Point."

Even though he had felt reservations concerning Cabriani's bout of revenge, Paulie couldn't undermine his boss' wishes. Nodding his head, Paulie replied, "I understand, boss." After a few seconds of silence, Paulie politely left the room. Once outside, he quickly met up to Cabriani's personal bodyguard and head of security, a man named Mitchell Dorosz.

"Mitch!" Paulie said as he quickly caught up with the man.

After turning his head in Paulie's direction, the bodyguard stopped in his tracks and replied, "What is it, Mr. Bertolluci?"

"Mr. Cabriani is planning a surprise for our guests in a couple of hours, I want you to be prepare for anything... and also, I want to ask you a personal favour."

Dorosz hesitated before answering, "Sure, what is it, sir?"

"I want you to keep an eye out for the police. Ask Joey to check local police radio frequencies, I don't want them to pay us a surprise visit. I want to know their constant whereabouts." Paulie demanded, knowing the implication of his actions. He knew that he was going behind his boss' back.

"I'll get right on it," Dorosz answered with a nod.

Rick tried once again to loosen his restraints. However, he was, just as the other times, unable to free his limbs. Cursing under his breath, he was starting to loose his patience and secretly his hope. With nobody knowing where they were held captive, hope was soon fading away. Looking at his still unconscious brother, he felt anger suddenly growing inside of him. Not only did he wish that his life wouldn't have to end this way, but he couldn't imagine the possibility of A.J. suffering the same fate. In another attempt to awaken his kid brother, Rick raised his voice only so slightly as he said, "A.J.! Please, wake up!" Seeing no movement from A.J., Rick simply repeated his demand. As before, the younger Simon didn't respond.

Letting out a deep sigh of frustration, Rick, eyes semi-closed, slowly tilted his head up. Without any access to a clock, he could only speculate on how long he had been in this hellhole. 'Maybe, it's best if A.J. does sleep through the whole thing,' Rick told himself. Just as he was about to contemplate the notion of having to suffer through an endless wait, a sudden noise coming from his left caught his attention. A.J. was starting to mumble some inaudible words as he was slowly regaining consciousness. Rick couldn't help but smile as he saw his brother's eyelids flicker. "A.J.?" Rick asked in an attempt to speed up the process.

"Wh... What?" A.J. barely whispered as he slowly shook his head in confusion.

"A.J., it's me... Rick!"

"Who?" A.J. asked still not fully awake.

"Rick! your brother remember!" Rick answered trying to sound hurt by his brother's memory laps but felt the complete opposite. He knew exactly how A.J. was feeling, having himself been the recipient of a blow to the head.

"Where are we, Rick?" A.J. responded as he forced his blue eyes open. Looking at Rick, he tried to focus on his vision, but an awful headache wasn't helping the situation.

"Hell!" Rick sarcastically answered as he spare a quick glance across the room. Seeing his brother wasn't satisfied with his answer, he added more seriously, "In a basement."

Rick could still see confusion in his brother's eyes as his brother asked, "What happened? The last thing that I remember is... is walking back to the resort."

"A.J.... Cabriani is behind all of this," Rick was surprised by A.J.'s subtle reaction. A.J. simply lowered his head and closed his eyes. He could tell that his kid brother was taking deep breaths, in an attempt to control his brewing anger. Deciding to elaborate on their situation, Rick went on, "He apparently wants to seek revenge on our involvement in his arrest." Noticing that A.J. was being purposely silent, Rick felt the need to continue, "Look, A.J., we need to find a way to get out of this dump."

"How?"

"I... I don't know." Rick reluctantly admitted. Even though he still had some hope of finding a way to escape this misery, his brain wasn't yet co-operating. Rick had a hard time concentrating on a possible loophole in Cabriani's grasp.

Silence invaded the room for a few minutes before A.J. broke it. "Rick..." A.J. waited until his brother looked into his eyes before continuing. He wanted Rick's full attention. "Rick, what does he want with us? Cabriani was acquitted. He's got his freedom back..."

Rick purposely remained quiet for a few seconds before answering his brother's pleading questions. He had instinctively thought of lighten the atmosphere by adding one of his many humorist remarks, but quickly scratched that idea. A.J. asked a perfectly logical question and he deserved that much back from him. "I'm sorry A.J., but I just don't know," Rick replied while slowly shaking his head in an attempt to show his true helplessness. Seeing the onset of utter desperation in his brother's eyes, Rick quickly added, "but there's one thing I'm sure of and that is I'm not going to go down without a fight."

Looking at his Rolex watch for the third time in the past half-hour, Paulie had butterflies in his stomach. He couldn't understand why he felt so nervous. It wasn't the first time that he was ordered to perform a hit for Cabriani. Even though he was extremely familiar with the intricate details of his job, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. It was an illogical sensation, but he felt it nonetheless.

Noticing that it was almost time for the Simons meeting with fate, Paulie headed for his boss' main level office. Just as he was about to reach the door, he once again met with Dorosz. Nodding to the younger man, Paulie quickly spoke first, "So, what did you find out?"

"The police don't suspect a thing, Mr. Bertolluci. They are too busy dealing with jaywalkers and petty thieves."

"Good! You're sure that the absence of the Simon brothers is going unnoticed."

Dorosz shifted his body before replying, "Sir, they have no family or friends here and their room has been prepaid for 10 days. They aren't missed."

Paulie simply nodded his head in understanding and approval. Without any more wasted time, Paulie knocked and after a curt apply, walked with Dorosz not far behind. Cabriani didn't waste any time and demanded their captives to be brought to the van, immediately. Both Paulie and Dorosz went without any delay to action.

"I... I can't seem... seem to be able to wash my hands of Cabriani," A.J. angrily told himself. Rick couldn't help overhearing his brothers' uttered words. To his ears, A.J. sounded self-destructive. He had heard his brother speak like that before, but that's been what seemed so long ago when he was in the hospital after his fall. Wanting to quickly ease A.J.'s worries, Rick was about to speak when his kid brother quickly interrupted him. "He's like chronic back pain. Every time I think that finally I can go back and live my life, he shows his little ugly face again. I... I can't escape!"

"A.J..."

"This nightmare is becoming a reality; he's going to finish off what he started. I know it, I can feel it! Mom was right, I should never have been a private investigator... I should have finished law school."

Rick didn't like what he was hearing. This wasn't the kid brother that he respected and loved so much. A.J. was becoming self-destructive again, and this time, Rick wasn't going to let it simmer as he had done before, secretly hoping that all would be all right with time. No! this time, he was going to put an end to it immediately. With A.J. slightly hesitant, Rick quickly added, "I don't think that would have been wise, you know you becoming a lawyer," A.J. quizzically looked back at his brother. Rick continued, "What do you call 100 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?" A.J. simply shrugged. "A good start!" Rick replied.

Rick had the response that he had wanted when A.J. held back a smile. Unfortunately, their joy was short live as the door violently opened revealing four large muscular men. With two of them remaining in the doorway, the other two quickly approached Rick. With a two against one odd, both Simon brothers' belief in a possible escape was becoming dimmer as time passed. Rick kept constant eye contact with his brother as the two large men quickly and efficiently untied him from the chair. As they dragged him out of the chair, Rick stumbled as they forced him to walk towards the door. His legs weren't co-operating as his muscles ache and jerked under his weight due to lack of recent use. 'God only knows how long I've been sitting!' Rick thought. Without his full capabilities, Rick knew very well that without outside help, escaping this godforsaken pit was going to be arduous if not impossible. But that was no way to think, they had been in similar situations before and always had found a way to get out of it. Rick could only hope that their Simon family good luck would soon strike again. As he was escorted out of the dark room, Rick glanced back to see A.J.'s worried eyes. In an attempt to appease his little brother's fear and secretly his own, Rick grinned at his brother.

Seeing Rick disappear around the corner of the door, A.J.'s reciprocal smile quickly vanished. Trying to control his brewing anger, A.J. concentrated on finding a possible weakness in the men's actions. However, he would have to wait until Rick and him were back together to execute any attempt of escape. There's was no way he was going to leave Rick here, not in a million years. They were both going to escape or neither of the two of them would; it was that simple. Within a few seconds, it was A.J.'s turn to be hauled out of the cellar. As Rick had experienced, A.J.'s lower limbs were also not very co-operative. His head was spinning as well as he felt the ugly bump in the back of his head. It was only when A.J. set foot outside that he noticed that dusk was less than an hour away. 'Very efficient!,' A.J. thought, 'no one will see anything at night.'

Paulie impatiently watched as the Simon brothers were separately escorted to the dark van parked behind him. He wanted to hurry on with business. He didn't like the idea of being vulnerable; all he could hope was that Dorosz information was correct and that local police didn't suspect a thing. Shaking his head to clear his mind, Paulie couldn't understand why he was feeling this nervous. Something just wasn't right. Paulie moved aside as a limping Rick, followed by A.J. was shoved inside the back of the van. He quickly took his place next to Dorosz, whom was seating in the driver seat. "Drive! Cabriani is going to meet us there." Paulie said once he closed the passenger's door.

"Are we off the see the wizard?" Rick sarcastically remarked as he glanced at one of the two remaining armed muscle men seated at his back. A.J. simply glared through the window, trying to memorize the scenery. If they were to escape, they needed to find the way back to the city.

"No! Mr. Simon," Paulie replied with a smirk, "you're going to meet your destiny."

The drive seemed, to both brothers, to have lasted an eternity. They had been driving through many wooden areas. The road was deserted this time of the day. By the setting sun, A.J. could tell that they were heading north. After he had studied the Barbados map that he had pick up at a local San Diego vacation tour boutique, A.J. knew that the van was heading for the less populated areas of the tiny island. 'Cabriani is no idiot; he knows exactly what he was doing,' A.J. told himself as he continued to glare through the back window. Suddenly, the van veered off the main road and ventured on a rarely used dirt road.

A.J. noticed that Rick had been purposely silent for most of the voyage. It could only mean one thing in A.J.'s eyes, which was that his older brother was also physically recuperating and secretly plotting their escape. They simply had to wait for the right time. A.J. was remorseful to the idea that he was secretly glad that Rick was with him. He didn't know if we would be this strong if he had to go through this ordeal alone. Cabriani had put him through so much pain, that A.J. didn't have any confidence in his capabilities when he was involved. Cabriani was to A.J. as kryptonite was to Superman. Every time Cabriani face was shown on television or his name mentioned in a conversation, he felt his stomach turn. His therapy had gratefully help his healing process but he still couldn't shake these illogical feelings, but he had too. His life, as well as Rick's, was in jeopardy. He needed to be strong, if not for himself, for Rick's sake. His big brother deserved that much and... so much more. A.J. was in deep thought when suddenly he noticed that the van had abruptly stopped. 'We have reached our destination,' he told himself.

"It's about time! I was starting to grow roots in here," Rick remarked as they were dragged out of the van and pushed forward. A.J. slightly grinned at his brother's remark. As always, Rick was somehow able to find some humour in their misfortunes.

"Shut up!" one of the armed bodyguards replied behind him, "Just move." He gave a hard push in Rick's back that made him almost lose his balance. The area would have been pitch dark if it weren't for the moonlight cascading from the sky. Even behind several clouds, it was possible to see without stumbling on rocks or tree branches.

"I'm moving! I'm moving!" Rick said. He needed a diversion and quickly. However, there were guards all around them. Paulie had a faster walk and was a few meters ahead of everyone; Rick deduced that he wouldn't be any trouble. With two in front and two in back, their chances of a get-away were dim, but they had to take the opportunity anyway. Their lives depended on it. Signalling to A.J., Rick slowly approached the nearest guard. If only he could take his weapon, Rick and A.J. would be at an advantage; also, the darkness was convenient, as it would make it difficult for any of Cabriani's men to find them through the maze of trees without any light. After taking a deep breath, Rick went to work. Rick stopped in his tracks to allow the guard directly behind him to approach him. As soon as the guard was about to push Rick forward again, Rick, with a swift move, hit the man directly where the neck met the shoulder. With the guard suddenly dazed, Rick quickly stole his gun and pushed the guard to the ground. It was only when he aimed the gun down at the guard that Rick noticed that A.J. had also been successful. The other two remaining guards had no time to react; they were now facing the other end of a gun as the Simon brothers smiled at their sudden change of fate. "How does it feel to be on the other side of the gun barrel, fellas?" Rick said through a malicious grin.

"You better put those guns down if you want to see another sunrise... and kicked them towards us," A.J. added to the now irritated guards. The guards inherently looked back in search of Paulie, but he was nowhere in sight. He had apparently not heard any of the commotion. Seeing no escape, the bodyguards complied with A.J.'s wishes.

Rick quickly collected the guns and walked back to stand beside his brother. With the situation now under control, Rick turned to A.J. and said, "I told you we should have gone to Tahiti."

A.J. didn't reply to his brother's remark, as he simply gave his brother an annoyed look. It wasn't time to make jokes. They still had a feat ahead of them. "We better get out of here, Rick," A.J. said instead as he started to walk backwards, keeping an eye on the guards.

"Right!"

As they were both about to flee into the woods in search of civilization, something flew past their heads. It didn't take long for Rick to recognize the noise as he quickly fell to the ground and hid behind a large tree, taking his brother with him. A.J's face lit up as he looked into his brother's blue eyes. "Who's shooting at us?" A.J. angrily whispered, "We got their guns."

As Rick was about to answer, a voice came from somewhere directly behind their position. "Rick, A.J., you have nowhere to escape!" It was Paulie who had spoken. So, he had heard the incident after all.

"Great! Now, where pinned?" Rick said more to himself than to A.J..

"Come out now before..."

"Before what? You're going to kill us anyway. You're going to have to come and get us 'cause we're not going anywhere without a fight," Rick replied as he quickly interrupted Paulie. Rick knew that their fate would be sealed if they gave up now. Their situation was better now than it had been; at least now, they had weapons to defend themselves. If they were to die, they were going to take some with them. But, Rick wasn't about to lay down and die. He was too angry.

"What should we do?" A.J. murmured to Rick as he shifted his body in hopes of locating Paulie and any other possible threats.

"They won't shoot us..."

"Rick! where were you a few seconds ago? They just tried to!"

"A.J., that was just a warning shot. They need for our deaths to look like accidents. That's why they didn't do anything at the house," Rick responded as he quickly glanced through the trees in search of a possible path. "Our best bet is to make a run for it...," Rick pointed to their far right and quickly added, "in that direction."

Recognizing the path has been the only ultimate escape route, A.J. simply nodded in response. "On the count of three... one... two... two and a half..."

As A.J. was about to finish his count, a voice coming from a megaphone interrupted him as it said, "This is the police! We have you surrounded! Lay down your guns and come out into the open."

Rick and A.J. exchanges surprised glances. "What the?..." was the only words that Rick managed to utter.

"We have an warrant for your arrest, Mr. Cabriani. We know that you're out there. There's no escape."

A.J. smiled at his brother. The wind had changed direction. They were going to make it after all. "Should we get up?"

"No, A.J., I think we should wait, at least, until Cabriani shows his ugly face."

It was dead silence for several seconds, which made both Rick's and A.J.'s skin crawl. They couldn't tell if that was a good sign. Suddenly, bullets rung over their heads in every possible direction. Not knowing what was happening, Rick and A.J. simply hugged the ground and hoped for a quick resolution. Rick deduced that Cabriani was desperate and incited the shoot out. Both Rick and A.J. heard yells of pain coming from every direction. Bullets flew inches above their heads as they found a target in the adjacent tree sending wood splinters down unto their heads. Unfortunately, in their current position, they couldn't tell who was winning and who was their ally. Their best bet was to keep out of the rampage until they were required to, at least.

After what seemed an endless barrel of ammunition flaring across the sky, silence was once again heard. As before, it was an eerie silence. However, after some time passed by, Rick could hear some movement a few meters in front of them. Sweat suddenly came running down Rick's face.

"Rick, A.J.? Are you both okay?"

Rick and A.J. simply stared at each other in disbelief. It couldn't be. They must be hallucinating. It was A.J. who answered, "Town? Is that you?"

"Of course, it's me! Where are you guys?"

"What the hell are you doing here, Town?" Rick yelled, still rested on his belly.

Both Rick and A.J. heard the sigh that came after Rick's remarks. It had definitely been their good friend to the rescue. "It's a long story... Where are you guys? You can come out now!"

A.J. gave a reluctant look, since he wasn't certain if Town was talking by his own accord. With all they knew, it could be a trap. Seeing A.J.'s obstinacy, Rick nodded his head and strongly griped his gun, validating his kid brother's emotions. As Rick was about to question Town again, a male voice was distinctively heard a few meters away. "Captain! I found two bodies," the man said.

This was what the Simon brothers had been looking for, a positive sign that Town wasn't simply bait. Both Rick and A.J. struggled to get up as they had overexerted themselves. They would need a few days in a spa to ease their respective muscle aches. It was Town who found them first. As soon as he laid eyes on them, he ran in their direction. Eyeing them, he quickly said, "You both look like hell."

"Well, thank you, Town." Rick sarcastically remarked.

Town's frown quickly turned into a smile as he said, "It good to see you both alive and reasonably well." To emphasize his true happiness, Town lovingly patted them both of their shoulder.

A.J. smiled back as he said, "It's good to see you too. I don't know if we would have made it out alive if you hadn't showed up," Looking around, A.J. quickly added, "How did you get the local police involved... and how did you find us?"

"It's a long story." Seeing that neither Simon brother were about to let the subject go, Town thought it best to add, "We're going to have plenty of time to discuss it later," Pointing to Rick's forehead cut, he continued, "You should get some medical attention first."

Knowing that it would be pointless to argue the issue any longer, both Rick and A.J. nodded their head in agreement. As they were about to leave for a police car, an older man dressed in a police uniform quickly approached them. It was a contrast to Town's clothes. Their friend was wearing jeans and a cotton sweater, which looked to be yellow under the moonlight. Brown introduced the man as being Captain John M. Weir of the Barbados Police. Nodding to Town, the man said, "Lieutenant, two of my men found your suspect."

"Yes?" Brown asked.

"There's not going to be a trial."

"What... what do you mean?"

Weir let out a sigh before replying, "He's dead."

All four men exchanged glances. Rick had a hard time hiding his joy at the situation. Smiling, he put a supportive hand on his brother's shoulder. Looking at A.J., Rick deduced that the news of Cabriani's demise must have been a tremendous weight off of his brother's back. Finally, after all of these long months, they could literally go on with their lives. But to Rick's surprise, A.J. wasn't smiling. In fact, his face was blank of any clear emotions. "Are you okay, A.J.?" Rick suddenly heard himself asking.

It took a few seconds for A.J. to even notice that Rick had addressed him as he was still caught in a daze. He could feel tears starting to form in the corner of his eyes; it took every inch of his strength to keep them under control. They were tears, neither of joy nor of sadness, but simply of relief, a tremendous sense of release and freedom. His kryptonite was gone, forever gone. With a small grateful grin, he turned his attention to his older brother. As always, Rick pampered him, trying to be the father figure that A.J. unfortunately didn't have for most of his childhood. What Rick didn't know was that he was much more than simply a father figure or a big brother... so much more. Remembering their argument they had the other night in their suite, A.J. felt somewhat embarrassed by his outburst. He knew that Rick didn't mean to cause him any more grief or pain. Giving Rick one of his best smiles, A.J. patted Rick's back and replied, "I'm okay, Rick. Everything is fine... now." Seeing Rick smile back was the response that A.J. had hoped to see from his brother. Turning his attention back to Brown and Weir, A.J. quickly changed the subject as he said, "What happened?"

It was Weir who responded. "He received a gun shot at close range to the heart. He was dead in a matter of seconds... if not instantly!"

"Too bad, I would had like to see him suffer," Rick stated as he let out a sigh.

"Any idea who did it?" Brown asked the Captain.

"It's only speculation, but I wouldn't be surprised if our informant was involved," Weir responded.

"What informant?" the Simon brothers almost asked simultaneously.

"How is he by the way?" Brown asked the Captain as he ignored the brothers. Weir simply shook his head in response. Brown closed his eyes for a brief second. 'So much waste!' he told himself. The only thing that Brown could be thankful was that the man hadn't given up his life futilely. At least, Smith's nephew had died saving the lives of so many others. Seeing unanswered questions in both Simon brothers, Brown felt the need to postpone any type of discussion until the morning. They needed some rest, just as much as he did. "It's a long story, guys," Brown answered. Seeing that Rick and A.J. were about to protest as their impatience was getting the better of them, Brown raised a hand in defence before continuing, "I'll explain it all after you two are cleaned up."

"What about Cabriani's... aides?" Rick asked as he glanced at other police officers dragging unidentified bodies across the wooded area.

"They're dead... as for the ones at his residence, they are in our custody as we speak," Weir replied with a slight smile on his face showing his true sense of victory.

"What about your men?" A.J. asked, hoping that all of them were safe. He hated to think that they had actually died in order to save him and Rick.

Weir's face complexion hardened for a brief second before answering. Undoubtedly, it hadn't been a total success. "I got three men down but I believe that they will make it."

Both Rick and A.J. smiled in response, "That's good to hear," Rick said.

After a few moments of silence, Brown understood it was a tremendous moment in time for the Simon brothers. He could only imagine their relief as this whole ordeal was finally over. Knowing how joyous he felt, Brown wanted to change the subject and to get back to the city. Brown cleared his throat before saying, "It's time we should get back to town."

Rick and A.J. didn't disagree as they simply followed Brown out of the wooded area.

A.J. peacefully awoke as the rising sun softly caressed his face. He had finally arrived back from Barbados the night before and was grateful to be in his own bed. Smiling to himself, A.J. remained in his bed for a few moments as he secretly enjoyed the peaceful and euphoric feeling of being back where he belonged, mentally and physically. It had been a full week since Cabriani's death. After their whole ordeal, both brothers had decided to stay on the tiny island for the remaining days that was left of their vacation. It was a decision that A.J. didn't regret as he had the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful natural beauties of Barbados. Even with all that occurred, A.J. had secretly enjoyed his vacation. He also knew that Rick did as well. It was a rest well deserved.

After finally deciding to get up from his warm and comfortable bed and after getting his blue housecoat off of his bedroom's chair, A.J. slowly made his way downstairs. Surprisingly, Rick was already awake and dressed in his perpetual Cowboy clothes. However, A.J. noticed that his brother was wearing a brand new straw Cowboy hat. Unfortunately, Rick hadn't been able to recuperate his old Cowboy hat from Cabriani's mansion. Nobody knew where it could have been; so Rick had remorsefully given up on its search. A.J. secretly wondered why his brother had been so attached to that old straw piece of wasted money. He could only shrug at his brother's already well-known questionable fashion sense. Seated on the den's sofa, Rick was watching what A.J. deduced was the local news. Nodding to his brother, A.J. walked past him and headed for the kitchen in search of a hot cup of coffee. A.J. enjoyed being once again wrapped up into his usual morning routine. He smiled to himself as he noticed that Rick had already made some coffee for the both of them.

"So, how did you sleep?" Taken advantage of the commercial break, it was Rick whom had spoken first as he turned to meet his brother's eyes.

"Like a baby! How about you?"

Rick grinned as he remembered the dream that he had had, "Quite nice I might add. I met a beautiful lady, her name was... was Betty... I think. Anyway, it was a dream to remember."

"What about that Angie woman that you introduced to me back in Barbados?" A.J. asked as his face grimaced into a perplexed frown.

"Ah!... Angie! I almost forgot about her...."

A.J. smiled as he saw Rick lost in his thoughts. His brother would never change. A.J. was glad to see him back to his usual self; it was a great comfort. It made his mental healing that much more easy. Changing the subject, A.J. quickly said, "When is Mom coming over to drop Marlowe off?"

It took a few seconds before Rick managed to answer as he was still blankly staring at the wall with a slight smile on his face. "Er... Hum..." Rick replied before looking at his watch, "she should be here soon. She's going to drop by before her dentist appointment at 9."

Noticing what was being discussed on the television news, Rick instinctively turned up the volume as the local news anchorman told, "... the funeral was uneventful. The police were at full alert considering the infamous background of the deceased. Luciano Cabriani was linked to many criminal activities and unlawful individuals all across the American West Coast and abroad." A.J., cup in hand, sat down on the coffee table as he curiously watched the man continue with his news brief, "The only funeral remaining of Cabriani's men whom were involved in the notorious shootout with Barbados police a week ago is that of Mitchell Alan Dorozs. Local police as well as Barbados police have proven that Dorozs had indeed been the one that fired the fatal shot. Dorozs singly-handily brought down Cabriani's operation; unfortunately, he lost his own life in the process due to this brave and selfless act. Dorozs is being publicly praised as a hero. Considering the events that have been perspiring, the family have decided to postpone his funeral for a few more days in an attempt to separate Dorozs from all of the negative publicity involving Cabriani. His funeral will take place this Friday at Waverley Memorial Cemetery... Onto other local news, a..." Rick turned off the television.

He has heard enough. Rick strongly believed that he owned his life to the Dorozs kid. If it hadn't been for his secret involvement with the S.D.P.D., Rick knew that he wouldn't have been able to enjoy this quiet moment with his brother right now. It was that simple. After hearing all about the Dorozs' secret recording tapes of Cabriani's illegal activities from Town, Rick truly believed that Dorozs, like the newscaster had mentioned, was indeed a hero. Thankfully, he had taken advantage of his closeness to Cabriani, being his personal bodyguard and all, and brought down his establishment.

"I intend of going to his funeral," A.J. stated before taking a sip of his coffee. Just like Rick, A.J. was grateful to be alive and he wanted to make sure that everyone knew exactly how much the young man had sacrificed. It could have been his and his brother's own funeral if it hadn't been for Dorozs and A.J. was determined to let the young man's parents know that precious fact.

"I'll drive you," Rick simply replied making sure that he was to be included. After a few moments of complete silence, Rick got up and entered the kitchen and said as he poured himself more hot coffee, "It's hard for me to say this but... I was wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Smith wanted to warn us about Cabriani's plans and my stubbornness got in the way," Rick responded as he stared through the blackness of his coffee.

"Rick, you couldn't have know that. He lied to us before. You told me yourself, as well as Town did, that he wasn't exactly co-operative before. Let's not forget that he was involved in my accident," A.J. said, trying to make Rick see the big picture. It was strange for A.J. to be on the other end of the pep talk. Usually, especially within these past months, A.J. had been the one to be consoled and not the other way around. Strangely, it felt good to be needed.

"I know..." Rick answered not too enthusiastically, "I know."

"We're just lucky that Town was able to join forces with local police and rescue us in time. Who knew that Dorozs was also informing Barbados Police of Cabriani's illegal activities? Just remember that Dorozs deserved all of the credit for Cabriani's downfall. Besides, without his help, we might have ended up just like Ruiz."

"You're right, A.J. I shouldn't..."

A knock on the door interrupted Rick's train of thoughts. As soon as he opened the door, he smiled and gave the visitor a hug. "Mom!" he said with a grin.

"Hi! Honey," Cecilia replied as she released from her older son's gentle grasp. As soon as she entered the house, a large brown dog passed by and approached his master.

"Marlowe!" Rick said as he kneeled down and affectionately patted his beloved dog. "Did you behave while I was gone?" he asked as he spared an amused glance at his mother. Cecilia simply smiled at Rick before approaching her younger son.

"Hi! Mom, it's so good to see you," A.J. stated as he gave his mother a loving hug. He hated to imagine how close she came to losing her two sons. It must have been terribly hard for her to hear of their misadventures in Barbados. Luckily once again, faith had spared her that grief.

Cecilia couldn't utter any more words as she glanced at Rick and A.J.. She was unable to tell both of her sons the exquisite happiness she felt seeing them back home in San Diego. They were her life and her future. Cecilia couldn't possibly be any happier. After a few moments of ackward silence, she cleared her throat and attempted to control her emotions as she said, "Hum! I have something for you both. It's..."

"You shouldn't have bought us anything," A.J. interrupted. Nodding, Rick agreed with his brother as he stood back up and gave his mother his full attention.

Smiling, Cecilia replied, "Oh! It wasn't me." Rick and A.J. simply gave each other perplexed looks. Digging inside the large bag that she had brought with her, she pulled out two small packages. Handing one each to both of her sons, she continued, "These are from Gabrielle Vanier. She was in San Diego last week."

"She was?" Rick asked his mother as he shook his package in hopes of finding what was inside. Cecilia could only grin at her older's son actions; Rick hadn't change, he was still as impatient as ever. She could still remember every Christmas. He had always been the first one to open his presents, while A.J. methodically and carefully opened each of his.

"Yes, she was hoping to have seen you two."

"That's too bad. It would have been great to see her too," A.J. replied as he gave his mother a smile, "How is she doing?"

"Good! She's back home. Brown called her about Cabriani's death. She was relieved that it was finally over. She can now finally mourn Christian in peace," Cecilia answered.

"Amen to that," Rick added as he lowered his head as memories of the kid Matheson's body laying on the coroner's stretcher infiltrated into his mind. It wasn't a sight that he wanted to get used to. He had seen enough of that type of youthful waste in his time.

"Anyway, why don't you open your gifts?" Cecilia remarked as she was herself getting impatient.

"Sure!" A.J. enthusiastically replied as he approached his living room sofa and sat down. Rick did the same as he dropped into the red chair. Rick was successful first as he opened the brown box and smiled as soon as he was able to see its contents.

"So?" Cecilia asked her son.

"I'm... I'm shocked... I can't believe this!" Rick raised his head. Complete astonishment could be seen in his blue eyes as he continued, "I'm without words!"

"That's a gift in itself," A.J. remarked as he jokingly whispered to his mother, whom was seated on the sofa's armchair.

"I've died and gone to heaven!" Rick finished as a wide smile plastered on his face.

"Great! Just make sure that you can take your boat with you!"

"A.J.!" Cecilia sternly said. She knew that A.J. was merely being playful but felt the need to intervene nonetheless. She liked the idea of them both living together. She had always known of their close relationship and she cherished it. Turning her attention back to Rick, she asked in a smoother tone, "So, what is it, Rick?" With a large grin, Rick took out two small piece of paper and handed them to his mother. Cecilia looked at them for a few seconds before saying, "These are tickets for a rodeo, Rick," she finally said with a touch of confusion in her voice. She couldn't understand his enthusiasm.

"Yeah! But not just any rodeo...it's tickets to the Calgary Stampede!"

"Ah!" Cecilia answered, finally understanding his enthusiasm.

"Supposedly..." Rick said as he unfolded a small letter that had been comprised inside with the tickets in order to summarised Gabrielle's written words, "she had bought them for two of her close friends. Unfortunately, they won't be able to make it. She wanted to give the tickets to someone who would enjoy and appreciate them... so she gave them to me. All I need to do is find money for airfare, but that can be arrange since it won't be until later this year."

"Well, good for you honey," his mother replied while giving him a warm smile.

"You'll fit right in," A.J. nonchalantly remarked as he glanced through his own package.

"Want to come with me, A.J.?" Rick honestly asked his younger brother.

A.J. slowly shook his head before verbally answering. "Thanks Rick but I don't think that I will fit in. Thanks anyway."

Rick simply shrugged and said, "Fine with me, I'll bring Patsy instead."

Both A.J. and Cecilia looked at Rick with confusion, they both had never heard of any girlfriend of Rick's named Patsy before. "Who's Patsy?" A.J. started to ask but soon changed his mind as he saw his brother's face twist into a mischievous grin, "Never mind!" In A.J.'s eyes, Rick would never change. He had women coming out of the woodwork at many occasions. It wasn't long before A.J. lost any interest.

Changing to subject, Cecilia looked at her younger son and asked, "So, what about your package? What's in it?"

Just like his brother before him, A.J. showed one of his happiest smiles. "It's a book."

Rick gladly took the book from his kid brother's hand. As soon as Rick read the title, his face contorted into a disgust grimace, "Canadian Culture and Politics! Come on, A.J.! This book would cure severe insomnia."

"Rick!" A.J. became defensive. He knew that Rick wasn't exactly the intellectual type but at least he would have hope that his brother would have respected his interests. "I have always been interested in international policies and culture, you know that! ... I know that it's not on the intellectual level as per say... Superman or the Commodore like you read," Rick simply rolled his eyes in response as A.J. harshly retrieved the book back from his brother's hands, "but at least it broadens my mind." A.J.'s smile suddenly returned as a thought materialised in his head. "Okay, okay Rick, I have to agree. I like your present much better."

"Finally! You came to your senses," the older Simon brother replied with a smirk.

"Why do you say that, A.J.?" Cecilia confusingly asked.

A.J. was purposely silent for a few seconds before answering. He wanted their full attention and successfully got it. "It's very simple, Mom. My true gift is that with Rick gone to Calgary, I'll be able to finally enjoy some free time... here...alone without any... interruptions." With that said, A.J. got up from the sofa with his book in hand and went back to his bedroom. He had a large satisfactory grin all the way.

Rick simply stared as his brother left the room. Turning his attention back to his mother, Rick said with a hint of annoyance in his voice, "I hope he becomes crossed-eyed reading that book!"

The End