Antiphon

by B. L. Roberts

  “Now, don’t move, just sit where you are.”

  There was silence, then suddenly they heard the engine of the helicopter pick up speed, and realised it was leaving. Viktor decided to chance it, and removed his blindfold. The chopper was perhaps one hundred feet in the air by now, and gaining height quickly. It swung around, and headed across the water, and soon was out of sight. Viktor pulled the blindfold from his brother’s head. Michael was crying, and shaking.

  “Where are we?”

  Viktor had no idea.

  “Come on bro, let’s find out. We’re on a beach, and that is the ocean, but where we are, I haven’t a clue. Let’s go and find out.”

  It did not take the two lads long to discover they were on a small island, and they were alone. They walked around the island, which took several minutes, and learned it was a patch of sand with a few dozen palm trees, and a small mound or hill, in the centre. They also discovered something had been put on the island. A khaki tarpaulin had been stretched over a mound, attached around its edges by pegs hammered into the sand. When they lifted a corner, they found a stack of thick cardboard boxes.

  Viktor began to open one of the boxes, and Michael joined in. The contents were interesting. One large carton held a collapsible tent, two sleeping bags, half a dozen rough army blankets, and assorted items of old, used clothing. The other cartons contained food, various types of food, in cans and cartons, also bottled water. A camping set, comprising two metal plates, folding knives and forks, and a can opener, completed the inventory.

  Michael kept close to his brother. “What does it mean, Viktor?”

  “I think it means, we are stuck here, but they don’t want us to starve to death, they have left this stuff for us. They must have something in mind, to go to so much trouble to bring us here, and leave all this. I guess we will just have to wait, and see what is going to happen.”

  “Why did they do this?”

  “Michael, don’t be dumb. Why do you think? We’ve been kidnapped, and it will be to screw money out of dad. My guess is, they will hit dad for ransom money, and when he pays up, we can go home.”

  “I’m scared.”

  Viktor put his arm around his brother, and hugged him.

  “Me too bro. We are stuck here, whether we like it or not. We will just have to wait, and see what happens.”

  “She was pretty.”

  “Who was pretty?”

  “That girl we stopped for, with the broken down car.”

  “Yeah, too bloody pretty. She was the bait, and we fell for it.”

  The boys decided to take another turn around the island.

  “What’s that?”

  Michael had spotted something in the top of one of the trees. A black shape didn’t fit in with the foliage, and they came under the tree, to get a better look.

  “I think it’s some sort of camera. You can see the round front. It’s like one of those cameras they put on the roads, to catch you when you speed.”

  Viktor scratched his head. “Why would they put a camera there?”

  “Probably to watch us.”

  Viktor was puzzled. Roadside cameras were connected to a system, either by wiring or by radio signal. They had to have power to make them work, either from a battery, or by mains supply. Perhaps this one had a battery, but how did it work, and why was it there? The boys had no answer. They decided to see how the tent worked.

  21

  “Giovanni, when can you show us some pictures?”

  Giovanni Acerbi turned to face his questioner. “Matteo, we can probably pick them up already. I tested the gear before we left, and it worked real good. The pictures came through clear, you could see details.”

  Matteo Bramboni nodded tersely. “Alright, let’s see them. What do you have to do?”

  “You got Wi-Fi in this room?”

  “Of course, do you think I am backward?”

  Acerbi took a lap-top from his bag, placed it on the table, and opened it. As it warmed, he fiddled with the buttons.

  “Here it comes, there.”

  On the screen, appeared an image of a patch of sand, and the trunks of several trees. In one corner, a pile of boxes could be made out. As they watched, two figures walked onto the patch of sand, then looked upwards.

  “There they are, clear as crystal. You can see their faces, no problem.”

  Acerbi beamed with pride.

  “You have done well Giovanni, that is very good. That is exactly what we wanted. You are saving these pictures?”

  “Yes, just as you told me. I will make a file of them we can use, if it becomes necessary.”

  “I want you to make me a video, just a short one, showing the boys faces. You must take great care not to include anything that could give away where we are holding them, but that shouldn’t be a problem. There are no signs on the island, no buildings to give it away. Save it on a memory stick and get it to me first thing tomorrow morning. Can you do that?”

  Acerbi smiled. “Of course, that will be simple. You will have it.”

  “I know you said we had to hold these two somewhere safe, where we can’t be connected, but Matteo, was it really necessary to put them on that island? It cost us a bloody fortune.”

  Bramboni turned to the speaker.

  “Dominic, you will just have to trust me. Believe me, I would not have spent this money if I did not think it was necessary. I will explain it again. I do not know how long we will have to hang on to the boys, but it could be for weeks. If we kept them in the city, in a safe house, we have to guard them around the clock, and feed them. A lot of people would be involved, and a lot of people means someone might talk. I don’t mean, go to the cops, none of our people would do that, but something could slip out, and believe me, there will be a lot of people looking for those two. It would only take a word in the wrong place. Their father has a lot of money, he will offer a big reward, that might tempt someone to talk.

  “Besides your two boys, we in this room are the only ones who know where they are. Your sons set up the island, and got it ready, and flew the boys there, and we know your boys can be trusted. It was smart of you to have them learn to fly the chopper, it has been very useful, more than once. They did a good job, setting up the camera, so we can keep an eye on those two. No one else knows where the boys are, so there is no one to talk.

  “That is one reason why I wanted the two boys as far away from us as possible. The other is for when we get the money. Exchanging the boys for money would be dangerous for us, if there was a physical exchange. Whoever did the hand-over would be in danger. There is the risk of a trap. This way is safer. We show them the boys pictures, that proves them alive, then we get the money, then we tell them where they can find the boys. It is a good plan, and you have all done a good job.”

  Domenico Balboni nodded. He thought Matteo had gone to far too much trouble. Finding a suitable vacant island, getting all the gear there, and setting up the satellite phone and camera with the solar battery, it had cost plenty, and took some organising. He and his sons had worked hard. The food and camping gear had been the easiest part.

  If he had been doing the planning, he would have had the two boys tied up in a basement somewhere, gagged and helpless, where they wouldn’t be a nuisance. As for exchanging them for the cash, why not just take the money, and forget the boys? If the boys could identify them, slit their throats.

  Still, Matteo was running things, and he wasn’t going to argue with Matteo. He had said his piece earlier, but the others had sided with Matteo, who could get nasty, and had to be watched. Anyway, the plan had worked, they had the boys, and could keep an eye on them.

  “When do we get the money?”

  Bramboni looked hard at his partner.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something Dominic? This money is a bonus for us. It will make this job one of the best we
have ever done. We already have part payment for the other job, you have been given some of it, and there will be plenty more to share, when it is over. I know it cost a few dollars for the hit in Stockholm, and getting that pilot to divert to drop off the boys, but what it cost is peanuts. Less than two million.

  “From now on, it is all profit. There will be much more. The boys father is filthy rich, he will be good for at least another one hundred mill., more probably. But before we get to that, we have to finish our agreement, we have to close down the laboratory, and stop whatever it is they are doing there. That is why we might have to hold on to the boys for some time, to make sure this happens. It might take weeks. Then, when that is finished, we get all the cash.”

  Balboni nodded. It was a matter of honour to complete their contract. They had taken payment, and their reputation as reliable business partners depended on them fulfilling their end of the agreement. The Sorensen boys were part of that contract.

  “So, when do you make contact?”

  “We agreed to let Sorensen stew for a few days, get his anxiety levels up, it will affect his judgement. I fly to Berlin tomorrow, to make the call from a public phone box there. I will send the video from a public internet room.”

  “Why Berlin, why not from here?” Balboni put the question.

  Bramboni shook his head sadly.

  “Dominic, for a smart man, you can be pretty thick, at times. Sorensen will have his phone hooked up to the latest tracking devices available. That call will be traced, and quickly. He will know where it comes from before you could finish the call.

  “It will throw them right off, when they track it to Berlin, and I’ll be long gone before they can pinpoint a public phone box. If I was to make the call from here, they would know at once who was behind the kidnap, and we would all be rounded up.”

  Chastened, Balboni nodded. “Yeah, good thinking.”

  Bramboni continued, “I’ll report back in two days. I won’t phone, it might be risky, we will meet again in two days.”

  The others nodded.

  “You can have another share of the money now. Be careful not to splash it around, and get noticed. I know no ransom has been paid as yet, but there is still the chance, once I tell Sorensen what he has to do, he might work out we have already got money for the job. Just be careful. There’s five million each for now.”

  Plastic bags, stuffed with American dollars, were handed over. The men had already been paid expense money, this was now profit for them, and there was a lot more of it to come. There were smiles all round. This had been easy money after all, and there was plenty of it.

  The meeting concluded, they retired to the next room for drinks.

  22

  “Mr Sorensen, Mr. Frederik Sorensen?”

  At the suggestion of the police, Frederik was answering calls made to his number, personally. It had been a nuisance, and time waster. Normally, his secretary vetted incoming calls, and screened out all but those he wanted to take, but the police had said there would be a call from the kidnapper, and whoever rang, would only speak to him, personally.

  “This is Frederik Sorensen.”

  “Mr Sorensen, we have someone who would like to return home. What is your personal email address?”

  Sorensen had been instructed to keep whoever called talking, for as long as possible.

  “Who is this? What is it you are talking about.?”

  “Mr. Sorensen, I need your personal email address, give it to me immediately, or I will hang up.”

  “Frederik was conflicted. How could he keep this man talking?

  “I will have to look up the address, I can never remember it, my secretary makes all my connections.”

  There was a click, and the line went dead.

  Sorensen was shaking. The kidnapper had made contact! Sven Hendricksen, the detective assigned to stay in his home, had been set up in a spare room, listening on the extension, and he now came into the room.

  “I think that was him.”

  Frederik nodded dumbly.

  “Yes, I think so too. He was being cagey, I think he knows you will try to trace the call. He wouldn’t stay on the line.”

  “He wants your email address. I think he will email you something, possibly proof of life that he has the boys, or instructions. Next time he calls, just give it to him, we can try to trace the email.”

  “You think he will call again?”

  “No doubt about it. He took those boys to make money, and he won’t stop until he gets what he wants. Stall him if you can, but I think we are dealing with a very smart operator, and he won’t fall for any delaying tactics.”

  The American navy seal, Brent Peters, was expected to arrive, later that day. Frederik dispatched a staffer to meet Peters at the airport, and bring him to his home, while he stayed near the telephone. He was not sure what exactly he expected from Peters, but the restless energy, building up inside him, urged him to become active, to start doing something. Perhaps Peters would have some ideas, where the police were more circumscribed.

  About half an hour passed, and the phone rang again.

  “You have looked up that email address? What is it.”

  Sorensen gave the address, and immediately there was a click to terminate the call. Hendricksen walked back into the room.

  “No good, it was all over too quick. The only thing we have learned is, the call is not local, it was patched through several exchanges. It may have come from overseas, but we are guessing. I think there will be an email soon, and that might give us something.”

  A short time later, Peters arrived. He was tall, a couple of inches above Frederik, and powerfully built, with short clipped, light brown hair, covered by a cap, which he removed as he entered the house. He had intense blue eyes, and his face wore creases that aged his face beyond his years. His handshake was firm, and his manner crisp. He wasted no time.

  “Brent Peters. I have the general picture, and understand you haven’t heard from the kidnappers yet, so we don’t know what they want.”

  Frederick introduced him to the Swedish detective, who eyed him suspiciously. Sorensen sensed the tension.

  “I have asked Mr. Peters for advice, and possibly help, because he may have access to sources and methods that are not available to the police, unorthodox methods, but he is not here to take over your work. He has had considerable experience dealing with kidnappers. I would appreciate it very much if you can cooperate, where possible, and perhaps help each other.”

  Peters had also noticed the detective’s stiffness on being introduced.

  “We are going to need all the help we can get with this, Sven. Mr. Sorensen has told me what he knows so far, which I admit isn’t a lot, but it seems to me, whoever pulled this stunt is very capable, to be able to get away with it this far, and we can’t take any chances. I know some people in high places who can pull strings, and perhaps get us access to information that normal channels won’t give us. Anything I find out, I’ll pass on straight away.”

  They were interrupted when Sorensen’s computer beeped, to announce an email. When opened, there was no message, just an attachment, which he immediately opened. It showed a video clip of what appeared to be a sand patch, then two moving figures appeared, and looked into the camera. Viktor and Michael. The video ended.

  Peters asked “Do you recognise this picture? Have you seen it before?”

  “No. I can’t recall ever seeing an image of the boys looking up like that. And that shirt, Viktor was wearing it, the day they disappeared.”

  “Looks like we have proof of life. Those lads were obviously alive, and looked well when that was made. Let’s run that again. I want you to copy it, and I’ll give you some addresses I would like you to forward it to.”

  He went on to explain, his contacts would study the video forensically, looking for any clue as to where
it had been shot. Sven Hendricksen wanted a copy sent to his headquarters for the same reason. The computer beeped again as another email came in, and again there was no message, just an attachment. When opened it revealed a typed statement.

  “Your boys will remain alive, only if you do two things.

  1.Close down your island laboratory, and destroy all records of everything you have there. This will be supervised by someone appointed by us.

  2.Pay one hundred million American dollars in cash. How payment is to be made will be advised.

  You will be contacted within twelve hours for an answer. If you say no, the next picture of your sons, will be of their heads on poles.”

  There was silence for a few moments.

  “What this all about, closing down a laboratory?”

  The question was asked by Hendricksen, who had no idea of Sorensen’s island project. Peters added “What are you doing there, that these people are so keen to shut down?”

  Sorensen was obliged to explain the research the laboratory was undertaking, which he was financing. While he was talking, Peters scribbled furiously on a pad. Sorensen finished by saying, “We are just about to start human trials, and these would continue for about a year. Then we will know if the virus works as we hope. If it goes well, we are about two years from taking the first steps towards bringing this crazy, escalating, world population, under control.”

  “Who would want to stop this happening so bad, they had your sons kidnapped?”

  Hendricksen was still trying to digest what he had just been told, but already was looking for a lead on the kidnappers. Peters answered the question for Frederik.

  “Just about anybody who has a stake in making money from a large population. Think businesses that sell to countries with a lot of people. Think governments, who rely on numbers to stay in power. I can see it, there must be dozens of organisations around the world, who would not want to see what you are doing, happen.”

  Hendricksen asked “Could you also forward that, to my office? I will want to confer with my boss to see what we can make of this. Can I ask how are you going to respond?”