by Mike Ryan
“I’m getting angry here.”
“Are you OK?”
“Just tell me!”
“OK. Well, like I was saying—”
“Without stalling!”
“Uh…” Nicole tucked her head between her shoulders as she braced for the negative reaction. “There’s a small chance that it could be Mexico.”
“No!”
“But it’s likely that it’s not.”
“No.” Bridge went over to the bed and fell face first onto it. “No.”
“It might not be.”
“What are the chances?”
“Small.”
“In exact percentages.”
“Uh… maybe fifty-fifty.”
“That’s not small!”
“It’s not a majority either.”
“Nic!”
“I can’t help it where the case goes.”
“Why’s it gotta be Mexico?!”
“Well, it might not be. We don’t know yet.”
Bridge took a deep breath, then picked himself off the bed and sat on the edge of it. “Where’s the alternative?”
“Venezuela.”
“Oh great, so we can go back to the home of uh, uh… what’s his face? The guy I had to jump out from the balcony onto the helicopter. The drug lord.”
“Well, I doubt he’d be involved again.”
“They’re probably still looking for us down there. Me, to be specific. They only got a glimpse of you from the chopper.”
“Either way, it’ll be fine.”
“Oh, so you say. We either go to Mexico again or we go back to Venezuela. Heck of a choice there, Nic.”
Nicole shrugged, seeming unconcerned about it. “It is what it is. Whining about it won’t do any good.”
“I’m not whining.”
“You’re whining.”
“I’m just… venting.”
“Oh. Sounds like whining to me.”
“You couldn’t get us a case to… Russia, or North Korea, or Iran, or some peaceful place like that? It’s gotta be Mexico or Venezuela?”
Nicole smiled. “Luke?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re still whining.”
Bridge grunted again. “I hate this job.”
“You love it.”
“I hate it.”
“You’re good at it.”
“Doesn’t mean I love it.”
“So quit.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“I’m too good at it.”
Nicole rolled her eyes and shook her head. She looked at the time again. “We should head out there. He should be here any minute.”
“Why’s it gotta be Mexico?”
“Luke, stop your crying and let’s go.”
Nicole grabbed his hand and led him out of the bedroom. As soon as they got to the main room, there was a knock on the door.
“That should be him.”
Bridge put his finger on his lips. “Shh. If you stay really quiet, he might think we’re not here.”
“Oh stop. Put your big-boy pants on and man up. If it’s Mexico, just deal with it.”
As Nicole went to the door to answer it, Bridge shook his head and whispered. “Mexico.”
4
Mr. Dermott walked into the room, looking like a man who was visibly shaken and out of answers. It wasn’t a comfortable position for him, or one that he was accustomed to. He was a very successful businessman, with his net worth in the millions. He was used to having the answers. He was rarely out of them. But this was different. With the safety of his daughter at stake, he had nowhere else to go.
Nicole greeted him with a warm smile and a handshake, then led him over to the middle of the room where Bridge had taken up a chair. Bridge still looked a little disinterested, but it could have just been the thought of going back to Mexico that was still on his mind. Once Dermott got within distance, the two men shook hands. One look at his potential client’s suit was enough to let Bridge know he was well off, not that it had any bearing on whether he accepted the job or not.
Dermott sat down, still looking uncomfortable. He squirmed in his seat as he struggled on where to begin. “You are Mr. Bridge?”
“I am.”
Dermott turned his head as Nicole came over and sat down next to her boyfriend. “I told your associate here about everything.”
“I like to hear everything for myself. Helps to clear up any misunderstandings. That way I get the whole picture from the horse’s mouth.”
Dermott nodded as he rubbed his sweaty hands together. “It’s about my daughter. Her name’s Ava. She went missing a few weeks ago.”
“Where?”
“Miami. She went down there with a couple of friends. Her friends came back without her.”
“Did you call the police?”
“I was instructed not to.”
“Ransom?”
Dermott nodded, like he was ashamed to admit it. “One hundred thousand dollars.”
“And you didn’t pay?”
“I did.” Dermott sighed and slapped both of his knees in frustration. “That’s the hard part. I did pay it. All of it. All one hundred thousand dollars of it. And it didn’t make one damn bit of difference.”
“Why didn’t you go to the police?”
“They said if I went to the police, they’d kill her. They wouldn’t even bother with a ransom. They’d just cut bait and leave. Move on to someone else. They said all they wanted was the money. Once they had it, they’d let Ava go, safe and sound.”
“Didn’t play out that way?”
“No. I gave them the money like they’d asked. In cash. Then I waited for Ava to be released. It’s now two weeks later and I’m still waiting.”
Bridge looked at Nicole, knowing he had to ask a hard question. It was one that nobody wanted to hear. “I hate to suggest what I’m about to say, but it needs to be said. In many kidnapping cases, they don’t release the prisoner. After the kidnappers get what they want, they dispose of…” Bridge didn’t finish his thought, figuring it was clear enough what he was implying.
Dermott quickly pushed back on the idea, though. “She’s alive. I got word yesterday.”
“Word?”
“An email to my private business email address. They want two hundred thousand this time.”
“How do you know it’s the same people?”
“They referenced the first payoff.”
“Why come to us?”
“Because I know now that they will not release my daughter, no matter how much money I pay them. I assume they’re going to keep stringing me along, asking me for money knowing that I’m going to pay.”
“That first one might have been a test to see if you’d go to the police or not. Now they know you didn’t. They might figure you for a good mark.”
“That’s what I figure too.”
“Why not go to the cops this time?”
“Same reason as before. They said if I go to the cops this time, they’ll send her head home in a basket. They won’t try again. I… I just can’t take that risk.”
“Employing us is still a risk.”
Dermott put his hands up. “A calculated one. I did some checking. Asked around. I got several recommendations from people who led me to you. They all said the same thing. That you were the best. If anyone could help me out of this situation, it’d be you.”
“What about the men who did this? Do you know any names?”
Dermott shook his head. “No. No real ones, anyway. I can show you all the communications I’ve had with them. Everything was signed with a code name to let me know it was the same people.”
“What code name?”
“Every email I got was from someone named Gemini.”
“Gemini?”
“Yeah.”
“What about voicemails, phone calls, in person, anything like that?”
“Never had any phone calls. Only emails. Every email would tell me what they wanted me
to do or where to go. If I deviated from that, the deal was off.”
“You still have the emails?”
“Of course. I’ve saved everything.” Dermott reached into his pocket and removed a flash drive that he handed over. “Everything’s on there.”
“OK. We’ll check it. Is she still in Miami?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“You’ll see in the last email they sent me. They wanted to make sure my passport was up to date.”
“Is it?”
“Yes. I travel frequently for business, sometimes internationally as well.”
Bridge turned his head toward his girlfriend. “Why’d you assume this was in Venezuela or Mexico?”
Dermott answered instead. “Because they specifically mentioned those two countries in their last email, as you will see.”
“Wonder why?”
“I have travelled to both countries before. Maybe because they think I’ll be familiar with the spots.”
“Could be.”
“What can you tell me about your daughter?”
“She is…” Dermott sighed. “She can be a handful.”
“How so?”
“She’s eighteen. We’re a privileged family. We have money, wealth, and no restrictions. And she knows it. I’ve done my best to raise her the best way I can, but sometimes… I feel like I haven’t done a good enough job.”
“Mom?”
“Her mother died when she was eight. Maybe it would have been better if I was home more instead of traveling, focusing on business, making money, but I guess that’s hindsight.”
“Are you saying she’s been hard to handle?”
Dermott looked away for a moment and nodded. “Yes. When she was fourteen, she was acting like she was twenty-five. Constant boyfriends, going out to parties, staying up late, hardly ever home, preferring to hang with her friends instead of with me. Obviously, school’s barely a consideration for her.”
“Has she graduated?”
“High school, yes. She has no intentions of going any further with it.”
“What about your business?”
“She’s content on living off the money that she’s given.”
“How much is that?”
“I used to give her whatever she wanted. I gave Ava her own bank card which she could use at will.”
“Used to?”
“In order to try to combat some of her behaviors and try to mold her into a more responsible person, I switched to giving her a specific amount of money every week.”
“Which is how much?”
“Two fifty.”
“So a thousand dollars a month?”
“Yes.”
“That’s quite a drop,” Nicole said. “From an unlimited amount anytime she wants it to two hundred and fifty dollars a week.”
“I just… didn’t know what else to do to try to rein her in. Talking to her was like…” Dermott didn’t finish his sentence. It felt like all he was doing was criticizing his daughter. Though she had faults, and a way of life that he didn’t like, he still loved her and would do anything to get her back. “I love her. She’s my only daughter.” He ran his hand over his mouth, hoping that he hadn’t seen the last of her.
“What exactly are you wanting us to do?” Bridge asked.
“I want you to find her.”
“And make the exchange for you? Just take her without giving money? What?”
“They will only accept the money from me. They have made that clear. There can be no one other than me handing over the money.”
“So you want us to find her before that exchange is supposed to take place?”
“That’s what I hope. I’d rather not give them the money, knowing what’s likely to happen after the last time I handed over money.”
“When’s the next drop?”
“I don’t know yet. They said I’d get another email either tonight or tomorrow giving me further instructions.”
“If it’s within the next two or three days, it’s not gonna give us much time.”
“I know that. And I’m not expecting miracles. But I guess I’m hoping for one, anyway.”
“To be clear, you want us to find where Ava is, take her away from whoever has her, and bring her back to you, before you’re able to give them money?”
“That’s my hope.”
“Are you able to pay in case we’re not able to do that? I can’t make a promise that we can.”
“Yes. The money is not an issue. If I have to pay it, then I will. I would just prefer not to give those savages any more than they’ve already gotten. Plus, if they don’t give her back after the second time, there’s no guarantee there’ll be a third attempt.”
Bridge took a deep breath before giving the next piece of advice, but he thought it was important. “We’re going to go under the assumption that Ava’s still alive, but just because they’re demanding a second ransom, it doesn’t mean that she’s still alive. They might just figure that you’ll be willing to pay it under the slightest of hopes that she is.”
Dermott looked down at the floor. He wanted to counter the assertion, but he knew he couldn’t. Realistically, he knew that was a possibility, whether he wanted to admit it or not.
“I can’t think like that. I know it’s possible, but until her body is… until there is some kind of proof to suggest otherwise, I have to go under the assumption that she’s alive. I have to.”
“We’ll do what we can,” Nicole said.
“As far as your fees are concerned, you have a blank check. Whatever you need, whatever you want, you’ve got it. As I said before, money is not an issue. I can give you as much as you need. All that matters is that I get Ava back.”
“That could be helpful,” Bridge said. “Especially in a situation like this, where time is of the essence. We can’t really afford to wait and stake people out. In order to get information quickly, we might have to resort to getting it from less than reputable sources.”
“Whatever it takes.”
“Unfortunately, with some of them, the only thing that matters is money.”
“However much it takes. I can afford it. I won’t go bankrupt anytime soon. I’m worth millions, my company is worth millions, money is not an issue. Do whatever it takes.”
“That’ll be helpful.”
“Does this mean that you’ll take the job?”
Bridge looked at his girlfriend and nodded. “We’ll take the job.”
“Thank you,” Dermott replied. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank us yet. Thank us when we get Ava back.”
“When can you get started?”
“We’re already on the clock.”
Dermott sighed with relief. He then reached into his pocket again and took out a small piece of paper that was folded. He unfolded it and handed it to Bridge. “It’s a check for fifty thousand dollars. Is that enough to get you started?”
Bridge nodded. “It’s plenty.”
“If you need more, just let me know. Like I said, however much it takes. I don’t care how much.”
“Understood. There’s one more thing. As soon as you get that email later, we’ll need to see it. The very second you get it.”
“Absolutely. What will we do after that?”
“Depending on what it says… hopefully we pounce.”
5
Nicole stuck the flash drive into the USB port of her laptop. Within a few moments, the folder containing the emails sent to Bodie Dermott appeared. There were eight of them in total. Bridge sat down next to his girlfriend and they read the emails together.
Bodie Dermott,
We have your daughter. We will return her to you safely and unharmed if you agree to give us $100,000. If you go to the police with this, or attempt to bring anyone into this other than yourself, we will send Ava’s head home in a basket. We will not try again. We will not give second chances. Her life depends on what you do from here on
out. If we hear a listening device, see a police uniform, suspect an undercover detective, we will immediately abandon everything and kill her. If you agree to these terms, reply to this email indicating you understand the conditions.
Gemini
Nicole looked at her boyfriend. “What do you think?”
“Smart,” Bridge answered. “Sounds cold, methodical, not a hint of desperation.”
“It almost sounds like they don’t really need the money. I mean, not trying a second attempt almost indicates the money’s not important.”
“They’re more worried about getting caught than they are about getting the money. Probably means they’re not hard-up for cash.”
“Could mean money’s not the main motive.”
“I agree. Might be something personal against Dermott.”
“Which one?”
“The father,” Bridge replied. “Might be more about punishing him.”
“Let’s see what the rest say.” Charlotte pulled up the next email.
I agree to all your terms. The only thing that matters is that you return my daughter unharmed. I will not bring in the police as long as you release my daughter. Just name the time and place and I will be there.
Bodie Dermott
“What’s the time stamp on that?” Bridge asked.
“Dermott replied thirty-four minutes later.”
“Hit the next one.”
Take a flight down to Miami tomorrow. Check in at the Green Palm Hotel at exactly four o’clock. Bring the money in a suitcase. Once you check into your room, put the suitcase down on the bed, then leave the room and go down to the bar. At the far right of the bar, at the last possible seat, you will leave your keycard underneath a drink that is sitting there. You will then walk out of the bar and stand outside by the front door. Someone will be watching you the entire time. If you do not follow these instructions exactly, you will not see your daughter again. Once we have confirmed the money is there in its entirety and you have pulled no tricks, we will give you further instructions. Respond with your agreement.
Gemini
“What do you make of that?” Nicole asked.
“Interesting.”
“In what way?”
Bridge read over the message again. “It’s obviously a hotel that they’re familiar with.”
“Leave the keycard under a drink. How do they know that spot will be available?”