A Pawn for Malice

by Cynthia Roberts

  “That’s good news.”

  “Did you ping her phone.” Bryan asked.

  Ayden nodded his reply.

  “We lost her signal an hour after she texted you last. Could be because she’s out of range, or her battery was low.”

  “I’m waiting to hear back from security. I talked to them just before you picked me up. It’s mandatory now, that all the members have a Follow Me app downloaded onto their phones, in case of situations like this. I had the app added to Jessica’s phone, after Corbat’s attempt the first time. It has a stealth mode on it too, that hides the app icon on the screen.”

  Bryan’s cell phone rang again. The caller ID indicated unknown, but he pressed the button just in case it was Corbat.

  “Bryan Gallagher here.”

  “Smart thing you listened,” Corbat said on the other end of the line. “You better keep the fucking cops off my trail too, or she’s dead. You got it?”

  Bryan depressed the speaker button right away as he signaled Ayden it was Corbat on the other end of the line.

  “I want to speak with her?”

  “No. Ain’t with her. Besides, I’ve come up with a better plan. I did a little checking on your girlfriend, Senator. She’s a rich one, and, a m-i-g-h-t-y, rich one, at that. You want her back safe and alive, then, scramble up …oh … let’s say … two million in one-hundred-dollar bills by tomorrow night, and she’s all yours.”

  “It won’t be a problem, but I’m not making any calls to get the ball rolling, until I talk to her first!”

  There was a moment of silent contemplation. Bryan knew getting the cash wouldn’t be a problem. Florence probably had that amount sitting in a locked safe at home, or a safety box at her primary bank. He had to make sure, that Jessica was unharmed. He needed to let her know, that he was coming for her.

  Corbat’s tone was curt, but at least, he complied.

  “Alright. Not until tonight, when I go check on her. I’ll call you at eleven.”

  “I expected that,” Bryan remarked, after the line was disconnected.

  “Yah, me too. At least it gives us another twenty-four hours to find her first.”

  ---

  It took them nearly forty minutes to drive up to the popular tourist attraction known as Howe Caverns. It was a pretty impressive spot with its gigantic white letters spelled out on the front lawn. They saw the lettering first, before the huge building came into view.

  “I’ve heard about this place, but never been here. How about you?”

  “Came with my seventh-grade class. It’s really awesome inside with its underground caves and lake.”

  A chill ran up and down Bryan’s spine. All he could think of was Jessica, tied up like an animal in a dark, dank cave all alone. This was the perfect place to keep her too, and why wouldn’t he. Corbat worked here for years. He probably knew every inch of the caves and where to hide her. Management wouldn’t be the wiser. Bryan knew she wouldn’t be in the most likely places though, particularly not where the tours were conducted.

  He had her in an area that either, hadn’t been discovered yet, or decided on not making accessible to the public for monetary reasons. They had less than twenty-four hours to find her, and he prayed, they found the right place.

  As they began to walk towards the main building, Bryan’s phone rang again and he recognized the main number for the Capitol Police.

  “Bryan here.”

  “Senator it’s Sgt. Taft.”

  “Mac, been waiting on your call. Tell me you’ve got something.”

  “You’re there already.”

  “What? She’s here at Howe Caverns.”

  “I knew you wouldn’t sit idle. The cop in you wouldn’t allow it. Both of your signals are coming from there right now. You want back up? I can call the greys in. They’ve got a sub-station right there in Schoharie.”

  “No. No, Mac. I don’t want to scare him off. We’ve got to move slow on this one. Thanks, a million. If her signal changes, even minutely, text me. Once we go in, we’ll go silent.”

  “My eyes are glued to the screen, until you bring her home, Senator. If you change your mind about backup, call me.”

  “Will do.”

  He directed his attention to Ayden.

  “You heard?”

  Ayden nodded, smiling and asked. “You wanna do the questioning? This guy may recognize you.”

  Bryan shook his head no and responded. “At this point I don’t care. I’m along for the ride. You take the lead on this one.”

  The moment they entered, it was plainly clear the place might have been closed for reconstruction. Scaffolds were off to the right and the front lobby desk and furniture was covered with paint drop cloths.

  “Can any one of you point me to the office?” Ayden called out to the workers, who turned when they entered the building.

  The painter closest to them acknowledged first, pointing off to the left.

  “Take that corridor to the left. First office on your right.”

  Bryan and Ayden both nodded their thanks and went in the direction given.

  The front office was empty, but they noticed a balding, rotund male in the office in the rear and headed that way.

  “We’re closed,” he barked out, noticing their approach.

  Ayden unsnapped his badge and made it visible.

  “Det. Ayden Tyler, Albany P.D. I’ve got a few questions, if you don’t mind. You the owner?”

  The owner huffed his disgust as he picked up a burning stogy from the ash tray on his desk and took a puff. He scrutinized them both, turned his back to them, and plopped down into his chair behind the desk.

  “It’s about fucking Corbat, isn’t it?”

  “When did you last see him?” Ayden pursued.

  “Two days ago, when I let him go. I had to, because of that waste of a brother of his. Couldn’t have him around anymore. If the press got hold he worked here, it would’ve been bad for business. You understand.”

  “Quite frankly, no I don’t. He’s not responsible for what his brother did.” Ayden reprimanded.

  “Fuck you. I can fire whoever I want.”

  Ayden moved fast, closing the distance between them

  “Well, asshole,” Ayden spat, as he leaned over him with a look of intimidation, that made the owner swallow nervously, “you pushed him over the edge … enough so, he kidnapped a woman, and it’s more than likely he’s got her held up here.”

  “Christ. I don’t need this shit. Not now. I’m supposed to open soon.”

  “Well, you are fucked, unless you cooperate.”

  The owner thought briefly and sent him a questioning look before answering.

  “Yah, just how do you figure that?”

  Bryan stepped in and answered for Ayden.

  “Look. He knows your closed for business obviously. It’s our assumption he doesn’t have her in an area where your workers are, where sightseers would normally venture. He’s worked these caves long enough; he knows them better than anyone. There’s got to be chambers, once discovered and not open to the public. Do you have any idea where they might be?”

  The owner nodded and then leaned to his right and slid the bottom drawer open of his desk. He pulled out a large folded paper that resembled a map and spread it open across his desk.

  “There’s two chambers I’m aware of. Here and here,” he pointed. “They’re pretty accessible, if your dressed for it. “He looked up at them both and waved his hand, “not like that though. You need to come back in jeans, sweatshirt or sweater maybe, and work boots. Floors are jagged and dangerous down there.”

  “Is this map clear enough for someone like us to follow.”

  “Yah. I had no trouble. This point begins right off the elevator,” he indicated the spot on the map. “Only one way down, I know of. He may have an exit point from outside I don’t know about too. He was a sneaky bastard. Like you said, he’s been here long enough. Could be another chamber too, and not one of these? There’s ne
arly two miles of cave below ground.”

  “I’ll take that, if you don’t mind?” Ayden directed.

  The owner rolled up the map and handed it to him. He pulled a set of keys from the top drawer and handed those over as well.

  “These will open the front door. Workers will be out of here by five. In the front office is a cabinet, where you’ll find headlamps, lanterns and flashlights. Use what you need.”

  Bryan replied. “We’ll wait until dark. Thanks for your cooperation, and please, not a word to anyone.”

  The owner stared at him for a moment longer than needed.

  “Hey, ain’t you that Senator, whose been on the news so much?”

  Bryan acknowledged with a nod.

  “So, what’s your interest in all this?” The owner pressed.

  “The woman he kidnapped, is a member of my staff.”

  TWENTY-TWO

  The waitress, who looked like she’d been ridden hard, shuffled to their table like it pained her to move. She set two cups of steaming, hot coffee down on the table with arthritic hands.

  Sy waved her off, when she politely asked, if they wanted to order something to eat. His brusqueness certainly did not bother her any as she remarked, “Suit yourself, sonny. Makes no never mind to me.”

  His coffee companion chortled at the woman’s response and blew at the hot liquid to cool it down, before taking a sip.

  Sy looked around to see if anyone conspicuous was paying too much attention to them both, and was satisfied things appeared to be normal. He chose this old diner for a good reason. It was way out in East bejesus, and not a likely place where anyone would know him. There were a few late morning stragglers sucking down coffee. They looked like local farmers and delivery folk passing through.

  “You hiding her, where you said?”

  “You think I’m lying?” Sy snarled in reply.

  “Don’t get your underwear all twisted, Corbat.” His associate snapped. “There better not be a mark on her.”

  Sy didn’t like this prick … not one bit. He hated that he refused to tell Sy his name. He understood why though. Couldn’t rat out someone, if you didn’t know their name. He could give a flying fuck, if his was Tinkerbell. The guy was smooth as butter. He knew how to cover his ass. He probably made a living out of fucking people over his entire life.

  The bastard didn’t mind paying him two million to get what he wanted either. He didn’t even blink, when Sy asked for it. He wanted the woman bad.

  Sy still couldn’t believe his luck, when the guy first approached him outside the courtroom, after his brother was found guilty. Funny thing though, Sy never noticed him at the Courthouse one time, during the entire trial. He had to have someone sit in for him, tell him what was going on every day, and who was there. How else would he have known?

  Didn’t matter any. He was getting what he asked for. Now, that he switched the plan to suit his fancy, and collecting another two mill from the Senator, he was gonna be set for life.

  “There you go doubting me again. I told ya, how many times now, everything went off without a hitch? She’s being watched. No one knows she’s there. I called Gallagher back at eleven like I said I would, and let him talk to her. If you came in yesterday, you would have had her by now and; I’d be the fuck out of here. She’s yours tonight like you planned so, chill the hell out.”

  The man snickered, pleased as punch, that his plan was playing out nicely.

  “For a smart man, Gallagher certainly fell for the bullshit you fed him.”

  Sy shrugged, as he looked at the guy across from him and replied nonchalantly. “I can be real convincing, when I want too.”

  This guy, was one shrewd bastard. He talked kind of funny, but Sy knew he could afford just about anything from the way he dressed and the car he rented out in the parking lot. If the diamond on his pinky finger was any larger, the fucker wouldn’t be able to raise it high enough to pick the buggers from his nose. Thinking about it made him snicker.

  “You want to share what’s so funny?”

  “Just the fact the almighty Senator thinks I did all this, because of my fucking brother. That prick Tallon firing me, just made the story sweeter and more convincing.”

  “And the Caverns are still on lock down?”

  Sy tested his coffee to see, if it had cooled enough to take a sip. It was, and he sucked down two, long gulps, before answering.

  “Renovations will be going on for another two weeks, before they can open. Workers are all gone by five. I’ll have her up top after ten, just to make sure. She’ll be in room two-eighteen, tied and spread out for ya. What you do with her, after I’m paid and gone, I could give a shit. Just make sure you got my cash as agreed.”

  His associate took a money clip from his pant pocket.

  Sy nearly gasped from its thickness, as the guy thumbed through hundreds and twenties, until he pulled a ten-dollar bill from the wad and threw it down on the table.

  He scooted back his chair, stood, and gazed down at him and directed with authority, before stepping away, “Don’t keep me waiting. Ten o’clock, and not a second later.”

  Sy took his time finishing his coffee and exited the diner, as he called Morris on his cell.

  “Ya,” the kid answered nervously.

  “You feed her?”

  “Just now. Boss was real pissed about something. Said not to come back in, until tomorrow. I don’t like this. It ain’t right.”

  “Don’t matter what you like, or don’t like, boy. Keep your mouth shut, and do as I say, or you die. Plain and simple. Besides, I don’t need you, no more. She’ll be gone tonight.”

  The kid hesitated a moment, before he pressed on. “Can’t leave her down there all day without checking on her. What if some’thin happens ta her?”

  “Ain’t nothing gonna happen,” Sy blared, losing his patience. “She’s been fine all along, hasn’t she? She’s got the lantern. She’s been fed. I’ll be getting her out of there by ten.” He disconnected the line without further argument, and entered his car to leave.

  ---

  TWENTY-THREE

  Jessica hated the way she smelled. She wanted nothing more than to soak in a bubble bath, until her skin pruned up. If it wasn’t for the two packets of tissues she had in her bag, she’d be smelling worse from squatting and relieving herself down here. Even, that smell, was getting to her. As much as she tried to find an area far enough from where she sat and slept, it didn’t prove far away enough.

  She wanted to punch Corbat square in the month, when he came to visit her last night. She hadn’t seen him, since her abduction. He never told her, why he was removing the cuffs from her ankles. All he did was keep poking her back, and pushing her forward along a thin path she didn’t know even existed, that led out of the chamber she was kept in. Her legs were weak and she had a hard time standing, let alone walking. Every time she fell, he dragged her by the collar of her suit coat.

  God! How she hated the son of a bitch. If only her hands were free. If only the circulation in her limbs hadn’t been cut off for so long, she could have disabled him.

  It wasn’t until they were in cell range, that the reason for her tortuous journey above ground made sense. Hearing Bryan’s voice, made it all worthwhile. His voice was like a caress. It gave her hope. It made her believe in the possibility of seeing the light of day once more. That’s all she thought about on her trip back down into darkness.

  Once Corbat left her, she couldn’t stop crying about the ever-expectant joy of seeing Bryan again, holding him, kissing him, and telling him how much she had fallen in love with him. Hearing his voice, had given her renewed hope. There was something in the tone of it though, something in what he said, that made her believe, the signal on her phone had worked and he knew where she was.

  What was it? She wracked her brain to try and remember.

  Their conversation had been brief. It hadn’t lasted any more than two minutes, at the most. She thought for a moment, trying to thi
nk back, as to what he had said to her … how he said it … how adamant he was.

  Corbat wasn’t a stupid man. He warned Bryan he had him on speaker and; she knew Bryan would play it smart and be careful with the exchange between he and her.

  The first words he had spoken, made her cry though. She didn’t want to. She wanted him to know she was wrong. She couldn’t help it, when the tears started to flow, and her voice cracked with emotion.

  “You okay, honey?”

  “Bryan, oh god, Bryan!”

  “It’s all going to work out, babe. Just stay calm. I’ve got you. Do you hear me, Jessica? I’ve got you.”

  She wanted to say more, tell him she loved him. But, Corbat had pulled the cell away from her ear. She wanted to kick out at him, but didn’t have the strength, when he began to mimic, what Bryan had said to her. The sneer on his face, made her temper boil and, she wanted to slap it off his face, so hard, that his teeth would have shattered.

  “I’ve got you, babe. How sweet,” Corbat whined and then threatened, “Just make sure you got my fucking money tomorrow night!”

  He knows where I am. Bryan knows where I am. I’m sure of it.

  She believed it. She had too. She couldn’t crack now. She believed in her heart that Bryan was acting on those primal detective instincts of his. He had all those years of experience under his belt. Just the confident tone of his voice signaled something inside of her, he was close. He would rescue her. They would be together again.

  She had to make sure, that would happen also. She had to do everything she could, take every precaution, to make her rescue possible. Now that she knew the tracking app on her phone was working, Jessica removed it from her hiding place and tucked it inside her bra. She knew she was going to be moved tonight at ten o’clock.

  Morris had told her that earlier, when he brought her a fresh bottle of water, hot cup of coffee, and an egg and sausage sandwich from the local McDonalds. The only thing he didn’t know was why she was being moved, where she was being taken, and if it was Bryan she was being handed over too.