The Grey Zone

by Easton, Don

  “Got it,” Jack replied.

  Twenty minutes later, they parked at a small shopping mall in Abbotsford. Celeste handed Jack a phone. “Okay, cowboy, time to do your thing, but hold the phone so I can listen.”

  Jack was more than a little nervous, wondering if Rose knew yet that Alicia was missing. He made a point of hiding the phone number he tapped in, which seemed to amuse Celeste.

  When Rose answered, Jack spoke quickly and harshly, hoping to prevent her from saying something that might alert Celeste.

  “You don’t know me, but my name’s Jack. This morning we kidnapped your daughter, Ally, because yesterday Mason robbed me of five hundred thousand dollars.”

  Silence followed. Celeste looked at him and raised her eyebrow.

  “Are you listening to me?” Jack yelled. “Mason actually thought he could get away with robbing me! The bastard’s been selling me cocaine for years, but yesterday, for whatever reason, him and a bunch of guys beat the shit out of me and stole five hundred thousand dollars!”

  “Is this — is this some kind of joke?” Rose replied.

  Good, she’s playing along. He was relieved, though he knew the panic in Rose’s voice was genuine. “No, it’s not a fucking joke! If you don’t believe me, try calling Ally. I guarantee she won’t answer. Then talk to Mason. Get him to tell ya what he did.”

  “Oh, dear, Ally. Is she … did you hurt her? Can I speak to her?”

  “No, you can’t fuckin’ speak to her until you pay us. You make any more demands like that and we’ll be sending you her body parts.”

  “Oh, God, no! I can’t believe this is happening. Please don’t hurt her!”

  “We haven’t hurt her … yet. That’s up to you. If you ever want to see her again you’ll round up a million bucks in hundred-dollar bills.”

  “A million dollars? Okay, yes, whatever you want. Please, don’t hurt —”

  “You go to the cops, or tell anyone other than Mason, and she’s dead. Tomorrow, when you see your bankers or financial advisers, make up a story or tell them you want a cash gift to surprise your kids with. Your daughter’s life depends on you keeping your trap shut. Got it?”

  “Oh, God, I was worried he might be involved in drugs.”

  “I said do you understand? Don’t go to the cops! And get me my million bucks!”

  “I will. I have investments and money in several banks. I can get it all by late tomorrow if I get some money from each place.”

  Celeste whispered in Jack’s ear, and he passed on the message to Rose. “I’ll phone you back at one p.m. tomorrow with further instructions. Tell Mason not to bother trying to call me. I don’t even have my phone with me.”

  “Yes, okay. I’ll get the money,” Rose replied.

  “What’s your first name?” Jack asked. “Is it Rose? I think that’s what Mason said it was.”

  “Yes, it’s Rose.”

  “Tomorrow! One p.m.!” Jack yelled, then ended the call.

  “You did good,” Celeste said, her face still so close that he could feel her breath.

  “I think it went okay,” he replied. He held the phone so Celeste couldn’t see the screen as he retrieved the call history and deleted Rose’s number before handing it back.

  Celeste smiled, then gave him a squeeze on the inner thigh before moving away. “Sounds like I really will have reason to celebrate my birthday tomorrow.”

  “Hopefully it’ll be a party we’ll never forget,” Jack replied.

  * * *

  Rose had barely entered the triple one office when Jack had called. After he’d disconnected, she sat down, stunned, then looked up at the sombre faces of Laura, Mason, and Connie. “You heard?”

  “We heard you. Is she okay?” Laura asked.

  “It sounds like she is for now,” Rose replied. “They’re demanding a million, and Jack said he’ll call me tomorrow at one p.m.”

  “Is he with Alicia?” Connie asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “But he’s seen her?” Mason queried. “Was he there when they grabbed her?”

  “I don’t know. He said she was okay, so I’m sure he’s seen her.”

  “Will we arrest them when they pick up the money?” Laura asked.

  Rose grimaced. “The location of the money drop won’t be under our control. If something goes wrong, like it did with the Chung kidnapping, they might kill Alicia. Jack, too, if he’s there and tries to stop them. Same thing if we grab Derek and try to get him to talk.”

  “We could try tracking Derek through his phone, but I bet it’s turned off,” Laura said.

  “I’m sure it is,” Rose replied. “Jack told me he didn’t have his phone with him.”

  “So they don’t trust him,” Mason noted.

  “Evidently not.”

  “Safer to pay them, then wait until she’s released and the two of them are safe before making any arrests,” Connie stated. “Jack’s bound to know where they live or something that’ll lead us to them.”

  “There’s something else to consider,” Laura said. “What’s to stop them from murdering Jack and Alicia once they have the money? In their minds, the police would go after Jack and maybe presume he skipped the country.”

  “Especially if neither of their bodies is found,” Mason noted gravely.

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  Jack followed Celeste and Skye down the hall, carrying a kitchen chair.

  “Set the chair down beside the trunk,” Celeste said. “We can drag her back to your room after.”

  As soon as Celeste unlocked the padlock, Jack opened the lid and pulled Alicia upright so she was on her knees.

  “You don’t know me,” he said, “but your brother, Mason, ripped me off for half a million bucks yesterday. We’ve grabbed you to hang on to until I get my money back.”

  Alicia made an unintelligible sound that was muffled by the duct tape over her mouth.

  “I called your mother, Rose. She hopes to have my money by tomorrow afternoon. Behave yourself and you won’t get hurt. The sooner we get our money, the sooner we’ll let you go.”

  Alicia didn’t respond.

  “You’re going to be tied to a chair,” Jack said as he lifted her out of the trunk. “Before that, do you need to use the washroom? A woman will need to go with you. Do you need to go?” he repeated.

  Alicia shook her head.

  Skye cut the zip ties binding Alicia’s ankles together with scissors he’d taken from the kitchen, then he retied each ankle to one of the front legs of the chair with more zip ties. Another zip tie was used to fasten her already bound wrists behind her to one of the chrome pipes extending down the back of the chair.

  They then dragged her in the chair to Jack’s room, shut the door, and returned to the kitchen, where Derek, Peter, and Horace waited.

  “Okay, it’s time for lunch,” Celeste announced. “Skye and I’ll make some sandwiches. Corned beef okay?”

  Lunch? I feel like throwing up. “Sure,” Jack replied as he approached the counter. “Can I help? Slice the meat or something?”

  “Uh-uh,” Celeste replied. “Go sit down. I prefer that you keep away from sharp objects while you’re here.”

  Jack rolled his eyes. “Think I’d grab a knife and attack all you guys, then collect the ransom myself?”

  “The thought has crossed my mind.”

  “I’m sure you guys are all packing pieces, and believe me, I’m not dumb enough to bring a knife to a gunfight.”

  “Glad to hear it, but Skye and I can make the sandwiches. We don’t need any help.”

  “Then I’ll bring a glass of water to our guest.”

  “Okay, you can do that. I’ll get you a plastic cup. Put the tape back on her mouth when you’re done.”

  Jack entered the bedroom, bypassing Alicia, and looked out a sliding glass window. All he saw were fields of stubby grass from which hay had likely been cut the month before. A look at the window itself revealed that a large nail had been hammered into the wi
ndow track to prevent it from being opened.

  The computer was turned off, and there was no doubt in his mind that it was password encrypted. He whispered in Alicia’s ear. “It’s me. I’m alone and I brought you some water. I can take the tape off your mouth, but not your eyes. I think it’s safe for us to communicate, but keep it to a whisper. They hadn’t planned on you being in this room with me, so I don’t think it’s bugged. If I hear or see someone coming, I’ll dig my fingers into your knee. In future, always wait for me to whisper the okay before saying anything.”

  Alicia nodded, and Jack peeled the tape from her mouth.

  “Where am I?” she whispered.

  “In a mobile home on an acreage halfway between Abbotsford and Chilliwack. Five bad guys involved: one woman and four men. Derek and Peter are two of them. The woman, Celeste, owns the trailer and is the leader. Her partner is named Skye, then there’s another guy by the name of Horace. Celeste is a pilot and has a plane stored in a hangar beside the trailer.”

  “A plane? Is that how I was burned over Tommy Chung? Maybe the other night, too, when I met Mason in —”

  “Probably.” Jack paused. “It’s pretty barren outside. Not much for cover if we escaped and tried to run. They also have a pit bull living under the trailer that’s off leash at night.”

  “So we’re stuck until Rose gives them the money?”

  “Maybe. Rose gave a believable enough story, saying she could come up with the money by tomorrow. In the meantime, this bedroom is the one I was told to use. I talked them into letting you stay with me, but you’ll have to go back in the trunk each time we leave to make a call.”

  “I’m sorry I let them take me,” Alicia said tearfully. “This is all my fault.”

  “I don’t see it that way. You let them take you to get proof that they’re the kidnappers. Once we’re free, I’m recommending you for commendation.”

  A flicker of a smile crossed Alicia’s face.

  Maintain your humour, kid, you’ll need it.

  “Two guys with guns and masks grabbed me when I went out to the car,” Alicia explained. “A third drove up in a black van at the same time. I got the plate number.”

  “You’re incredible,” Jack said, hoping to boost her confidence. “Most people would be too busy crapping their pants to think of the plate, let alone remember it.”

  “Maybe you’ll get a chance to grab one of their guns? That might be safer than the ransom drop, especially if they’re using a plane for countersurveillance.”

  “Since I’ve been with them, I haven’t seen anyone with a gun. Don’t know if they’re simply well hidden under their shirts or in ankle holsters, or if they’ve got them stashed. As far as ransom goes, I’m confident that Rose and Laura will handle it properly. My guess is they’ll pay the money and wait until we’re free before making arrests.” Or they’ll arrest Derek if we’re murdered, but there’s no need for you be thinking of that.

  “What’s to stop them from murdering us and keeping all the money for themselves? In theory, the police don’t even know about them.”

  I guess she did think of that. “That’s a possibility, but I haven’t had any vibes to that effect.”

  “Vibes?” Alicia sounded dubious.

  “I’ve been doing this for a long time. Lots of people have tried to kill me, and I’ve been around people before they murdered others. Generally, there are subtle signs, such as detachment.”

  “Lack of eye contact or something?”

  “Yes, although sometimes it’s the opposite. Touching someone more than usual with the idea of portraying friendship while reassuring themselves that the intended victim doesn’t suspect anything.”

  “And if you do sense something, what then?”

  “Then we’ll have to take different steps.”

  “Like what? Grab a knife and stab one of them to get a gun?”

  “Unless they’d already tried to kill me, I’d probably be charged with murder if I did that. It’d be hard for me to say that I killed someone because I thought they might kill me. I’d need proof.”

  “What proof? A bullet in your head, like Leo?” she added sarcastically.

  Jack couldn’t tell if she was angry or scared. Probably both. “We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it, but at the moment I think there’s less risk in chancing it that we’ll both be freed once they get the ransom. Besides, with my luck, if I did stab someone, they wouldn’t have a gun.”

  Alicia paused. “Doesn’t look like we have a choice at the moment.”

  “Here, have a sip of water,” Jack said, holding the cup to her lips. “Let’s hope by tomorrow night I’ll be offering you an olive soup.”

  Alicia drank the water down, then Jack put the tape back over her mouth and returned to the kitchen. He sat with Derek at the table as Celeste and Skye brought them sandwiches and water. Peter and Horace both ate their sandwiches in the living room while playing a video game and drinking cola.

  Following lunch, Celeste addressed Derek. “Take Jack and those two” — she nodded toward the living room — “out to the hangar and play arcade games or something. I need to talk to Skye, then I’m going to lie down. I feel a migraine coming on, and I could use some quiet.”

  Perfect. A chance to look around.

  Jack followed Derek into the hangar through a side door. Closest to him and on his left was a red Corvette. Nosed in beside it was a Cessna 172.

  “Nice car,” Jack commented. Another plate to memorize.

  “It’s Celeste’s,” Derek stated. “Skye had one, too, but sold it about a week ago. Don’t know what he plans on getting now.”

  “And the plane?” Jack asked. Okay, two plates and the call letters for a plane.

  “The Cessna belongs to Celeste, too.”

  On Jack’s right, along the end wall was a row of six arcade games, with a fridge planted in the middle. Past the fridge was a workbench upon which sat two drones. He decided to amble over for a look. Disposable cellphones, facial recognition software, an airplane, drones …

  “Perfect for countersurveillance,” Derek said, gesturing at one of the drones. “I’ve got another one in my van.”

  “Nobody could make a move without you knowing about it,” Jack noted, hoping the sick feeling he had didn’t show on his face.

  “You got that right. There are some zones that Celeste can’t fly into, but we still manage to cover everything.”

  “Impressive. You guys really are professionals.” He wandered over to the far side of the plane. “I’d love to own one of these. Of course, I’d need to learn how to fly first,” he added.

  Derek chuckled. “Yeah, that might be a good idea.”

  Jack opened the door to the cockpit and looked in.

  “Four-seater, high wing,” Derek said. “Can fly slow and land or take off on a dime. Ideal for what we use it for.”

  “Yeah, perfect.” Too perfect.

  They finally had the answer to how Alicia had gotten burned during the Chung kidnapping. The bad guys had been using a plane and drones to monitor the areas. Seeing the same car show up at different locations would have been a dead giveaway.

  “Hey, anyone want a beer?” Peter asked, opening the fridge and taking out a Pilsner.

  “Yeah, me,” Horace replied. Jack and Derek both declined.

  “Looks like Peter and Horace have already latched on to their favourites,” Derek said, looking toward the arcade games. “Do you play?”

  “Not really.”

  Derek smiled. “Me neither. But it’ll help pass the time.”

  Jack pretended to enjoy a driving game as he contemplated what to do. Will Rose let the money go without trying to do any surveillance? Will she even get permission to let it go? Tommy Chung might’ve been lucky compared to what they’d do to Alicia … and me.

  He eyed the backs of the three men as they played the arcade games. Peter’s and Horace’s shirts were hanging out, but he didn’t see any telltale bulges. Are their guns locked
in the van? Or in the master bedroom? Derek looks to be unarmed. Then again, all of their pants are baggy enough that they could be wearing ankle holsters.

  From where he was, he scanned the workbench for potential weapons. A few screwdrivers and a hammer hung from hooks on a piece of plywood behind the bench. Great, some sick bastard made an outline on the plywood behind each tool so you can see if anything’s missing. And I thought I was Type A. Probably not a good idea to bring a screwdriver to a gunfight, either.

  Also on the workbench was a box of motor oil, a jug of antifreeze, and windshield cleaner — but it was something underneath the workbench that caught his attention.

  There are hooks on the wall holding a jacket and ball cap, and yet a set of coveralls is spread out over something underneath the bench. Something that someone decided I shouldn’t see?

  “Hey, Jack,” Peter whispered.

  Jack turned and saw Peter pointing a pistol at him. He felt his body tense, then realized the pistol was attached with a cord to the arcade game.

  “Kapow!” Peter said. He gave an evil grin, then returned to playing his game.

  That makes me feel so much better.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

  Alicia heard someone enter the room and hoped it was Jack.

  “Hey, I bet you’re lonely,” Celeste said. “How about we have a little fun to pass the time?”

  “What fantasy are you thinking?” a man asked.

  Fantasy?

  Celeste sounded cheery. “It’s always me being the dominator. How about you dominate for a change?”

  “She is pretty,” he replied. It had to be Skye.

  Oh, God. No.

  “I know,” Celeste said. “She does it for me, too. Drag her back to our room and let’s have some fun.”

  Whatever you’re planning, please don’t. Jack, where are you?

  Alicia felt her chair being tipped backward as she was dragged into the next room.