by R Arundel
Kofi takes a deep breath. “It’s something big—we’re onto something big.”
Alice chimes in. “Based on what I have heard, I would agree. I have all but ruled out a foreign power. The only governments with this capability would not risk this. An attempt to obtain our nuclear access codes or kill and then place a double agent in the US government is an act of war. We are dealing with an individual. An individual of almost endless resources and ingenuity.”
“Any idea who?” says Liam.
Alice says, “This person is so cunning, I think they will escape detection. I have looked at the potential candidates, searched many databases, but have nothing so far.”
Matthew says, “Keep looking.”
Kofi adds, “They have made one crucial mistake by continuing to try to eliminate anyone who is searching for Tom’s murderer. They have confirmed that whatever they are planning is still going on and needs to be kept secret.”
Liam says, “They have no choice. Matthew has shown he will keep looking. They have to eliminate him.”
Matthew says, “I need to do some more digging and I need to move around in the US.’
Kofi asks, “You want to go back to Steven Jardine?”
“I think I need his face. Liam can give the anesthetic.”
Liam says, “I don’t know, with that beard you had when you first came in, I don’t think you need a new face.”
Matthew’s cell phone rings. Everyone who has the number is here except Sarah. He is anxious to hear her voice.
“Hi, Matthew, I’ve been kidnapped.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Keep out of our business. We don’t want you in t’ings that don’t concern you. Stop looking into t’ings. In two weeks we tell you where you pick her up. If we hear you are still putting your nose where it doesn’t belong, then bye, bye Sarah. I make myself clear? We watching you.”
Matthew has troubling understanding the slurred speech. “Let me talk to Sarah again.”
“Matthew, I’m all right.”
“When did they get you?”
“I got off the plane and . . .”
The phone is dragged out of Sarah’s hands.
“She alive and well. She being cared for real good. That can change.”
With that the line goes dead.
Matthew feels dizzy. Vertigo. He is lightheaded and nauseous.
“Sarah’s been kidnapped. She—”
Alice interrupts, “I have it taped.”
Alice replays the call for the group. Matthew goes to a corner of the room and slumps into a chair, holding his head in his hands.
Liam goes over to him. “It’s not great news.”
“I got her into this, it’s my fault . . . I never told you this, but the night I did the transplant, she slapped me. I had just killed Mr. Glock, got us all out alive, and she slapped me. She said she didn’t need this, not now.”
“She’s a special woman. We’re going to get her back.”
Matthew seems not to hear. “When we were in the library looking for the transplant patient, I remember how good I felt. Not looking for the transplant, being with her. My face was stuck in her hair most of the time . . . I can smell her now.”
“Matthew, pull yourself together. Sarah needs us now. She needs us to think, to act.”
Matthew puts his head back into his hands. Kofi is at the other end of the room.
Kofi says, “Alice, where did the call originate?”
“I am tracing it now. So far I have followed the call to Dubai, Dublin, Charlotte, London, Rio de Janeiro. It may take a minute.”
Liam walks over to Kofi. “What do we do now?” he asks in a lowered voice.
“We have to go get Sarah.”
“Do we?”
“Yes.”
“Do we have to do exactly what they want, play into their hands?”
Matthew has left the chair and is behind Liam. “They may harm Sarah. We need to get her immediately. Alice did you trace the call?”
“The call cannot be traced.”
Kofi asks, “Do we pursue Michael?”
Liam says, “I agree Michael is the key.”
Kofi says, “I have reliable evidence he is now on Karakatura. He may have a cabin there.”
Liam says, “It’s his base of operations. Michael Coulson could be the ringleader.”
After a moment, Kofi asks “Should we just walk away?”
“What?” says Matthew.
Liam tries to placate Matthew. “Should we just go get Sarah and leave this thing? We really don’t know what is going to happen.”
Kofi says, “Something’s going to happen.”
Liam says, “I think we need to free Sarah. She needs to get on with her life. She’s given too much already.”
Kofi hesitates to give up. “We’re close, so close.”
Liam says, “I agree, but whatever it is, they may be stopped by regular law enforcement anyway. Do we really need to do this? That’s all I’m asking?”
Matthew says, “Why would you even ask that? If we don’t stop this, no one will.”
“Is Sarah’s life worth it?”
“I agree with Matthew. I know what you’re saying, Liam, but we have to stop this. We can’t take a chance.”
Liam asks, “So we leave Sarah?”
***
Sarah takes short, quick breaths. She tries to get herself to relax, but since she regained consciousness, she is unable to control her breathing. She trembles all over. She is not sure where she is or how long she has been sedated. Now she is firmly tied up.
Acne scarring has left her captor’s skin very irregular. Wiggie is rough when moving her. Sarah is sure it has been at least twelve hours since she talked to Matthew. She can now see Wiggie’s partner. Sal is boyish looking. He has straggly black hair and a slight build. He is barely five feet tall. Sal gives her some water and loosens the ropes around her wrists.
“Sal, I’m going to see if I can score some rock,” says Wiggie.
“No problem, Wiggie, just be back here soon. If the boss calls and you’re not here . . .”
“I already thought of that. If Mr. Page calls, tell him Wiggie’s in the toilet taking a dump. Di-A-Ree-A. Then call me on my cell, and I’ll be back in ten.”
“Suit yourself, bro.”
With that Wiggie leaves the room. His eyes are wild, high. Looks like he is on multiple substances.
Sarah is on the floor. Sal moves her to a chair. He takes off the duct tape that covers her mouth and gives her some cool water. It feels good on her throat. She detects the faint smell of cologne on Sal, a woodsy scent. He is clean-shaven and neatly dressed.
“You don’t have to do this. You can let me go,” says Sarah.
Sal replaces the duct tape on her mouth. With great care he ties her hands to the back of the chair. He smiles as he unties her legs. He takes her skirt off. He folds it neatly and places it on the kitchen table. He pulls her left leg behind her head and ties it to the top of the chair. He ties the other leg behind her head on the other side. His smile widens as he takes a moment to admire his work. Sal stares for a long time. Sarah begins to understand the terror that is about to occur.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Wiggie. Obviously a street name. No one knows Wiggie’s real name, or even how he got the name Wiggie. He probably can’t remember either. He would need to look at his driver’s license. Come to think of it, he doesn’t have a driver’s license. It is suspended for driving while intoxicated. He blew over the limit. He couldn’t complain, fair is fair. He had multiple illegal substances in his body at the time. He was real messed up. Cop didn’t even find the loaded gun in his car, so all in all, the impaired driving charge was a bonus. It probably was for the better. Hey, look at the bright side, at least he didn’t have to pay to renew his license. And he is still driving just the same. What is the purpose of a driver’s license anyway?
***
Sarah thinks it is morning, but there are no w
indows. She awakes from a fitful sleep. There are no clocks in the room. Sal and Wiggie do not wear watches. She has no idea what time it is. When they open the door, she cannot see much.
She must create a plan to escape. There are no guarantees anyone will be able to save her. Wiggie could go off on her for no reason and kill her. She now most fears Sal, though. She is lucky Wiggie is the boss. When Wiggie came back, Sarah told him what Sal had done. Surprisingly, he apologized, said it wasn’t part of the plan. They were paid to take care of her. Wiggie was relieved when she said Sal had not touched her. He did not remove her underwear. He just stared. Wiggie gave Sal a good beating. Some savage kicks and punches. He even brought out a large knife. Sal begged for mercy. Sarah was relieved Wiggie put the switchblade knife away; the long silver blade looked menacing. Wiggie told Sal never to do that again. Sal, so far, has obeyed, but he still has that look in his eyes.
After some hours pass, Wiggie brings her a meal. It is canned tuna, canned corn, and a soda. He unties her hands and feet and then leaves.
Thinking of Sal and Wiggie and what they might do to her is beyond terrifying. She calms herself down. There are some things that might happen to her that she cannot control. There is no point in fearing this. Whatever is going to happen will happen. But she is not powerless. She will plan for her escape. She will not fear. Whatever happens, she will not be a victim.
Wiggie shuts the door with a bang. She smiles because she has her first weapon. The canned tuna and the canned corn are opened, but the metal lids were left on. The circular metal tops are razor sharp at the edges. She takes both lids off and puts them in her skirt pockets.
She is hungry and eats quickly. Things are beginning to look up. The canned corn and tuna are national brands, found anywhere. The soda, however, is a local brand. She is in California. She looks around the room.
There are no windows. It looks like a room in the middle of the house. The only way in or out is the door. Maybe they built it.
Sal enters and picks up her tray. “Why don’t you take a stretch?”
Sal throws her an extra can of soda. He watches her drink it.
“Thanks,” says Sarah.
“No problem.”
Sal returns after thirty minutes to tie her up and remove the tray. She listens. There is no street noise, no cars. They must be in a very secluded area. She wonders if they are out in the country. Highly unlikely, since Wiggie needs to be in the city, near his pusher. Sarah tries to figure out what neighborhood she could be in. She concludes she is in a quiet working-class neighborhood. If she can get out of the house, any of the neighbors will help her.
In the next room, Wiggie throws a small leather ball against the wall. The repetitive sound fills the house.
Wiggie says, “This is lame.”
Sal says, “We’re getting good money.”
“Shut up.”
“I’m just saying.”
“Get me a beer,” says Wiggie.
The modest bungalow is dirty, but the fridge works. Sal obediently gets Wiggie a beer. Wiggie takes the beer and drinks it all in one continuous gulp. He throws the can on the floor.
“Another,” says Wiggie.
Sal fetches another beer. Wiggie drinks this even quicker. He throws the can on the floor. Some of the beer left in the can oozes onto the floor.
“Put it in the garbage. And clean up the beer.”
“Sure.” Sal scoops up the can and puts it in the garbage. He uses a washcloth to sop up the beer from the dirty vinyl flooring.
“I’m going out. Be back in ten,” says Wiggie.
Sarah hears the front door slam shut. She makes a mental note of the direction of the sound. The door is to the left of her door. As soon as I am out of this room, run left, she thinks. She falls into a deep sleep.
***
Sarah realizes she is not sure how long she has been here. They don’t have a radio or TV. She has lost all track of time when Sal comes to pick up her tray.
“Don’t you guys ever listen to TV?” says Sarah.
“Wiggie won’t allow it,” says Sal.
“What’s your name?”
“Salvatore, people call me Sal.”
“Salvatore, what’s the harm in a little TV?”
“Wiggie’s orders.”
“How do you pass the time?”
Sal picks up the headphones that are around his neck. “Beats.”
“How about Wiggie?”
“He’s in and out.” Sal hesitates. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, Salvatore.”
“How did your hair get so white?”
Sarah laughs. “It’s just the way it is.”
Sal seems offended.
Sarah, “No, it’s not the question. It’s just I get asked that quite often, but I didn’t expect it at this moment.”
She wants him to like her. If he sees her as a person, maybe she will have a chance.
***
Sarah estimates that she has to have been here at least five days. She could have been here for a week. There is no hope that Matthew and the team will find her. Alice will be desperately trying to locate the source of the call, but Sarah knows it was a cell phone. Surely a throwaway—the kind drug dealers use, untraceable. Maybe Alice can pinpoint the location. Even if they find her, who’s to say they will stop the main objective to try to rescue her? Will they give any information to the local police? If the local police find her, she will be in trouble. She is a co-conspirator in a few murders, and they probably will peg her as Matthew’s accomplice. It will also lead the police to Matthew and Liam. She swallows hard as she realized the cavalry is not coming.
She formulates her plan. The razor sharp lids are good weapons. When Wiggie comes in to deliver the tray and unties her, she can strike. He is the stronger and the most dangerous of the two. Wiggie has to be neutralized. Should she ask Salvatore for help? He seems to be warming up to her. No, she can’t take the chance—he is too weird. She is confident she can overpower Salvatore anyway. She is bigger and stronger. She is also desperate.
The plan is simple. She will slice Wiggie in the neck. She remembers Matthew and Mr. Glock. Aim for the same area. Even if she misses, there will be a lot of bleeding. Wiggie will panic and she will then run through the door and head left. She is prepared for locks, but doesn’t think there will be any. As soon as she hits the street, she will go to the nearest house or flag down a car. If no one answers the door, she will break as many windows as possible and keep running. This will bring police to the area. What will she tell the police when they take her into custody? She hasn’t quite figured that out, but whatever happens, at least she will be alive.
She reviews the plan. It is simple. It will work. She will go in the morning. Maximum daylight allows anyone near to see her and discourages Sal and Wiggie from following. Even though she has no windows, she has figured out day from night based on the comings and goings of Wiggie.
What if she only wounds Wiggie? Or Wiggie does not panic at the bleeding and captures her. This is the downside risk. Wiggie will probably be high. He will be very, very angry. She is sure they are under orders not to harm her in any way, at least for the next two weeks, but it is doubtful that Wiggie will obey those orders if she slashes his throat and tries to escape. Should she just wait to see if help comes? Alice is pretty amazing. It is clear she is much more than a surgical robot.
Sarah makes up her mind. She will not wait for help that may never arrive. She will execute her plan. If the plan fails and Wiggie catches her, he will definitely kill her, of that she has no doubt.
She will execute her plan. She is not going to be a victim.
***
Wiggie delivers her food. It is french fries and a hamburger. A can of orange soda. Is this a bad omen? Wiggie and Sal have no way of knowing she hates orange soda. She drinks very little soda, and never orange soda. Ever since she was a child, she has had a thing about orange soda. Coke, ginger ale, even cream soda are all fine. No o
range soda. Never. Sarah forces herself to eat the meal and drink it anyway. She needs all the energy she can get.
Wiggie enters and runs his fingers through her hair. “This really is quite the turn on.”
Wiggie waits for a response. Silence.
“It’s either me or Sal you know,” says Wiggie.
Silence.
“You should have been in modeling, Dr. Larsson,” says Wiggie. “Yes, I know all about you,” says Wiggie.
Silence.
Wiggie unties her hands and feet. He then removes her skirt and tosses it in the corner. She is terrified the metal lids will fall out or he will feel them.
“At least with me, I promise to be gentle. Sal, well, let’s just say the boy weren’t brought up right, the things he do.” Wiggie laughs deeply.
Sarah walks to get her skirt. Wiggie is still laughing. He watches as she stumbles. The perfect opportunity, she bends forward as if embarrassed, then moves to pick up her skirt. She turns to pull out the lid from the pocket.
Wiggie moves closer and unbuttons his pants. He is expecting her to move back, but instead Sarah turns and lunges upward and forward, slicing his neck with the razor sharp metal lid. She runs out, leaving the skirt on the floor. It is a deep gash. His reaction time is slowed by the drugs and alcohol. He does nothing to avoid the slash. The blood flows in spurts, and Wiggie screams in pain.
“She cut me!”
Before Sarah can assess if she has cut the major artery, the carotid, she is out the door and moving left. Sal is surprised to see Sarah running through the door. The force of Sarah’s kick makes him fall to the ground. He holds his ruptured testicle and screams in pain.
The front door is unlocked and in a few seconds she is outside. The house is a small bungalow with a large front yard. She enters the night air. It is pitch black. The street lights are on. She quickly assesses the street.
Sarah is being held in a house that has been foreclosed in the middle of an area where all the houses have been foreclosed. That is why she heard very little traffic. A few of the houses have already been demolished to stop squatters. The rest are all boarded up.