Chapter 4

As the TV station went to commercial, Jordan turned to Gwen to commiserate. That's when she saw how pale Gwen had become as she clutched the back of a folding chair with trembling hands.

"Gwen!" cried Jordan as she rushed to her friend and gently held her in her arms. "Sit down. Charlie, get some water. Relax, Gwen. We both know how smart and tough Steve is. Don't give up hope. Never give up on him!"

"I've been trying to stay positive. I really have, but they've got Steve pinned down in some hell hole and they're doing their damndest to kill him! I don't know what I'll do if Steve dies," sobbed Gwen.

Charlie rushed up with a bottle of water and handed it to Gwen. Paula and Kate practically ran into the building just as Gwen made an effort to sip some water. Seeing Gwen's pallid, tear strained face, Paula's heart went out to her daughter. Paula wiped the tears from her own eyes as she pulled Gwen's head to her bosom and did her best to sooth her daughter's anguish.

"We just saw the news. This is a difficult time for you, for all of us, but we've got to remember what's important here. And that's Steve. He's alive and he's fighting. It sounds like he's giving them a hell of a fight, and that's because he has to come back to you, Gwen. We've both heard him tell how he thought of you when he dove into the river that day you two saved those kids. He thought of you when he walked into the gym to shoot it out with those horrible terrorists. When he moved to the front of the stage at graduation, it was to protect you.

"You're his purpose in life, his reason to live, and he will live. He'll come back to you, because he has to, because it's what he does, just like you told Amber the other day. This is no time for us to falter. He's never needed us more. He especially needs you. Be strong. Don't let anyone see your resolve weaken."

"Your boyfriend is freaking Steve Hammer!" exclaimed Kate. "That's enough said on that subject. We need to get ready to welcome him and Jason home. Now that this whole thing has come to a head and they caught up with him, Steve'll kill that fat, drug pushing bastard. Remember when you told Amber in a TV interview that Steve would kill that terrorist that threatened Lisa, even with his hands bound? And he did? I'm telling you here and now that Steve'll plant that fat fu ... piece of human waste six feet deep under before this is over."

"It sounds crazy, but I think you could be right," croaked Gwen as she wiped her face. "Catching Steve was the dumbest thing that cartel could have done. They just said that casualties were high. That means the damn thugs are dropping like flies down there. Steve's mad and he's kicking ass. But it may be my fault that he's pinned down.

"I've been thinking about how Hardy might have found out about Steve being on the ground in Colombia, and I realized it was probably because of me. That day it all went down, we were at the restaurant. I spoke so freely about the situation. I never even considered that it wasn't good to have the public know the truth. I'm afraid my thoughtlessness helped put Steve in this situation. I feel horrible about it," worried Gwen.

"Don't even think that!" replied Jordan with emotion. "You were concerned about the guy. We all were. If there's one thing I've learned from you and Steve; it's that the truth is always best. You have no way of knowing how Hardy found out, how it has affected Steve, or how it'll play out in the end. I do know this. Steve would never want you to feel guilty about it. You've saved his life a couple of times and he loves you dearly. You need to dig down and find the same courage you had that day you jumped into Emerson River to save him. He needs you to be strong and positive. You're the one everyone turns to in times like this. Shake this off and think about helping that guy any way you can."

"Thanks, Jordan. Thanks Kate, and especially you, Mom," responded Gwen as she wiped more tears from her face and gathered her poise. "I got a little weak there, but I'm feeling better now. Steve wouldn't want me moping around and he'd especially not want me crying. God, I love that man!"

Steve had increased his vigilance since finding the reward poster earlier in the afternoon. He kept a close eye on the road and had the girls hide anytime he detected any movement along the narrow highway. Once it was full dark, they walked along the road, leaving it only when they saw headlights approaching. They covered over fifteen miles by the time the sun began peeking over the horizon. Once again, the trio retreated to the relative safety of the jungle to rest and hide from prying eyes.

Steve no longer felt self conscious as the girls prepared to lie alongside him. He pulled off his flak jacket and stretched it out for a pillow, hard as it was. Roxie quickly pulled off the shirt Steve had given her and smoothed it out over the jacket. She had been doing that for the past two days. The first time she did it, Steve asked her what she thought she was doing.

"My face was sweating like crazy from your jacket yesterday. From now on we'll use this shirt like a pillow case. It'll be a lot more comfortable. You said that there'd be no sex, or even discussions about it, so this shouldn't be a problem. It's just a practical solution to our problem of sleeping in this heat," replied Roxie with a slight smirk.

Since that day, Steve and Roxie were both bare-chested when they lay down to sleep. He was almost in dreamland when Roxie decided to ask him a question. Steve chuckled to himself as he thought about the times that Gwen had done the same thing. He wondered if all women liked to wait for a man to fall asleep before trying to talk to him.

"I was wondering if your July 4th weekend bike ride tradition really started from an idea of Jordan's, like I read on the internet. Was that her idea, or did you think of it?" asked Roxie with genuine interest. "It sounds like something you'd do."

"I can't take any credit for that," admitted Steve as he recalled that hot July day. He had completed his first year at the Academy and was in Sparta for the long July 4th weekend. It was Saturday morning, July 3rd and he and his group of friends had planned on riding their Harleys for a few hours. They were at Marsh's Landing having breakfast before beginning their trip. Suddenly, Jordan left the table and walked over to be closer to a television set. When the story she was watching ended, she rejoined her friends.

"There are two kids lost in Grant State Park. They're just six and seven years old. The really upsetting thing is that the parents are from Pakistan. They're American citizens now but the park rangers and police are having trouble getting enough volunteers to help look for the kids. I'm not sure if it's because it's a holiday, that it's pretty far from populated areas, or if people aren't as willing to help immigrants. It's not fair for those two kids, or their parents."

"That's a big park," pointed out Charlie. "It covers thousands of acres. It would take a lot of people to search it properly. Where's this leading, Jordan?"

"I'll tell you what I'm thinking. We're about four hours from the park. I think that Grant State Park should be our destination. We can help search when we get there. We can't just ignore those kids. I'd worry about them all day, and feel really bad if something terrible happens to them."

"Well, there are ten of us. We could help cover some of the park. Billy and I will go, won't we, Billy?" asked Charlotte, more or less rhetorically.

"You know it!" answered Billy immediately. "But even if all ten of us help look, it'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"That's why I want to ask you guys this. Do you mind if I call Amber? I want to ask her to broadcast the fact that Steve Hammer, Gwen Anderson, and their posse will be riding their bikes to Grant State Park to assist any way we can, and that we'll really be pleased to have others join us. They can ride with us, or meet us there, but plan on being ready to start searching at one PM at the main park entrance," suggested Jordan.

"That's a great idea, except for one thing," stated Gwen with a grin. "I'll call Amber and give her the scoop. I'll tell her what roads we'll be riding and what time we'll be passing through different towns along the way. I'll also tell her that this is the 'Jordan Quick Ride for American Pride'. This is your idea and you're going to get the credit for it. You keep hiding your light behind Steve and me, but a lot of what we do is because of you. I want everyone to know what a caring, beautiful person you are. Let's get ready to ride!"

Gwen pulled her phone out of her purse and quickly found Amber's number. "Hey, Amber. Jordan's just had a great idea. She's asked a bunch of her friends, including Steve and me, to join her and Charlie on a motorcycle ride from Sparta to Grant State Park. There are two missing kids wandering around there and we intend to help find them.

"We'll be looking for other bikers, and non-bikers to join us on this trip. We'll have a FaceBook page called 'The Jordan Quick Ride for American Pride' set up and we'll also be Tweeting our location all along the way. Will you get this on air as soon as possible? This is Jordan's idea and she and Charlie will be up front on their bike, leading their posse. Please let everyone know. We'll be pulling out of Marsh's Landing in Sparta at seven o'clock this morning. We want every able bodied man and woman within a couple hundred miles to ride with us, or meet us at Grant State Park. We'll find those kids!" promised Gwen as she finished her conversation with Amber.

"Okay, guys. We'd better get everything we need and get ready. We're pulling out in twenty minutes. I'll have our PR staff set up the FB page and get the Twitter account going. We'll just let them know where we are and they can post and tweet it to anyone that wants to know. We should get hundreds of people for Jordan's Ride!"

"That's what I like about hanging with you guys," declared Jared as he began gathering his gear. "You're always doing something cool, and it's usually to help others. That and the fact that you introduced me to Naomi, of course!"

"I'd have to say that tugging Steve's sorry ass out of that snow bank has paid off great dividends," laughed Jason and he pulled Lisa close. "A beautiful blonde that likes to ride bikes is just one of them!"

At seven AM, Charlie pulled his bike onto the highway with Jordan sitting behind him and hanging on tightly. He was followed by Steve and Gwen behind him to his right and Billy and Charlotte behind to his left. Jason with Lisa, and Jared with Naomi were right behind them. As they approached the first intersection, Jordan waved to a half dozen guys on bikes that had obviously been waiting for them. They joined the group as it passed.

Charlie led them through several small towns before they reached the interstate. The group gained a few riders in each town. By the time they started up the ramp to get on the highway, they had thirty riders behind them. As the group approached the state capital two hours later, Jordan looked back as the front of the line came out of a long curve. Steve saw her pointing excitedly, so he studied his mirror.

He quickly did a double take. The line of bikers behind them appeared to be over a mile long! As they began passing ramps to the city, Steve saw police holding up traffic, only allowing bikers to enter. The local and state police were working to maintain safety as well as the integrity of the procession.

When Charlie pointed his Harley toward the exit ramp, Steve estimated that there were well over a thousand bikes behind them and more were joining every mile. They had almost two hours of travel left to reach Grant State Park. They would have to pass through a dozen or more small towns along the way. Steve began to wonder if there would be traffic problems ahead.

When reached the first town about ten minutes after they left the interstate, Steve had his answer. People lined the streets with flags and homemade signs. There were several that read 'Jordan Quick's Ride for American Pride!' hanging from businesses along the way. Jordan, Gwen, Lisa, Charlotte and Naomi were waving constantly as the spectators cheered their approval. Charlie had wisely dropped his speed down, and police cars had side streets blocked to give the procession time to go through the town unbroken.

It became the norm. Steve marveled at the number of American flags that were flying and being waved by the crowds along the streets they traveled. People were filming, or taking stills at every opportunity. The girls had their phones out to take pictures of the boisterous crowds lining the streets in every town they traveled through.

At one point, Charlie and Jordan were leading the group into one small town before the end of the procession had cleared the last town. Steve no longer tried to calculate how many were traveling behind them. He knew the line had to be over two miles long.

When they broke over the last hill and started the home stretch to the park, television crews were set up on higher ground by the park entrance. What they filmed was a seemingly unending line of bikers traveling two abreast as they crested the hill several miles from the park entrance.

Park officials had been made aware of the influx of people and bikes that would be pouring in to help in the search and had cordoned off a ten acre field for the bikers to park. They smoothly directed Charlie and the rest into parking in an orderly fashion. It was just one o'clock when Charlie, Steve, and friends turned their engines off.

Jordan was ecstatic with the turnout. She immediately scampered to a large truck marked with 'Lady in Red Productions' in large letters on both sides. Next to it was a semi with a flatbed and the same lettering. Men were just finishing setting up a sound system on it. Jordan spoke to the men, thanking them for their quick work.

Gwen and the other girls climbed up to join Jordan on the flatbed. "Thanks, Gwen! I never would have thought of having the sound system set up. We have some pretty capable guys working for us, don't we?"

"This was Steve's idea. When he realized that your plan was going to attract thousands, he suggested that I call Mom and have her get this system set up. It's going to be necessary in order to coordinate this search," reasoned Gwen.

Two state police officers and a park ranger approached the flatbed and ascended the steps. "You've absolutely worked wonders!" exclaimed the first officer. "This sound system will really help us set up the search effort. Would you care to get everyone's attention and then turn the microphone over to Bill? He's in charge of this rescue operation."

Jordan took the microphone and addressed the large crowd. "Thank you! Thank you! You've just proven that America cares about its people, no matter where they're from, the color of their skin, their religion, their age, their gender, or who they vote for. We're proud to be Americans!"

Jordan smiled as she waited for the crowd to stop cheering so loudly. "We're here to find those two children. We're here to help. That means that we'll follow the instructions of these officers. They've done this before and they know what they're doing. If we all do our part, we'll be back here in a few hours celebrating. Please listen carefully to Officer Bill and follow his lead.

"Lady in Red Productions is having food and drink delivered here as we speak. We'll have enough for everyone. We promise. You guys are the best of America and I'm so proud of all of you, and of my country, I can hardly stand it!"

Once again, Jordan had to wait for the yelling and cheering to abate. "Thanks. Now please listen to this officer and help find those two kids. Officer Bill."

The trooper accepted the microphone from Jordan and began explaining how the search would be conducted. Twenty minutes later, an orderly and well organized effort to find the lost children began. Steve and his friends joined in, while the girls stayed behind. They were using their phones continuously.

They were all overwhelmed by the response the public gave to Jordan's plea and decided to reward the many people that pitched in to help. Besides the thousand or more motorcycles parked in the grassy field, there were hundreds of cars and trucks filling the paved parking facilities. Motor homes filled the area allotted for them.

Shortly after the searchers disappeared into the woods in their quest for the lost kids, trucks filled with bottled water and soft drinks began arriving. They were followed by several more with all kinds of snack foods. Caterers began setting up tables as dozens of grills of all shapes and sizes were readied. Refrigerator trucks laden with various meat products parked nearby. The area bustled with activity as everyone prepared for the largest barbecue they had ever been involved with.

Amber Stahl arrived about two hours after the search had begun. She found Gwen, Jordan, and their friends preparing tables with plastic utensils, napkins, and condiments.

"We had a cameraman here when your group rolled in and it was incredible," began Amber as she hugged her friends. "It was a wonderful TV moment to show you guys leading what looked like thousands of volunteers into the park. It's all over the internet, and cable news has picked it up. They'll have some crews here shortly, I'm sure. I'm here to interview you about this for our six o'clock news."

"Jordan, you go with Amber. We'll keep working on getting everything ready for the volunteers when they come back," insisted Gwen.

Jordan went with Amber and was given a small earpiece and microphone. "Would you please tell the viewers how you came up with this idea, and what all of these trucks and vendors are here for?"

"I saw on the news this morning that two beautiful children were lost in these woods. The call for volunteers to search for the children had drawn a less than an impressive response. That was cause for some soul searching for me. Since I joined up with Gwen and Steve, my life has turned around. My career has taken off. I'm very fortunate.

"These kids needed help and I was able to offer it. Luckily, I have some amazing friends that immediately agreed to join me in an effort to help these kids. This is Independence Day weekend. America has always helped those in need, the weak, and the downtrodden. What better thing to do on this great national holiday than help fellow humans, and fellow Americans in their time of need?

"As you well know, our company, Lady in Red Productions is privately owned, but we exist to help others where and when we can. Our company is supplying food and drink for all the volunteers searching for those kids. No one will leave here hungry. This is simply a real big family gathering. The family is America and we're very proud to be part of that family!"

It was a little after three hours after the search began when suddenly an ambulance drove through the parking area and down a wood road. Everyone watching began speculating on the reason. Did it portend bad news? Everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered in small groups, guessing at the meaning of the ambulance driving into the woods.

Suddenly, the girls' phones all began ringing. "We've been told to head back to the park entrance. The kids have been found! They're scratched and scared, but they're going to be okay. You need to get the party ready to rock and roll!" laughed Steve as he gave Gwen the good news. "There's going to be a lot of tired, hungry, thirsty people showing up as fast as they can walk out of these woods."

It was pretty obvious that the girls all received similar messages from their boyfriends. "Let's get things going!" called Jordan to the various vendors. "They've found the kids. The kids are okay and the searchers are going to be hungry as heck. Let's get cooking!"

As the searchers left the forest and entered the picnic area of the park, they were delighted to find drinks, snacks, burgers, hot dogs, and sausage sandwiches ready for them. Within half an hour, the entire front area of the park was filled with people enjoying the food and drink, as well as the camaraderie.

An hour after the children were found, Jordan stepped onto the flatbed and turned on the microphone. Speakers had been placed all over the front of the park.

"Hello, heroes!" yelled Jordan as she caught everyone's attention. "You guys are the best. I'm so proud of you; I don't know how to express it. You responded when those two kids needed you. You walked and crawled through thickets, briars, weeds, ferns, swampy areas, and put up with snakes and insects, all because you care about others. I thank you for that.

"To show how much we at Lady in Red Productions appreciate all that you have done, we will keep the food and drinks coming as long as anyone wants something. To top it off, Gwen Anderson, Steve Hammer, The Rising Tide Band, and I will be performing right here, on this trailer, free of charge from eight o'clock until we're either told to stop, or we get too tired to go on. Tell your friends and family to get to the park by eight. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and you're dancing shoes. We're also arranging for a half hour fireworks display at ten that will knock your socks off. Happy birthday, America!"

Jordan paused to allow the crowd to quiet back down. "One last thing. I'd like Merle Benson to come up to the trailer right now. He's the man that actually found the kids sleeping under a blown over tree. I heard that he almost stepped on them before he saw them. That indicates to me that if we hadn't had so many people looking and working so close together, those kids might have been missed. Every last one of you was crucial in finding those kids. You should all feel great about that."

As Jordan spoke, a slim man in his forties, with a pony tail and a slight limp, clumped up on stage. He wore a Harley shirt and jeans. He was obviously embarrassed when Jordan embraced him with a hearty hug.

"This is Merle Benson! He's the man that actually discovered the two children," announced Jordan as the crowd cheered and clapped for over a minute. "That's right! He's the man of the hour! I'd like to direct everyone's attention to the truck to my right."

The back door on a large box truck with Harley decals suddenly opened. Two men pulled a ramp out of the truck and then a third man wearing Harley colors slowly drove a brand new bike off the truck.

As those nearby admired the bike, Jordan continued, "That's a brand new 1200 Custom Harley and it's now Merle's bike! He rode here today with a friend because his bike was having issues. There'll be no problems with this bike! It's yours, Merle. All expenses for tags, title, a year's insurance, as well as any tax consequences will be fully covered by Lady in Red Productions. Enjoy your sweet new ride!"

As the crowd once again erupted into loud cheers and whistles, Merle was overcome with emotion. He wiped his eyes even as he gave the crowd a huge grin. Jordan hugged him again and then led the man down the steps and over to his new Harley. Several reporters met Merle at the bike and peppered him with questions. He had somewhat regained his poise by this time and gave polite, surprisingly articulate responses to the questions. He greatly enjoyed his fifteen minutes of fame.

More people began streaming into the park. Chairs and blankets covered every opened piece of grass and dirt at that section of the park by eight o'clock. Then Jordan led the band, Charlie, Gwen, and Steve onto the makeshift stage. The instruments were waiting and the sound system checked. Everything was ready.

Gwen had suggested that Jordan do the opening number since the entire event stemmed from her idea, but Jordan would have none of it. Once again they started off with 'We Will Rock You' and 'We Are the Champions'. Now that they had a successful movie with a great sound track, the trio had a lot of popular new material to perform. They mixed their recent hits in with the songs they usually performed.

Just before the ten o'clock intermission for the fireworks, Jordan stepped front and center. She dedicated her next song to everyone that helped in the successful search for the two children. Then she performed 'Stand By Me' for the first time in front of an audience. There was a full moon overhead on a cloudless night, and it added to the magic of the moment. Her amazing vocal range and the emotion she put into the song was not lost on those listening.

As she ended the song, everyone applauded and yelled their approval. Steve, Gwen, Charlie, and the band all clapped along with the audience. Gwen had tears trickling down her cheeks as she rushed over and hugged her friend.

"I think we found your next single!" whispered Gwen as she held her friend tightly. "That was so powerful, and so right for the situation. You're amazing!"

The fireworks were set off a short time later. It was an expensive and extremely patriotic display and all of those watching simply loved it. When it came time for the music to start up again, Jordan introduced a tall middle-aged man with a grey beard and longish hair to the crowd.

"This is Larry Carson and he has a couple of announcements he'd like to share with you before we start playing again. Please give him the courtesy of your attention."

"What I've got to say won't take long," promised the tall man. "A few years ago, a few of us veterans started raising money to help other vets that were having problems finding jobs and places to live. As time went on, we finally raised enough to buy a little old motel just outside of the state capital. We fixed it up and have rooms for a dozen vets down on their luck.

"I asked Ms. Jordan Quick if she and her friends could stop on the way through on their bikes tomorrow to help at our annual July 4th fund raiser. We sell donated clothes, tools, and household items and make a few hundred dollars. I thought if they took the time to stop in, we'd have a bigger crowd and maybe make a couple hundred more," continued the man, but with some obvious emotion.

"That's when she called Steve Hammer and Gwen Anderson over and made me repeat my story. The three of them talked it over for a few minutes and here's what they came up with. Forgive me if I have trouble getting through this," croaked the man as he wiped his eyes with the back of his left hand.

"They told me that they wanted to do a benefit concert for our group tomorrow night. They made some calls and received permission to use the university's football stadium! The concert will be free to everyone, but we'll have volunteers accepting money donations, as well as drop-off bins at the entrances for donations of food and items we can sell at our future fund raisers!"

By this time, the crowd was again cheering loudly and frantically waving small American flags. Larry waited for the volume to drop before he spoke again. That also allowed him time to collect himself.

"On top of that, these incredible people, and proud citizens, have pledged, through 'The Lady in Red Productions', one million dollars to the fund!" shouted Larry as the crowd went wild. As the cheers continued, Larry hugged Jordan and then Gwen. When he came to Steve, he put his hand out, but Steve grabbed him in a manly embrace. Charlie did much the same while the rest of the band was satisfied to simply shake hands.

With tears trickling from his eyes, the big burly man climbed off the stage. "Now, can we have Merle come forward?" asked Gwen. "Does anyone see Merle? We have a song especially for him!"

There was a ripple in the crowd and soon Merle was guided to the front of the make-shift stage. "This song is for Merle, as well as bikers everywhere," yelled Gwen to the crowd as she adjusted the microphone she was wearing.

Suddenly the band began playing hard and fast as Gwen stepped to the front. Steve came up and stood next to her as he played the opening of 'Born to be Wild' as Gwen delivered the lyrics. Steve wore a tight tee shirt that accentuated his chest and arm strength while Gwen wore tight red leather pants and a low cut top. The audience loved the music, as well as the visual of seeing two of the world's sexiest people perform so passionately for their pleasure.

As the applause for the song ended, the drummer began a steady beat. He was soon joined by Charlie and Steve with their guitars. Even before Gwen began strutting around the stage and singing, the fans recognized Joan Jett's 'I Hate Myself for Loving You'. Then Gwen and the band really got into the song, with Jordan helping on the vocals. The performers were perspiring freely by the end of the number. The cheering, yelling, and applause carried on for several minutes after the song had ended.

Later that night, after finally convincing the audience that were truly finished playing for the night, the group of friends sat at a picnic table enjoying some burgers and soft drinks.

"I didn't know you guys could do that rock and roll stuff so well," commented Naomi. "I thought you were more of a western and soft pop sort of group, but some of those songs were pure rock. It showed the musical range of the band members, too. Your drummer was great, but when Charlie and Steve got warmed up with their guitars, it was unbelievable."