John smiled and said that he could and would help with that. "I know one of the two men that kidnapped and beat and shot me," he said. "I think that I know a way to get them to admit what they did so that you can arrest them." "Carol can call them on the cell phone again and demand that they both meet them to arrange how they will pay her for her silence." "The only thing is, I can't ask her to put her life in danger for me again," he said. "I think that I can find someone to stand in for Carol," she said Agent Waters, John and Carol discussed in detail what Carol was to say to Alben to get him and his partner to meet her. "Where should I tell them to meet me?" Carol asked. Agent Waters smiled, "There is an insurance company in a free standing building about a block from here." "Let's arrange it for 6 o'clock tonight and I will make sure that the area is clear, we don't want any innocent civilians to get hurt." Carol picked up the cell phone. Agent Waters held up her hand. "You'll have to go outside," she said. " Cell phones won't work inside the building." Carol and Agent Waters walked out of the room to make the call. In a few minutes they returned and Carol was smiling. "I think the jerk fell for it," she said. "I insisted that there was no deal unless both of them came."
By 5 o'clock a young female agent had been hooked to a wire and was sitting in a car in front of the insurance building dressed in casual clothes. Agent Waters had asked John if the FBI could use the van as a command vehicle and he agreed. About 20 minutes before 6 o'clock a car with two men in it pulled into the parking lot and stopped. The men in the car looked around and then pulled out of the lot and drove around the block. They returned to the parking lot a few minutes later. They sat in their car looking for anything suspicious. After several minutes they got out of their car and started to walk to the lone car in the parking lot. The young agent got out of her car and walked toward them. She knew that this would give the FBI Swat Team a better shot at nabbing the two men. Al Alben spoke first, "You looking for us." "Yes," she answered. "I saw you grab the man from the parking lot." "I bet the police would pay plenty to know who did it." "How do you know who the guy was?" Alben asked. "I read the papers, everybody is looking for that Fornos guy." Alben grabbed the agent by the arm. "Honey, you aren't too smart." "I'm do the same to you that we did to him only we're going to have some fun first." Alben started dragging her to his car. Agent waters yelled into the walkie-talkie, "Go we have them." The FBI Swat Team appeared from the bushes and the top of the building and from the trunk of the special; agent's car. In a matter of seconds the two men were on the ground and were hand cuffed. They were thrown into a car and were taken to the Field Office. The whole scenario had taken less than two minutes.
The two men were put into a line up and John identified them as the two that had kidnapped, beaten and shot him. John was taken back to the interrogation room where Greta and Carol waited. Agent Waters walked into the room with a smile on her face. "This case is solved I think, they are singing like birds." Agent Waters got a mischievous grin on her face and asked John to confront them. This would help convince them that it would be futile to lie or hold any information back. John agreed and was taken to the interrogation room that held Al Alben. When John walked into the room Alben went white and started to cry. Agent Waters led John into another room and he confronted the other man. The man paled and immediately started yelling that Alben made him do it and that he was afraid that Alben would kill him if he didn't. John started to reply but Agent Waters pulled him out of the room. "That was the worst guy," John said. "He was the one who shot me even though they thought I was dead." Agent Waters told him that his name was Steve Sandoz and that he was wanted for crimes in other states.
Agent Waters talked to John, Carol and Greta and said that they would move on Susan and Ted in the morning as both of them were at a large affair that was being attended by two congressmen and the Mayor. She was afraid that an innocent bystander would be hurt if they tried to arrest them at the affair. Susan and Ted had the FBI following them all night and the FBI staked out their houses after they went home. "Agent Waters, I wonder if I could make a request?" John asked. "I would like to confront my wife when you arrest her." "You'll have to do exactly as I say and not cause an argument or try to get any revenge," she said. She asked where they were staying and allowed them to go to the motel with the FBI following them. An agent was in a car in front of each motel room and an agent was at the rear of the motel. They all went to bed as soon as the got to the motel. Carol and John lay on the bed and held each other all night.
In the morning Agent Waters put the three of them in an FBI car and drove to the offices of John Fornos, Developers. They sat a half a block away and watched as Susan and Ted got out of their cars. Because there were several people close to the pair Agent Waters decided to arrest them in their offices instead of the parking lot. About a half an hour after the pair walked into the building Six FBI agents and John walked into the building. Agent Waters pulled the receptionist away from the switchboard and told an agent to make sure that she did not make or receive any call until Waters said it was OK. They rest of the agents and John got on the elevator and went up to the floor where Susan and Ted had their offices. As they walked into the waiting room outside of Susan's office an agent pulled the secretary out of her chair and pushed her toward a far wall. Agent Waters flashed her badge, "FBI, if you make any attempt to warn Susan Fornos that we are here, I'll charge you with accessory to conspiracy to commit murder." "Do you understand?" Waters asked. The terrified secretary just nodded her head. "Is Ted Ransom in there?" Waters asked. The secretary nodded again. "Is there anyone else in there?" The secretary shook her head no. Waters and two of the agents opened the door and walked into Susan's office. "FBI," Agent Waters said as she flashed her badge. Susan was getting something out of her desk drawer as they walked into the office. "Agent Waters had her gun drawn and ordered Susan to put her hands in plain sight. Susan put her hands on the top of the desk. "You are both under arrest for kidnapping, conspiracy to kidnap, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, felony assault, grand larceny and making false statements to the FBI," Agent Waters said. An agent started toward Ted Ransom to handcuff him and walked in front of Agent Waters. Susan grabbed a revolver from the open desk drawer and put it to her head. All three agents dove toward the gun that Susan had to her head. Susan pulled the trigger before they could reach her. Her blood splattered the desk and the wall behind her.
Pandemonium broke out as the FBI rushed to secure the entire office floor. John was rushed out of the office to the car where Carol and Greta waited. Ted Ransom was whisked out of the office to a waiting car and taken to the Field Office. Agent Waters immediately called her supervisor and within minutes the parking lot was filled with police and FBI vehicles. It took several minutes for Carol and Greta to get John to tell them what happened. When John finally told her what had happened she grabbed him and held him to comfort him. Carol, Greta and John were taken to the FBI office and questioned for about 12 hours. They were put into separate rooms for questioning. John lost track of how many different agents that he talked to. About 9 o'clock in the evening Agent Waters walked into the room and told John that they were free to go. She asked them to be available if any additional information was needed. "Is it alright if Carol goes back to Utah?" he asked. Agent Waters said that she could go home. John assured her that if Carol was needed that he would have her back in Denver within 12 hours. "What is going to happen to the agent who blocked you?" John asked. "I'm afraid his FBI career is over." Waters answered. "We can't allow mistakes such as that to occur." "We're going to take a beating from the press," she added. Agent Waters shook John's hand and then led him to the FBI car and an agent drove them to the motel. Greta went immediately to her room and Carol and John lay on the bed holding each other. Sleep was slow in coming for each of them and they slept until 9 o'clock in the morning.
After they had taken a shower and gotten dressed they went to a diner and sat down to a large breakfast. "It feels great not having to hid my face anymore," John said. Carol searched his face to find some clue as to how he was feeling, "Are you going to be OK." John pulled her to him and hugged her. "As long as I know that you are with me, I will be fine," he said. He kissed her gently. Carol looked down at the table; "I'm going to have to get back to the ranch soon." "Do you have any idea what your plans are?" "Carol, my only plans are to clean up this mess here and then ask you to be my wife," he said. "Is it going to be a long distance romance?" she asked seriously. John continued to hug her. "I have some ideas, let me straighten things out here." "Please don't give up on me yet," he added. Carol put her head on his shoulder. They ate breakfast in silence. Carol was afraid that she was losing him.
After they had finished eating John insisted that they drive to the office. They were greeted by most of the employees as if John had never been away. John called maintenance and had them call the Lincoln dealer and have a new set of keys made for the two SUV's. After the keys were delivered he handed one set to Carol, "This is yours." "I'm going to buy both of them from the company." "We don't need such expensive company cars." "But I have to get the van back to Utah," she said. "I'll have a towing company with a rollback take it back," he replied. Greta insisted on going back to work and was a celebrity. Carol stayed a while longer, not wanting to be away from him. "Well, I'd better be getting back to Utah," she said half-heartedly. John grabbed her and pulled her to him and kissed her hard. "I promise to clear this up as soon as I can and come to you," he said. "I'll call you every day." "God, I miss you already and your not even gone yet." Carol pulled away and got into the SUV. She kissed John again and started the car. John watched her as she pulled away. He wished that he could run after her. Carol drove for a long while with tears in her eyes.
Carol worked on the ranch feverishly and tried to keep herself busy enough so that she would be exhausted and fall asleep immediately when she went to bed. The house seemed too large now for one person and the walls seemed to echo her voice. John called several times a day and told her how much that the loved her. The evening phone calls consisted of him telling her what he was going to do to her when he got her in bed. Carol loved every minute talking to him but it wasn't as good as holding him and kissing him. She was losing her insecurity and knew in her heart that she and John would always be together. John Fedexed her a cell phone so that he would always be able to get in touch with her. One morning about 5 weeks after Carol had come back to Utah he did not call and Carol became worried. Was this the beginning of the end? By noon he still had not called and she went into the cabin to sit down. She felt dead inside and lost the desire to do any of her chores.
Carol looked out of the living room window and noticed a car turning off of the state road. As it got closer she saw that it was a Lincoln SUV. She ran out the door as John pulled in front of the cabin and got out. Carol ran into his arms and hugged him so tight that he hollered that she was hurting him. "Why didn't you call me?" she asked with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I had something that I wanted to give you in person," he said. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a box. He opened it and took the ring from the box and put it on Carol's finger. It was a huge diamond. "Will you marry me Carol?" he asked. Carol looked up to him, "I asked you once before if this was going to be a long distance romance?" John laughed and put his arm around her and led her into the cabin.
John put a bunch of papers on the table that he had been holding
under his arm. "I have finally arraigned everything so that I can run
the company from here". " I hired a new president, he's first class,
and I am now CEO." "In this age of computers there is no reason to have
to be in the office every day." "I'll want to put a runway on the ranch
so that I can commute when I have to, if that's OK with you." "I have
some computer geeks coming to set everything up and all of the company
files will be able to be accessed from the ranch." John took her hands
in his, "We'll have a great life Carol." "You'll have homes in Colorado
and Utah and a man who loves you more than life itself." "Now, you
haven't given me an answer yet." "Will you marry me?" Carol threw her
arms around his neck, "Yes I will, now let's go to bed you have 5 weeks
of loving to catch up on." She took his hand a started leading him
toward the bedroom.