SURVIVING WITH LOVE
by
Rebecca J. Vickery
Surviving With Love
Published by Smashwords
ISBN: 978-1-4523-0532-5
Copyright: 2009 by Rebecca J. Vickery
Cover Art by Laura Shinn
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Surviving With Love is a work of fiction. Though some actual towns, cities, and locations may be mentioned, they are used in a fictitious manner and the events and occurrences were invented in the mind and imagination of the author. Any similarities of characters or names used within to any person past, present, or future are coincidental.
Other books available by this author:
Looking Through The Mist
Following Destiny
Seeking Shelter
Dedication
I would like to dedicate this book to my husband.
Without his love I would never have survived.
CHAPTER 1
The news bulletin on the television held Willie’s attention, “…Special Agent Chalmers states the robbers used torture to force employees of the Federated Bonds and Securities Exchange in Denver, Colorado to open a high security vault. One employee is dead and two others were wounded in the robbery. Denver police and Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigations report the five thieves are considered armed and dangerous. They were last seen exiting the building carrying black military-style backpacks. The exact amount of the theft is not known at this time, but it is believed to be in the millions….”
“Willie, there’s a customer,” one of the boys sitting near the older man prompted.
“Sorry. I was watching that robbery business. May I help you?” Willie forced his attention away from the TV and stepped to the counter.
“Yes. I’m Marshall Thompson. My associates and I booked a flight to Vancouver for this afternoon. I believe I need to sign some papers. Is the plane ready?”
“Yes, sir, I’ve got your papers right here.” Willie assured him while reaching for the clipboard on the desk. “Sign on this line. I need your credit card. I believe your secretary said you want it all on one bill?” Willie waited as the tall, casually dressed businessman took out his wallet and found his charge card.
“That’s correct. Let the company pick up the tab.” The man smiled slightly. “Shame about the robbery.” The man pointed to the TV. “Do they have any idea who did it, yet?”
“They think it may have been an inside job, according to the news. If you ask me they haven’t got a clue.” Willie handed the card back and waited for the man’s signature. “The plane is warming up now. These boys can stow your luggage for you and you’ll be all set.” Willie pointed out the direction for the men. “Feel free to board while the pilot does his last safety check. Thanks for your business, Mr. Thompson.”
Ricky tugged on his brother’s arm, forcing him to follow the man out to the large sedan waiting by the plane. The driver popped the trunk from inside the car and the boys unloaded the hard-shell suitcases. Ricky watched four other men get out of the car and walk to the plane. He could feel Mr. Thompson watching them as they stowed the luggage in a compartment near the tail of the private jet. One of the other men also stopped at the foot of the loading steps to keep an eye on him and his brother.
“They act like we’re going to steal something, Ricky.” The younger boy nervously whispered to his brother.
Ricky shrugged, “Just get these loaded so they can leave, Don. They give me the creeps.”
As Don lifted the last suitcase it accidentally bumped against the edge of the compartment and fell to the pavement. A sheaf of papers fell out of a backpack and Ricky read Pay to Bearer on the top page. He grabbed up the paper then turned toward the hangar, but it was already too late.
Thompson and his partner barred the way with guns pointed at Don and himself. The men used their bodies to shield the guns from the view of anyone inside the office or hangar. “Put them back in the case, boy,” the smaller man hissed. “Now!”
“Load it up,” snarled Thompson.
The brothers looked at each other then did as they were told.
“Get on the plane.” He motioned with the gun. “You two just bought a ride to Canada.” The two men hurried the boys toward the steps.
At a whispered command from Ricky, Don tried to run, but the other man grabbed him while pointing the handgun straight at Ricky’s head. Don stopped struggling as they were forced onto the plane.
Two of the men pulled the door closed. Thompson moved forward to meet the pilot and try to speed up the take off. The man holding onto Don pushed the boys into rear seats and pulled the seatbelts across their stomachs trapping their arms. “If either of you cause trouble, I’ll shoot the other one and throw the body out over the mountains. Do you understand?” he asked in a threatening sneer, waving the gun back and forth in their faces to make his point.
Both boys nodded and sat quietly as they heard the steps being rolled away outside the plane.
Thompson came back to the cabin and reported to the men. “The pilot doesn’t know the kids are aboard. Let’s keep it that way. Until they’re missed on the ground he won’t give us any trouble. Settle down and buckle up.”
The men took their seats. One kept a gun trained on the boys to insure their silence and cooperation.
On take-off Ricky felt the small jet quickly climb and circle to the northwest to begin the flight to Vancouver. He knew they would be flying over the massive peaks of the Rocky Mountains. He heard the man in charge say the weather reports were good and everything looked as if it were going according to plan. Ricky looked at Don as the men spoke of the bond theft and how the boys could be used for hostages to insure that their journey wasn’t interrupted.
Ricky swallowed hard, remembering the news report saying one man had been killed and others tortured during the robbery. He put his head back and wondered how long it would take for him and his brother to be missed at his dad’s airport.
CHAPTER 2
“Please sit down, Mr. McConnell.” The Senator gestured to a chair in his opulent Washington office. He sat behind the mahogany desk and put his elbows on the polished surface. His expression was grave and his eyes were bloodshot from loss of sleep. “You were very highly recommended by a friend. I appreciate your coming so promptly. You must assure me that what is said here will not leave this room.”
Cord leaned back in the chair and studied the Senator. He didn’t believe that the man normally started his day at dawn and especially not on a Saturday. Finally, he broke the silence, “I understand. It will go no further, sir.”
“My daughter, Stephanie, is married to Warren Prophet. He owns an up-and-coming charter business in Denver. Maybe you’ve heard of Prophet Aeronautics?” At Cord’s negative shake of the head, the Senator continued, “Well, no matter. Two days ago, two million dollars worth of special Bearer Bonds were stolen from the Federated Bonds and Securities Exchange in Denver. A short time later a chartered jet left my son-in-law’s strip headed for Vancouver, Canada.”
The Senator shifted restlessly in his chair and then went on. “There were five men who boarded that flight, all clean-cut, athletically built, and with several large suitcases. The thieves also numbered five and in spite of disguises were reported fitting the same general descriptions except they
each carried a black backpack. I feel these are the same men.” The Senator paused to make sure that McConnell was following.
“That sounds like a very reasonable assumption. It also sounds like something the FBI should follow up on, sir. I don’t chase thieves.” Cord was sure that the powerful man behind the desk already knew this, but wanted to be straightforward with him.
“It would be an FBI matter, if that was the end of the story. Under the circumstances, however, it’s the last thing I want to have happen. Stephanie and Warren have two sons, my grandsons, Richard and Donald. They haven’t been seen since the plane took off on Thursday afternoon. Warren contacted the pilot, but was never told directly if they were on board or not. The pilot passed it off as a boy’s prank to avoid a doctor’s visit of some sort. We feel that he could have been forced to go along with the criminals to protect the boys.”
With emotion deepening his voice, the elderly man cleared his throat and continued, “Regardless, the plane went down later that evening—in the Bitterroot Wilderness area of Eastern Idaho. We don’t know if it was mechanical failure or the pilot’s efforts to stop what was happening. It crashed on the south side of Ranger Peak. The Idaho Search and Rescue Team said the pilot did a remarkable job of the crash landing, but he and two men were dead when the plane was found yesterday morning. There was no sign anyone else was ever on board and no visible trail leading from the wreckage. That ends their job. Oddly enough, I encouraged them to stop searching. I convinced my daughter and her husband to let me handle things from this end.” The dignified statesman paused to light a cigar with trembling hands. He held the humidor out to Cord, who shook his head no.
“The job I want you for is to rescue my grandsons. I don’t care spit about the criminals or the bonds or anything else except getting those boys back safely. I want them taken from those criminals before they decide to eliminate them or use them as bargaining chips. Another contact is arranging for an expert tracker with a remarkable success rate who knows the area. He will meet you at the wreckage whenever you say. And, you should know, these men are dangerous. Preliminary autopsy reports show that one of the men in the crash died of a gunshot wound and not his crash injuries.”
“What if the boys aren’t with these men?” Cord asked. If they were too much trouble it was possible they were already dead, but he refrained from saying so.
“I want their bodies brought home for proper burial or I want you to find out where they are. You’ll be paid either way, but there will be a considerable bonus if they are found alive—for both you and the tracker.”
“And if the situation demands it, are you willing to negotiate for their release?” Cord needed to know how far the Senator was willing to go.
“Their disappearance has not been released to the media and no one is aware that they are my grandsons. We felt it safest for them. I think you can see why I don’t want a bunch of Federal Agents beating the bushes for these robbers. I believe their focus would be primarily apprehending the felons and recovering the bonds. Ricky and Don might fall through the cracks. To answer your question, I will do whatever it takes to get them home. I expect you to do the same if you accept the job. I will notify the proper authorities afterward and deal with whatever arises from our actions.”
“Senator, how old are the boys? Would they be able to handle wilderness like this?” Cord knew that small boys would not survive long. If abandoned, they couldn’t make it alone.
“Ricky is sixteen and Don is fourteen. They are both healthy, fairly athletic, Ricky more so than Don. Their father has taken them camping and hiking several times a year since they were old enough to carry a pack. If they weren’t injured in the crash, they can make it. Even if Don falls behind, Ricky wouldn’t leave him. They’ve always been close.” Pride showed in the Senator’s face and voice as he spoke of his grandsons.
“You know my usual fee, sir.” Cord stated his acceptance of the job.
“Very reasonable, under the circumstances,” the gray-haired grandfather agreed. “Half will be sent to your account when you begin, the other half upon completion. If they are returned home alive I won’t forget the bonus.”
“When do I leave, Senator?” Cord couldn’t walk away from this one. It seemed he never could when kids were involved.
“A private jet is on standby to fly you to Helena, Montana when you have your things ready. From there a chopper will fly you to the crash site. The tracker will meet you there.” The Senator stood and stubbed out his cigar.
“I can leave from here. I have my basic gear with me and anything else I can pick up in Helena.”
“Give the attendant on the plane a list and whatever you need will be on the chopper waiting for you when you land. Order anything that might help. I’ll okay it.”
“Thank you, sir. It’s better if I travel light, so I won’t need much. I hope to be in touch in a few days. I’ll arrange something about fly-overs and extraction with the chopper pilot.” Offering his hand to the Senator, Cord smiled for the first time. “If they’re out there, sir, we’ll find them.”
“I certainly hope so, McConnell. A man needs his family.” There were tears in the old man’s eyes as he shook the hand in front of him.
Cord turned and walked to the door. As he opened it, the Senator’s voice stopped him.
“McConnell.” The voice was firm and steady once again.
“Yes?” Cord looked back over his shoulder.
“It wouldn’t hurt my feelings, and there would be no repercussions, if those men were never seen again. Do whatever it takes to bring my grandsons home.” Senator Whitmire looked him straight in the eye.
“I understand, sir.” Cord closed the door quietly behind him.
CHAPTER 3
The phone rang and Stacey eagerly reached to answer it. Having nothing to do since her parents left on their get-away was a nice change, but she also found it boring. She felt more rested now that the busy winter season was done and was ready to get on the move.
“Hello,” she said, stifling a yawn with her hand.
“Stacey, it’s Morris.”
Her mind instantly came alert when she heard the voice of Morris Haley, the head of the regional search and rescue team. She knew they went on a search earlier that morning but didn’t require her expertise.
“Hi, Morris. What’s going on? I heard on the radio the plane crash was located this morning—with no survivors.”
“Yeah,” Morris agreed. “We’ve been pulled off. I’ve got the offer of a private job for you, very hush-hush. Do you think you’d be interested?” Morris knew she would be before he asked. He knew Stacey almost as well as he knew his wife, Cathy. The two women were best friends, had been for years.
“Could be, but I need some details first. I don’t accept jobs blind,” she insisted.
“Even if you don’t take the job you can’t repeat what I’m going to tell you, not even to Cathy. Give me your word, Stacey.” Morris knew he sounded mysterious.
“I won’t tell anyone, scout’s honor. Good enough?”
“Okay, except I know you were never a scout.” Morris gave a low chuckle then continued, “We found the pilot and two passengers in the wreckage this morning, all dead. No sign of anyone else. We lifted the bodies and were pulled off the mountain. We made our report of no survivors like you heard on the news. This is where it got interesting. I got a call from a fellow I know in Washington, D.C. asking for a referral to the best tracker in the area. Naturally, I said you. He wanted your credentials and success rate and hung up. A little while later he called me back and said he’d checked you out. He told me there were five guys who got on the plane plus the pilot before it left Denver. Radar proves it didn’t land anywhere before the crash. We only had three dead bodies. That leaves three who should have been waiting for us to find them. Animals might have drug off one body, but not three.”
“I agree, Marcus. What do you think happened to them?” Stacey wanted to know.
“The r
eally weird thing, Stacey, is there was no sign of anyone out there. They could have been beamed up by aliens for all we could tell. There was no luggage at the wreckage, no clothing, no footprints around the plane, no nothing—for any of them. Now, this guy calls and wants the best tracker I know to help search for the ones who aren’t there. They’re paying extremely good money. Sounds really odd to me.”
“When do they want to start?” Stacey asked as she pushed up off the sofa.
“They want you to meet the private search party at the crash site tomorrow afternoon. They’re trying to get everything organized. If you say no they’ll go to the next on the list, but they really want you. Do you want me to set it up or do you want to skip this one?” Morris almost hoped she would pass on it. There was something strange going on and he wasn’t sure he wanted her involved.
“Give me a minute, I’m thinking,” Stacey stalled as she considered her choices. Rest sounded nice, but this type of challenge was one she could really sink her teeth into. Her parents would be back tomorrow afternoon and her mother would find a dozen things for her to do. She loved both of them dearly, but spring-cleaning was due to start. “Go ahead and set it up, Morris. Call me back with the details.” She decided she would much rather be tracking than cleaning.
* * * * *
The Idaho Search and Rescue chopper lowered Stacey to the ground. Standing in the small clearing the unfortunate pilot picked, she quickly unfastened the harness and signaled she was safely on the ground. They sent down her backpack then the chopper departed.
The others in the search party would arrive soon. She wanted to check the area before more prints cluttered up the ground. Staring at the wreckage, the furrows in the ground, and the broken tree branches, Stacey realized the pilot did his best to save his passengers. He clipped several treetops to land in the small clearing then the plane slid into a huge Douglas fir. The cockpit and front section of the cabin were destroyed, but the rear section remained intact. It was probably the only chance for any survivors. Thankfully it had not burst into flames.
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