by Bob Cooper
“He hung up. Did we get that traced?” Sara asked.
“We’re working on it,” her team members said.
“Do you know where this warehouse is that Stryker mentioned?” Sara asked the Captain quietly.
Captain Ryan drew a deep breath and whispered back.
“No, we don’t.”
19
H illary waited for Stryker to stop gloating. In a matter of minutes, they were headed for an old abandoned warehouse in the city center. He forced Hillary into the trunk of the cruiser and sped away.
Arriving at dusk, he slowly pulled into the side street that led to the warehouse complex. Broken glass and debris littered the streets. Very few residents lived in that area anymore. There were plenty of abandoned houses and buildings in various states of decay. Most were so bad that not even the homeless wanted to occupy them.
Stryker stopped the cruiser at the gated entrance where several chains secured it. Signs warned of security guards on-site with the permission to shoot trespassers, but Stryker knew no one in their right mind would be there. Tim and Myra had used this place several times, so it was the logical choice to leave her here. Cutting the chain and pulling the gate open, he drove in.
After driving slowly through the complex with his lights off, he was satisfied no one was there. He doubled back and headed for the usual spot. Stryker paced through the garbage strewn on the floor of the building and set about the task at hand. The flickering light stick was at the end of its life and fading quickly. He tucked Hillary away in an adjacent room in darkness, except for the moonlight coming in through the broken window.
Closing her eyes, she rubbed her stomach gently, trying to make contact with the new life within her. This can’t be how my life ends, she thought. She quickly dismissed the notion of dying and stood up to look out the window. She was at least on the third floor, so jumping out didn’t seem feasible. In her back pocket, she pulled out the small scissors she’d taken from the motel. Not big enough to do any real damage, but if shoved in the right place, it could incapacitate him for a while. She kept it in her hand and waited.
***
Captain Ryan viewed the maps displayed by the AI—over twenty-two warehouses in the city district that could be potential hiding places for Stryker.
“AI, calculate the probability for the top places Stryker could be hiding,” he commanded.
The AI acknowledged by displaying the results in ascending order according to the latest crime stats, demographics, and Stryker’s psychological profile. He studied the results, trying to decide where they would look. The trace his team conducted pinpointed an area where Stryker and Hillary were initially located, but that was miles away from even the closest warehouse. Looking out the window into the waiting room, he saw what was becoming an all too familiar scene—Billy and the group pacing back and forth, waiting. This irked him to no end, but he could understand their situation. He called in his team, waiting on standby.
“Here’s the situation. We don’t know where they are. We have three warehouses that are the most probable, but not enough of us to check them out. At best, we have enough to check out two of them, and that’s if we ask for help from other teams. We’re running out of time. We need to pick the two and hope for the best.”
A lively discussion ensued based on data provided by the AI until they were in agreement as to which two warehouse complexes they would pursue.
“The Sergeant here will head up the first team and take the first location. Remember your hostage training and be careful. The rest of you will come with me to the second location,” he said.
Aidan watched as the agents piled out of the office. Captain Ryan looked at him and called the group in. Once seated, he wasted no time.
“We are targeting two complexes where we think they are. Based on the probabilities of the computer…..”
“Wait a minute. You don’t know for sure that they’re there? Suppose you’re wrong!” Billy yelled.
Acey and Raina calmed him down as Captain Ryan struggled to come up with an answer.
“Look, we got to this point with a lot of hard work, and I believe we’re doing the right thing. Now, I understand you are upset, but this is the best chance we have to get Hillary back alive. If any of you have a better plan, I would like to hear it now.”
They all looked at each other, but no one spoke.
“Alright then, let me do my job. You can stay here if you like. I’ll be in contact with you as soon as we know something. I promise I’m doing everything in my power to bring this to a successful conclusion.”
Aidan spoke first after the Captain left.
“That leaves one warehouse that isn’t being considered.”
“What can we do?” asked Billy.
“I know where the third place is located. We need to go check it out.”
“And what are we going to do if we find them?” Raina asked.
“We contact Captain Ryan,” Aidan said.
“I don’t like it, but I’m in. We have no choice,” Acey agreed reluctantly.
***
Billy’s cruiser waited for them in the garage. As they approached, Billy initiated the ignition, and it roared to life. Annie was startled at the noise and flinched.
“Wait! We can’t bring Annie along with us,” Acey said.
“I called Andrea, but she didn’t answer. I don’t know who else to ask. Besides, we have no time. We have to act now,” he replied.
Acey looked at him to make a decision. They had precious little time if they were going to help free Hillary.
“She comes with us,” he said, hoping he didn’t make the wrong decision.
They piled in the cruiser as Aidan shouted out the directions to the location and they were off. Annie sat on Aidan’s lap next to Acey. Raina took Hillary’s seat in the front with Billy. Climbing into the air lanes, the cruiser sped to the location. Circling the access road, Billy set the cruiser down several blocks away and drove to the warehouse entrance. The silence was heavy as they made their approach.
“Stay with Acey. I’ll be right back,” Aidan said to Annie, moving her off his lap.
The main gate was open. A large chain lay on the ground next to it. There were fresh tire tracks leading inside. Aidan motioned for Billy to pull up.
“Kill the lights. Someone has been through here recently.”
Billy put on the night vision screen, and they navigated through the debris-laden road until they saw the set of buildings ahead.
Studying the complex using the cruisers vision enhancer, they saw no one.
“I think we should let Captain Ryan know where we are,” Raina said.
“We need more proof they’re here before we do that. I’m going in.” Aidan said.
“No, you’re not! You can’t go in there alone! It’s way too dangerous!” Acey blurted out.
“I’ll go with him,” Billy said.
Acey took out her com link. “Call us if you see anything and please don’t do anything stupid,” Acey said with a deep, concerned look on her face.
Aidan smiled at her.
“Don’t worry. I plan to be very careful,” he said, squeezing her hand.
“I don’t like this one bit,” Raina murmured after they left the car. “Not one bit!”
***
Stryker took the explosive devices out of his pack and set them in strategic places around the room. He pictured Tim and Myra exploding into bits when they entered. This would be payback for the lack of respect and humiliation, he thought. Entering the room where Hillary was, he lit another light stick and approached her with the tape.
Hillary slowly moved to the corner watching as he reached to grab her. As his hand touched her shoulder, she lashed out with the scissors slicing the left side of Stryker’s face. He screamed in agony as the blood dripped down his neck. She made a dash for the door, but he tripped her and sent her sprawling to the floor.
“You little bitch!” he yelled, jumping with the full forc
e of his body onto her. Hillary screamed as his blow to her face, almost knocked her out.
“Did you hear that?” Billy asked.
“Yes. It came from that building over there. And there is a cruiser parked to the left of it,” Aidan said.
They saw a light flickering and ran towards it. Stryker made a short task of taping Hillary’s wrists to the drainpipe and taping her mouth shut before leaving the room to set the motion igniter. Hillary watched in horror as he left the door slightly ajar.
Aidan made it to the building ahead of Billy. They stumbled through the debris in the darkness.
“Hillary! Hillary! Can you hear me?” Billy screamed as they searched all the rooms on the first floor.
Hillary could hear him and panicked as she realized he was walking into Stryker’s trap. She struggled to free herself from the pipe, but it was no use. Her muffled cries left her totally spent and exhausted. Her mind went numb as visions of Billy’s face came to her. She relaxed as the visions clouded up, and the voices began. Closing her eyes tightly, she struggled to focus.
“Talk to him. Talk to him.”
Hillary, confused at first, realized the Guardians were communicating with her.
“Help me, please!” she cried.
“Talk to him. Tell him to beware.”
Hillary closed her eyes tightly and concentrated as hard as she could.
“Billy. I’m alright. Do not enter the room. It’s booby-trapped. Do not enter the room. Do not enter the room,” she repeated over and over.
Aidan contacted Captain Ryan and told him what was happening. The Captain and his team were some distance away but were on their way. As he put his com link away, he heard a noise behind him. He turned in time to see Stryker slithering down the stairs and out of the building. Billy saw him too.
“Go find Hillary. I’ll take care of him,” Aidan said, running after him.
Billy turned to continue his search for Hillary, but voices in his head rendered him motionless. He never experienced telepathic communication before and was stunned and confused. He struggled to move at first, not paying any attention to them, but his feet felt like lead. He panicked, but the voices only grew louder.
“Billy. I’m alright. Don’t come any closer. The room is booby-trapped.”
It was Hillary! He forced himself to relax and continued to listen.
“I hear you. I won’t enter. Where are you? Are you okay?” he tried to communicate back to her.
He waited and heard her say.
“Third floor, first room on the right. I’m okay. Do not come up here.”
“I love you. We’ll get you out. I love you.”
Aidan chased Stryker through the building, attempting to navigate by the moonlight. Once outside, he saw Stryker running to his cruiser. Getting inside of the vehicle, Stryker waited to see who was following him.
Aidan stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the window roll down and a blaster aiming at him. He heard the whine of a charging blaster and dove to the right, but the energy wave hit him in the left arm, and he fell to the ground. Aidan laid there stunned. Stryker slammed the accelerator and headed down the road. But Billy’s vehicle blocked his way out.
Acey saw him approaching and jumped into the driver’s seat. “That’s Stryker! He’s getting away,” she said training the high-intensity lights on him.
“No, Acey!” Raina shouted as Acey pulled directly in front of him.
She was not going to let him get away but forgot about the precious cargo sitting in the back seat. Annie sensed the danger and held on to Sam. Acey looked back at her. “Get down, honey, and don’t say anything—no matter what,” she told Annie.
Annie followed Acey’s commands.
“Where’s Aidan?” she asked.
Raina had her com link out in an attempt to call Captain Ryan when Stryker rammed Billy’s cruiser. The com link flew out of Raina’s hand, and Acey slammed forward into the steering wheel. She heard Annie’s stifled scream and put the cruiser in reverse when Stryker slammed them again, pushing the cruiser into a ditch off the road. Acey accelerated, and it leaped out of the ditch and struck Stryker head-on. Stryker put it in reverse, but nothing happened. The engine was dead.
“Shit!” he cursed, getting out of the vehicle.
Acey tromped on the accelerator, but the wheels spun without traction. They were stuck.
“Everybody out!” Acey shouted, opening the back door to get Annie.
“He’s coming! Hurry!” Raina screamed.
Grabbing Annie, they ran down along the ditch and back onto the road.
“Try Captain Ryan again,” Acey said to Raina.
“Can’t. My com link went flying. It’s in the cruiser.
Stryker jumped in Billy’s cruiser, rocking it back and forth, trying to free it from the mud.
Frustrated, he got out of the car and walked towards them with his blaster in his hand.
Raina grabbed Acey and Annie, and they huddled together as Stryker approached.
Looking over his shoulder towards the building, Aidan struggled to his feet.
“Billy! Did you find her?” he yelled.
Billy went to a window, broke the glass, and saw Aidan below.
“Yes. She’s alright.”
“Stay with her,” he said, heading off down the road.
“Hillary, I’m going back out to help Aidan and the others. I’ll be back. I love you,” he yelled.
“The others? Who’s here?” Hillary shouted in a very concerned voice.
Billy didn’t answer, as he made his way out of the building.
“Get down on the ground!” Stryker yelled.
Approaching them with his fully charged weapon, he had to think fast. Annie was crying and screaming for Aidan.
“Annie! Annie! I’m coming!” Aidan shouted as he ran as fast as he could with his arm dangling and dripping blood.
“Damn!” Stryker cursed when he heard Aidan’s voice.
He pointed the blaster at Acey and was about to pull the trigger when Captain Ryan’s team flew down the road with sirens blaring. All four vehicles came to a screeching stop. He quickly surmised the situation pushing open the front door and crouching down behind it. His team did the same with their weapons trained on Stryker.
“Drop the blaster now!” Captain Ryan shouted.
Stryker grabbed for Annie and pried her away from Acey. Annie screamed, hysterically for Aidan.
“Back off now, or she’s dead!”
Captain Ryan held his ground—his blaster pointing at Stryker’s head.
“Stryker, let her go,” Aidan said in a feeble voice. He fell to the ground crawling towards them. Acey could see his tattered and bloody arm being dragged through the dirt.
“Let her go,” he managed to say again before passing out.
“It’s all over, Stryker. Let her go,” Captain Ryan said.
Stryker answered with a shot that hit the cruiser door knocking the Captain on his back.
“Stay back, or I swear I’ll blow her head off,” he said, raising the blaster to Annie’s head.
Annie continued to scream, struggling to get away from him.
Billy quietly approached and watched the drama unfold as he hid behind a tree. No one saw him there.
Stryker backed towards his vehicle, holding Annie in one arm.
“I’m going to leave, and if you try to stop me, she’s dead.”
“Stand down!” Captain Ryan shouted to his team.
They reluctantly put their weapons down. Billy stepped out from behind the tree as Stryker was about to get in the cruiser.
“Hey, asshole!
Stryker, startled by him, turned and fired a wild shot. He lost his footing and Acey saw her chance. She ran as fast as she could diving towards his stomach. She knocked him over. He dropped Annie and Raina ran to get her. Billy was on top of him in a flash, wailing on his face and screaming at him. It took two of Captain Ryan’s team to pull him off.
Acey tried to comfor
t Annie. With Raina, they rushed over to Aidan, who was unconscious and bleeding badly. Captain Ryan requested medical assistance, and Private Eloy stayed with Aidan to administer first aid.
Billy told the Captain of Hillary’s situation, and he called in a bomb team.
Acey looked at Aidan’s lifeless body on the ground and sobbed, as Annie held his hand and cried.
“Please don’t die like my daddy. Please,” she whispered to him.
Acey held Annie as Raina helped lift Aidan into the medical transport. They climbed in with him. It was a very long ride to the hospital.
20
T he unadorned, white walls of the waiting room disoriented Dirk as he sat there patiently. With the exception of the narrow entry, there was no break in the monotony of the room. This is where they put him. Until the doctors checked Acey out, he was not allowed to see her. The ruckus he caused with the head nurse banished him to this room, and now he sat in limbo—waiting.
Captain Ryan had called Dirk and said that Acey was in the hospital. Dirk then called Aidan and Billy and got no response from either of them. He finally heard some of the story from hospital interns who overheard the on-duty trauma doctors talking. From them, he found out Hillary was safe and in the hospital as well.
He surmised they hatched a scheme to free Hillary—a very dangerous and stupid thing to do on their own. In a way, though, he was a little upset they didn’t include him. It wasn’t until Norma walked in that he finally sat down and relaxed.
“I heard it on the news. How is she doing?” Norma asked, sitting next to Dirk.
“I don’t know. She’s been with that doctor for over an hour, and they won’t let me see her,” he said, visibly upset.
She took his hand to calm him down and nodded reassuringly.
“Mr. Saunders?”
“Yes, that’s me,” Dirk said, standing to greet the young man with wire-rimmed glasses.
“I’m Doctor Ari Goldman,” he said, shaking Dirk’s hand.
“I completed the examination of your granddaughter, and she is fine. I’ll take you to her,” he said.