I cried as I made it to the parking lot of Aloha Ohana, threw my bike on the ground, and ran to the door. I banged the glass in the hope that someone would hear me. I found the phone on the wall that told me to press nine if calling after six when the doors were locked.
Tony, the security guard, answered the door.
"Oh, thank goodness," I cried as he opened the door for me.
"Samantha! What's wrong?" he asked, pulling me inside, tears streaming down my cheeks.
"It's Mum. She's…she's been kid…kidnapped," I blubbered.
Tony looked shocked. I didn't blame him.
"Calm down, and tell me what's going on?"
I took some deep, shuddery breaths and brought him up to date with the events of the last hour.
He paled as I told him about the blood and that Mum was gone.
"I don't know what to do," I cried. "I think it's Mark, but I don't know where to take the money." It too was hidden in my knickers. Not the most comfortable place to keep it, but you do what you have to, right?
"Why did you come here?"
"Because I think Mark and Patrick are involved, and I was hoping to find Patrick, or at least where Patrick might be."
"I'm covering his shift. Why do you think Mark's involved?"
Oh geez. I didn't have time for this. The grandfather clock sitting proudly in the reception donged that it was already twelve o'clock. My time was up.
No! It couldn't be! I had to have more time!
As silence filled the room, the clock finishing its sequence, my phone started to ring. Tony looked at me, confused, obviously wondering where the noise was coming from.
"Excuse me," I said, turning my back to him and retrieving the phone. The call was from an unknown number.
I swiped to answer it. "Hello," I said, my voice shaking.
"I told you you had till midnight," said a muffled male voice.
"I know! I'm sorry. I didn't get your note in time."
I heard a growled response.
"But…but I have it! I have the money! Please don't hurt Mum," I begged.
"You have it? All of it?"
"Yes. Yes." He didn't need to know that I was actually quite a bit short of the full amount. Not yet, anyway. "I didn't know where to take it. Your note didn't say."
"What?"
"Your note. It didn't say where I had to take the money." I was close to babbling, but I desperately tried to slow my breathing.
I heard him put his hand over the receiver and yell at someone. Obviously, note-writing had been someone else's job, but now I knew there were at least two of them.
"Okay. I'll give you another hour." With that he hung up the call.
Damn! He still hadn't told me where to go!
Approximately one minute later my phone rang again. Caller unknown.
"Go to Paradise Road," the muffled voice said. "Follow it out of town for approximately twenty minutes. You'll come to a yellow gate. Open the gate and follow the drive for approximately five minutes. Go over the hump, past the cows, and you'll find a shed. Inside the shed will be the instructions of where to go from there."
"Okay. Paradise Road, five minutes, cow shed…" Shit, that didn't sound right!
"No! Paradise Road, twenty minutes, yellow gate, five minutes. Over the hump, past the cows, and enter the shed!"
"Alright. Paradise Road, twenty minutes, yellow shed, umm sorry, yellow gate." I heard his sigh over the phone. He was probably wishing Luke had found the note. "Five minutes," I continued, "past the cows, and in the shed I'll find the next instructions."
"Good! Remember you've got an hour." The line went dead.
My knees gave out, and I sunk to the floor, relieved that I had more time. Tony kneeled next to me, placing his hand on my shoulder.
"Are you okay?"
No, I bloody well wasn't okay. I'd moved to Aloha Lagoon for a new life. One that was fun and relaxed and with my family. So far it had been far from fun and relaxed. I thought of my family. They were the most important thing in my life. I couldn't be here without them.
With Tony's help I stood back up, a renewed energy filling my spirit. My new life was going to be spent with my family. No one was taking that away. Not even a stupid kidnapper who didn't know how to write a ransom note!
"Do you have a car?" I asked.
He nodded, and out of habit, rolled his eyes. "It's parked out the back."
"Can I use it please?"
"What are you going to do?"
"Take the money to the kidnappers."
Tony ran his hands over his face, his skin pale in the subtly lit reception area. "You can't do that. It sounds dangerous."
"They have Mum. What other choice do I have?"
"Alright, but I'm coming with you."
I looked at Tony's size and wondered if he would be a help or a hindrance.
"Really?"
"Yes. I know what you're thinking. You think because I'm overweight I'll only get in the way." It appeared that Tony could read minds. "But, you don't know what I'm capable of." The hair on the back of my neck stood up as a look passed through his eyes. "Plus, I have a gun," he added, his genial smile quickly falling back into place.
Now that was a positive.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
If cars were symbols of wealth, I figured Tony wasn't very wealthy. His green 1994 Honda Civic was pretty beat up with the front bumper missing, a huge gash down the passenger-side door, and a broken headlight. As he started it, it coughed and spluttered. I silently wondered if maybe the bike was a better option after all.
Two minutes into the drive I realized why he had so much damage to his car. He was a shocking driver. Thank goodness it was the early hours of the morning and there weren't too many other cars on the road. I pitied any wildlife that might step into his path though.
We rode in silence, my thoughts only on Mum. I tried Alani's number again, and I tried Casey again. Still both went to messages. Anxiety gnawed at my stomach about what we were doing. I'd never met a kidnapper before, and I knew this was a stupid thing to do. There was no guarantee he would hand Mum over even after I'd given him the money.
Thank goodness I had Tony and his gun. Tony's threat about how they didn't know what he was capable of came to mind. Sneaking a sideways look at him barely fitting behind the steering wheel, I thought he probably considered himself an action hero, but the reality was much different.
The car slowed as he looked for a yellow gate. He turned his headlights to face the driveways that turned off Paradise Road. After the third turn, we found the one we were looking for. I jumped out of the car, made my way through the long roadside grass and debris, and opened the gate, allowing Tony to drive through. I felt the sting of a stray broken branch scratch my leg, but ignored it and closed the gate behind him. I then ran to get back in the car, and we timed our drive for five minutes. I wasn't sure what speed the kidnappers were going when they'd timed it, but Tony was going at snail's pace. At this speed they probably meant ten minutes.
The car bumped over the potholes in the dirt drive leading to the middle of a field. This wasn't a path that got driven on a lot. Tony drove over the hump, and within minutes the road was filled with cows lying around sleeping. A few looked up in the headlights, not liking that we were disturbing their beauty rest. At this distance, and in the glow of the car's lights, the cows looked huge and scary. I prayed they would stay asleep.
Thankfully, a shed came into our view. Tony hadn't even stopped the car when I opened my door and ran to it. There was no moon, so he left the headlights on, and I used the flashlight on my phone to find my way around.
This wasn't a big shed. You definitely couldn't drive a tractor into it. Maybe Tony's car at a push, so that should make it easier to find what we were looking for. To be honest I didn't know what we were looking for, but I was going for a sheet of paper just like the one that had been left at home.
I pulled the door open, the creaking of old wood screaming through the ni
ght air. The smell of dust filled my nostrils, and I coughed as Tony moved behind me and across the dirt floor, causing dust to rise around us. His large flashlight was much more effective than my phone.
Ignoring it all, I ran in, my flip-flops slapping the dirt against my bare legs.
"Over here!" shouted Tony, his light illuminating the far wall. He ripped a piece of paper off the wall and turned to me, reading as he moved.
"What does it say?" I asked, checking the time on my watch. It was nearly twelve thirty. I really hoped our next stop wasn't that far away.
"We're to drive behind this shed and stop at the farmhouse. Around the back of the house is an open cellar door. We're to make our way inside."
Alright, that didn't sound like it would take that long to get to. Tony dropped his flashlight to his side, dropping me into the shadow. I couldn't see his face as my eyes needed to adjust, but I heard the hitch in his voice. "These guys don't know what's coming for them."
They didn't? I looked around me wondering if the cavalry had suddenly appeared. I had no idea what he was talking about. As far as I could tell, what was coming for them was a twenty-eight-year-old with her undies full of cash and a fifty-year-old man who was well and truly out of shape. True, he did have a gun. I needed to remember that. They also didn't know I had Tony with me. They thought I was alone.
I hoped there were only the two of them that I'd heard on the phone. I knew if this was Mark, we would maybe be okay. Patrick, on the other hand, I was scared of. But I couldn't dwell on that now. I just needed to get the money to them to keep Mum safe. I didn't have a plan beyond that, and I was kind of hoping Tony did have one.
"Tony, what do we do once we hand over the money?"
"I've been thinking about this. They think it's only you coming. I have my fingers crossed they're not actually watching us from here on, as my plan is that I want you to drive, with me hiding in the backseat just in case they are. Then you're going to go in alone, and I'm going to sneak in behind you with my gun. We'll tie them up and release your mother."
"That sounds dangerous."
"It is. Are you up for it?"
"Yes. But why are you helping me with this?"
"Because."
He turned and made his way back to the car, leaving me standing alone, the only light coming from my phone. I hurried after him. "Because" was not an answer. I knew that for a fact, as many times growing up I'd tried to use it on Mum. Right now though, I didn't have time to argue with him about it. I just needed to accept his help in the spirit he was giving it.
I followed the instructions on the note, taking the fork in the road. I didn't know how far it was to the house, but Tony was squashed safely behind me in the backseat. It was a tight fit, and I really hoped he could get out of there once I'd stopped.
Sitting in the car, fear threatened to consume me. Panic bubbled in my chest, causing my breathing to become ragged. Adrenalin kicked in, and my whole body started to shake. Come on, Sam. You can do this! What other choice do you have?
The farmhouse was old and abandoned. The grass was almost as high as the verandah surrounding it, and it was dark. It did nothing to help my panic attack.
I pulled the car to a stop and checked my phone for a signal. I switched it to silent in case Luke or Casey called whilst I was handing over the money. I might just need the phone once that part was over, and I couldn't risk having it confiscated.
I got out and made my way through the long grass in the dark to the back of the house. The ground was rough, and I struggled to see where I was going, stumbling once or twice, but I used the side of the house to guide myself. The cellar door was easy to spot, as it had light pouring out of it.
Taking three deep breaths, I made my way toward it. My heart was pounding harder than it ever had when I stepped in front of the door and spotted Mum. She was tied to a chair and looked like she wanted to kill someone.
Okay. That might help if we needed it.
"Hello," I called, my voice wobbling far more than I'd hoped it would.
Mum snapped her head up to look at me. Fear shot across her face, and her eyes filled with tears.
"Come in," a voice called.
"No!" yelled Mum. A hand slapped her. A sob escaped my throat, and I hurried down the steps into the old cellar, leaving the doors open behind me.
The glare of the light hurt my eyes as I blinked against it, moving down the steps to Mum. "Are you okay?" I asked before I even looked around the room.
"You shouldn't have come. These guys are idiots!"
"Do you have the money?" said a voice from behind me. It was a voice I recognized. And it didn't belong to Mark or Patrick.
It was Tristan. The manager of the Aloha Ohana facility.
I spun around to face him, taking in my surroundings as I moved. The cellar was reasonably large—larger than Mum's lounge room anyway—the walls were cement, and there was only one way in and out.
"You?" I asked. "You're the one behind all of this?"
"Yes, it's me. And I am not an idiot!" he said, turning to Mum.
"Yes, you are. You couldn't even write a bloody ransom note correctly!"
"That wasn't me. That was Patrick. And you may be right about him being an idiot."
"Excuse me," said Patrick, standing from his place at a small table pushed against the far wall. Mark was nowhere in sight, so I'd obviously been wrong about him, but at least I was right about Patrick being a bad guy.
"Come on," said Tristan. "How hard is it to write a note?"
Patrick grumbled something in response, but it kind of got lost as Tony entered the cellar gun first, tripped, and fell down the steps, his gun firing as he tumbled. So much for him being the knight in shining armor.
"What the hell?" yelled Tristan, ducking from the bullet bouncing off the cement walls.
Patrick lunged toward Tony, pulling a gun from a holster on his hip.
"Stop!" Tristan yelled, moving to grab Tony's dropped gun before I had the chance. Tony rolled around on the floor, crying and holding his arm, so I figured he wouldn't have been trying to get it. My mind flicked to Mr. Fathersham and how I really should have signed my will.
Tristan sighed loudly, looking at Tony. "Put your gun down, Patrick," he said over his shoulder. "You're not going to shoot anyone."
Patrick looked uncertainly to Tristan but did as asked.
"So you killed those men?" I asked Tristan, my voice shaky, as he put the safety back on the gun and held it by his side.
"No!" Tristan snapped, sounding offended by my accusation. "I'm not a murderer. I'm just the coordinator. Patrick did the killing," Tristan said, almost offhandedly. "I just wanted the money. I'm six months off retirement, and I don't intend to do that poor. Plus, Kylie is an expensive habit. She likes to be kept in a certain style." I involuntarily shivered as Tristan took a step backward, flicking some dirt off his shirt as he moved. "I've given the last fifteen years of my life to Aloha Ohana, and all I get for retiring is a bloody watch. Who needs a damn watch when they've retired? Isn't the idea that you relax and no longer have to worry about damn time? Now where's the money?" Tristan raised Tony's gun as he spoke.
"I have it," I said quickly. Patrick eyed me suspiciously, and Tony shifted onto his back, his face showing a mixture of anger and pain. He looked like he wanted to say something, but pain was getting the better of him. Judging by the weird angle his wrist was sitting at, I guessed he'd broken it when he fell.
Everyone was getting more agitated than was healthy. Well, healthy for me, Mum, and Tony. The other two could shoot each other, for all I cared.
Tristan moved closer to me and put out his hand. "Come on. Give it to me."
I lifted my nightie and pulled the money out of my undies. It didn't all come in one big bundle. It came in lots of bills, some of which were stuck to me from sweat.
Mum groaned. I knew what she was thinking. Only Samantha would stick money in her underwear.
Tristan grimaced as I gave him a h
andful of bills and then went back in to retrieve another lot. "Did the bank not have bags?" he asked sarcastically.
"Sorry I didn't have time to bundle it," I snapped, thinking he should be bloody grateful he was getting the money. When I pulled out the last bill, he stared at me openmouthed.
"What do you think this is?"
"Money," I said, wrinkling my brow.
"Where's the rest of it?"
"That's it. That's all there was. I know. I know!" I quickly added. "There should be more. But you did only give me a very short amount of time. It was all I could get my hands on."
Even in the bad light of the cellar, I could see Tristan turn green as he looked at the notes in his hands. His mouth screwed up, and his eyes blazed. "What do you mean—all there was?" he asked quietly, getting up in my face. Patrick fidgeted behind him, his finger obviously itchy to pull a trigger. Despite his obvious pain, Tony let out a bark of laughter.
"Three thousand dollars. That's all there is," said Mum. "I've been telling you—the inheritance hasn't come through yet. But did you listen? No, you didn't. Like I said, you're an idiot. And how did you expect Samantha to get that money out of my bank account tonight?"
Tristan turned away, and we all sat in silence as he paced backward and forward. "But…" he finally said. "But the inheritance should be through by now."
"If you paid more attention Tristan, you would know that inheritances don't come through that quickly," said Mum. "Remember that little thing called probate? You're the manager of Aloha Ohana. You should know these things!"
"There's no one to contest it! I know that for a fact," he shouted.
Deadly Wipeout (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Book 3) Page 21