As he approached the busy road he needed to cross to walk the few blocks back to where Adam was waiting for him in his car, he slipped the envelope inside his jacket and half under his armpit. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a white vehicle driving too close to the sidewalk where he needed to cross. Drawing closer he noticed it was slowing down. At first, he thought it was the tactical team since the van appeared to look the same. But when it was just a few yards away, he instantly recognized the driver. By then, it was already too late.
It took all of three short seconds for the van to pull up beside him and for two strong men to yank him into the back of the minivan.
“No, please! Let me go! Let me out, please!” he begged as he wrestled his captors.
But the men had no mercy on him and with one fell swoop of a right hook against his left eye, Lenny collapsed into the van.
While Adam sat helpless in his car listening to the horrifying ordeal play out mere blocks away, he found his soul suddenly in turmoil. It took all he had to cling on to his faith, to believe that God was still in control. He yanked his earpiece from his ear and disconnected the mic—desperate to have a private moment with God. When he knew he had broken the transmission, he recited several scriptures out loud, spoke God’s word over the situation, and prayed that His will would prevail. And as he did that his heart slowly filled with peace. Peace that it would all turn out exactly as God intended it. Because, although he could find no humanly justifiable reason why Lenny, once again, had fallen victim to a senseless situation, he knew without a doubt that another power was also at work. For he had seen this kind of spiritual warfare before when the enemy worked hard to keep a soul from yielding his life to God. The thought set him at ease. If the enemy was working that hard to keep Lenny’s soul captive, it meant Lenny’s heart was busy changing. And God was at work.
As he prepared to turn his car around to head back to the motel, an oncoming vehicle came into view in his rearview mirror. With his eyes on it, waiting for it to pass so he could turn around, he recognized the driver. That was no coincidence, he thought.
The white van wheeled past him and something stirred inside him. As if an invisible force took over the car’s wheel he suddenly found himself following the van. With his hands clasped tightly over the steering wheel, his body taut and hunched forward in his seat, he kept his sights pinned on the vehicle. Careful not to be detected, he held back just enough to stay on its tail.
“Gabriel,” he called out, forgetting he had removed his earpiece. He looked down to find it, just briefly, but when he looked up again, the van was gone.
“No, no, no!” he yelled out in annoyance. Help me find it, Lord.
He increased speed while his eyes frantically searched for the white panel van. He rounded the corner, looked back just in case he missed it, and pushed his car down the side street. For a split second, he thought he shouldn’t have taken the turn. He pulled over to the left and checked his mirrors for oncoming cars—so he could turn back. The road was too busy. So he continued on to the next junction. As he prepared to make a u-turn he spotted the van parked at the corner on the opposite side of the road. So focused was he on the van that he didn’t see the oncoming car. As the approaching car’s horn blasted him to attention, he swerved to avoid it and narrowly missed two more.
When he finally managed to safely park in a nearby parking space, his heart was beating a hundred miles an hour. With the front of his car now pointed in the direction of the van, he took a few moments to catch his breath. He peered up at the tall buildings on either side of the parked van. They had to be in one of them. His fingers fumbled to find his earpiece. When he reconnected his transmission radio he made contact with Gabriel.
“Why did you break comms, Adam? I was worried sick,” Gabriel said.
“Sorry, I just needed a private moment. More importantly, I think I might have found Lenny. I’m not positive but I think I’m right.”
“It’s our only shot so I’ll take it. We lost his comms and tracker the moment they took him. Give me your location and I’ll send a team. And, Adam, do not leave your car, understood? Just wait there for my men to arrive.”
“Copy that.”
Adam shared his location and made it clear to Gabriel to tell his tactical team to come unannounced. Any wrong moves now and both Lenny and Carrie could end up dead.
If it had been anyone else that had taken Lenny he would have been a lot more at ease. But considering how their last meeting had ended, and how they had intentionally deceived him, Wu had every reason to settle the score.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Lenny found himself in a small, deserted warehouse. When he couldn’t move he discovered that his feet were tethered to the legs of a steel chair. Similarly, his arms were pulled back around the backrest and bound by cable ties. Where they had punched him, blood had run over his left eye and dried to form a thick crust along the side of his face.
He scanned his surroundings, his swollen eye throbbing ceaselessly. From what he could make out, it appeared he was held captive in a building that resembled that of a chop shop. It wasn’t very big but it was crammed with half-built vintage cars along with several untidy heaps of car parts. Above his head, a number of chunky chains hung from the thick steel rafters. There was no one else there, apart from the two large guys who were seated at a small square table in the far opposite corner—they were playing cards, oblivious to the fact that he was now watching them.
He suddenly recalled that he had slipped the envelope inside his jacket, so he looked down to see if his jacket had been opened. It hadn’t. To be certain he gently moved his torso from side to side and heard the paper rustle against the inside of his jacket’s zipper. He shut his eyes with relief. He’d have to somehow ensure it stayed undetected. No good would come from it if Wu found the envelope. It would just exacerbate the treacherous position he now found himself in—once again.
A burst of hope flooded his mind as he suddenly recalled the earpiece and hidden microphone. With any luck, it might still be there. Luck. It hadn’t served him well lately. Perhaps Adam was right. Perhaps there was no such thing as luck.
With his hands securely tied behind his back, he opted to lower his ear onto his shoulder, making sure his movements were as unnoticeable as possible. But much to his disappointment, the earpiece was gone. He concluded that it must have fallen out during the struggle. He quickly moved on to assess if the hidden microphone was still connected. He flexed his torso and carefully moved to feel if the microphone was still stuck against his skin. But from under the weight of the armored vest, he couldn’t be certain. If there was a chance that they could hear him, he needed to take it. If not, then all that remained was the hidden camera in the button on the left lapel of his jacket. He dropped his chin to his chest and looked to see if it was still intact. It was. But there was no way to know for certain if it transmitted. All he could do was try to communicate with Gabriel and hope for the best.
When he looked up, the two men were still seated in the same position. Again he dropped his chin to his chest and whispered down the opening in his jacket.
“If you can hear me, I’m fine. I lost the earpiece. Not sure where I am but I was taken by Wu. I have two guys watching me and I’m tied—”
“Hey! Who are you talking to?” one of the watchmen suddenly yelled out at him.
Lenny didn’t answer.
“Don’t even think about trying anything. We have orders to kill you if you try to escape!”
“Then why am I here if you plan to kill me anyway, huh? What do you want from me?” Lenny replied with bravado—also hoping that the microphone was transmitting.
“Shut up! The boss will deal with you when he gets here.”
Lenny held back his words. There was no point in infuriating them. He couldn’t risk having them find the hidden devices. He’d wait it out. And try praying.
Nearly twenty minutes had passed since Gabriel first sent out the tactical t
eam. Adam had been waiting patiently in his car.
“What’s taking them so long?” he asked.
“They’re en route, Adam. A bus collided with a taxi and the traffic is backed up. They’ve taken an alternative route. Stay put.”
“Copy that.”
But Adam’s words had barely left his lips when he spotted Wu and The Midget pull into the parking spot two spaces ahead of him. He ducked down between the seats. Please don’t let them find me. His heart pounded hard against his chest before the thumping settled at his temples. If he was able to see which building they entered he’d know where to tell the team to find Lenny. He slowly raised his head just above the dashboard. Wu and his henchman had crossed the road where they now stood in front of a large steel door painted with obscene graffiti. The Midget turned around and scanned up and down the street—clearly careful not to be seen. Adam ducked again, pinched his eyes shut, and hoped he’d done it quick enough. He moved to lock his car, just in case. But when a few minutes later he thankfully remained undetected, he sat up again slowly and stared at the graffitied door.
A sudden sense of urgency welled up within him. If Wu and his giant sidekick were on site, he’d certainly make good on his promise to let Jerome finally have his way with Lenny. He couldn’t let that happen. Why else would they have taken him captive if not to teach him a lesson—or kill him.
With the tactical team still nowhere to be seen, Adam hopped out of his car and swiftly crossed the road. When he reached the steel door he placed his ear against it. There was no sound coming from inside the building.
“Gabriel, I’m going in. I can’t wait. Lenny might be dead by the time your team arrives.”
“Negative, Adam! Abort! I repeat, wait for tactical.”
But Adam had already opened the door and entered the building.
* * *
Once inside he held back just inside the door to take in the premises. To his left, there was a large industrial staircase that led to a small office space. To his right was a hoist on which roller chains operated the rusty manual garage door he’d seen from the outside. Directly in front of him, several large metal drums were stacked on top of each other which obscured his view into the building. Using the drum wall as cover he slowly popped his head around one end. Lenny sat tethered to a chair in and amongst what looked like chopped up vehicles and car parts. Lenny’s back was towards Adam and his head was dropped forward onto his chest. It looked as if he’d just taken a beating from Jerome who stood tall and belligerent in front of him.
In the distance, Adam heard male voices. They were laughing. When Jerome briefly turned his back on Lenny, Adam took his opportunity and bolted across the floor, ducking in behind one of the unfinished cars. His heart beat rapidly in his ears. Adrenaline rushed through his limbs. Needing to take a moment to steady his heartbeat, he fell back against one of the car’s wheels. Help us get out of here, please, Lord. Give me the courage to face them. In a desperate attempt to rid his tight stomach of the tension, he took a deep breath in then exhaled slowly. It didn’t help.
The men laughed again as if they were watching something hilarious. He steadied his wobbly legs. Hunched over he took a look through the car’s windows. In the far corner of the warehouse, Adam spotted Wu seated next to two more of his men. He heard the thud of Jerome’s fist hitting Lenny’s face. It made him sick to his stomach to realize that was what Wu and his men were laughing at.
In his ear, he heard a scratchy noise and ducked back down against the wheel. He pushed the earpiece deeper into his ear, then checked the small radio transmission box that was hidden beneath his shirt. For a split second, he heard Gabriel’s voice trying to break through the static but the signal dropped. There was now no way of knowing if the tactical team had arrived. As the sickening sounds of another beating echoed through the space, Adam could no longer refrain from doing something. He had to come up with a plan, and quickly. Distraction! His eyes frantically searched the space around him. About ten feet away, in front of the nose of the car, a wheel wrench shaped like a cross lay on the floor next to three old tires. If he could throw that in the opposite corner of the unit it would certainly cause the men to leave their posts—and hopefully Jerome too. But getting to it put Adam at risk of being seen. He crawled along the car and stopped in line with its front fender. As he prepared to make his move, his muscles flexed and ready to charge, he heard the entrance door open then slam shut behind him. With not many places to hide, he quietly slipped into the car and lay down behind the front seats.
Several footsteps passed by him. For a long second his heart stopped beating altogether. With his breath lodged in his lungs, he remained in hiding. Waiting. Praying. When the footsteps were a fair distance away, Adam moved for the first time. From inside the car, he peered out the window. Jerome was no longer torturing Lenny—that was a relief.
In the far corner where Wu had sat laughing with his men, Adam had an obstructed view of a few more guys who’d joined him. They were talking, their backs toward Adam. He couldn’t make out any of their conversation but the serious tone it held made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. There was something familiar about one of them. As if he’d heard the man’s voice before. He fell back behind the seats and searched the chambers of his mind.
And then it struck him, like a brick that got lobbed at him and hit him between his eyes.
The voice was that belonging to the one person none of them would have ever expected to be there. A man as deceitful as the devil himself. It was Diaz.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Relieved that The Midget’s ceaseless beatings had been interrupted, Lenny spat a glob of bloody saliva onto the floor in front of his feet. His mouth was numb and inflamed—as if he’d just returned from having all his teeth pulled at the dentist. His already swollen eye was now completely closed up. Having to now rely on the vision from his other eye proved a challenge too—it had taken a massive pounding under Jerome’s enormous fists. For a brief moment, he allowed himself a sense of satisfaction as he recalled The Midget’s face when he tried to punch him in the stomach and his fist hit Lenny’s armored vest underneath his jacket. Without it, he’d probably have been dead already. His jaw ached too. A lot. For a moment he thought it might be broken. But when he managed to move it sideways, he was once again relieved. Perhaps he deserved this beating—for all the sins he’d committed in his life. For getting his innocent sister dragged into this mess. For ignoring God. Maybe this was the price he needed to pay. But maybe, just maybe, if he asked nicely, God would not be picky and forgive him.
Barely conscious of the world around him the rumblings between Wu and his men broke through the turmoil in his mind. They were talking about a hot deal. Then Wu mentioned five million dollars. Suddenly another man spoke. He said ten million. They’re negotiating. Lenny used what little strength he had left in his body and lifted his head, skewed it sideways so he could attempt to see the man’s face with what vision remained in his good eye. But even his sideways glance didn’t help much. His vision was blurry, too blurry to see properly, but the very little Lenny did manage to make out, was enough to tell him that the other man was Diaz.
His insides felt as if he’d just swallowed a heavy stone that now wedged inside his stomach. Soon that was replaced by an anger so fierce he thought he’d lunge forward and plow into the man—chair and all. But he restrained himself. Listened. Watched as they shook hands. Two-faced traitor!
But worse than being double-crossed by Diaz was the knowledge that he most definitely didn’t need Lenny’s package anymore. And what that meant, in turn, was that Lenny had lost any hope of saving his sister.
The thought had him suddenly eject what little content he might have had in his stomach. So quickly did it catch him off guard that it landed in his lap. The involuntary purging sounds attracted unwanted attention from his nemesis and he cursed himself for letting them see how weak he was.
But his pride was soon forgotten when he watc
hed as Wu and his minions left without so much as a glance his way. And moments after, Diaz’s expensive leather shoes sounded on the floor towards him.
* * *
When Wu and his men moved past Adam where he was still in hiding inside the car, Adam once again held his breath, praying they wouldn’t find him. When the door slammed shut he popped up intending to rush to free Lenny. But as his head rose above the doorframe, he spotted Diaz on his haunches in front of Lenny.
The unexpected turn of events forced him to think quickly. Diaz was on his own. Perhaps, between Lenny and himself, they could take him down. But if Diaz was armed it could get Lenny killed before he even got close. Deciding he needed to at least try to get within better reach, he sneaked out of the car—careful not to make a noise. This time he hid at the rear. In the distance, he heard police sirens and wondered if the tactical team was finally arriving. But when it suddenly went silent, he dismissed the notion.
But he wasn’t the only one who heard the sirens. Diaz had heard them too—and it spooked him.
The bone-chilling sound of a switchblade echoed through the space and seconds later Adam watched as Diaz’s hand sliced through the zip cord around Lenny’s feet before he did the same with his hands. Once again Diaz’s actions surprised him.
“Get up!” Diaz yelled at Lenny.
Adam looked on as Lenny stumbled to his feet with the knife pointed at his chest. Diaz swung Lenny around and shoved him towards the exit. Again Adam thought of attacking Diaz from behind, but when they neared, he decided against it. Partly because he lost his nerve, but mostly because Diaz would hopefully lead him to Carrie.
Every Good Plan Page 13