“What now?” Eric asked.
“We wait,” the doctor said.
They sat in the jeep in silence for over ten minutes before Chip spoke. “Thanks for stitching up my leg,” he said. “I don’t think I ever thanked you before.” The doctor didn’t respond. He knew that it was a mistake to build any kind of a relationship with the hostages, something he was finding more and more difficult the more he got to know them.
“How’s your gout?” the doctor asked Eric after another silence of several minutes.
“Not so good,” Eric replied. “That walk through the forest didn’t do my ankle much good.”
The doctor climbed out of the back of the jeep and started pulling some leaves off of one of the bushes that surrounded their jeep. “If you eat these leaves, your gout will be gone within twenty four hours,” the doctor said.
“You’re kidding,” Eric said. “I’m not sure I should be eating stuff you picked off a bush.”
“Suit yourself,” the doctor said. “But there’s a lot of medicines that are based on plants found in the rainforest.”
Eric looked at the leaves considering what the doctor had just told him. He took a small bite out of one of the leaves. It actually didn’t taste that bad, sort of like spinach.
“You don’t seem like your typical kidnapper,” Eric said. “I mean, you went to medical school at UCLA and you’re obviously a good doctor. How did you become a kidnapper?”
“I’m not one of the kidnappers,” the doctor said.
“Could have fooled me,” Eric said. “You’re the one with the gun.”
“My family just asked for my help when they thought Chip here was going to die,” the doctor said. “You don’t get any ransom money for a dead guy.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a hell of a family,” Eric said.
“That’s why they kicked me out of the United States. When I applied for a work visa as a doctor after I graduated UCLA, they discovered my family’s criminal past. Even though I stayed clear of all of that stuff, they painted me with the same brush and deported me back to Brazil. My brother was also living in the States at the time running a successful business, but they deported him as well. When he got back to Brazil, he decided to join the family business.”
“So your family’s in the kidnapping business?” Chip asked.
“They’ll do whatever makes them the most money. Twenty years ago, my dad and his brothers used to run guns through Columbia, then they used to sell drugs here in Brazil. But when they started cracking down on the drug trade here before the World Cup and the Olympics, the family decided they’d get out of the drug business and into the kidnapping business.”
Suddenly the satellite phone lit up and the doctor answered the call. “What’s wrong?” said the voice on the phone. It was the doctor’s brother.
“I’ve got the two Baxter boys with me right now,” the doctor said.
“Their ransom has been paid,” his brother said. “They can be released.”
“I know,” the doctor said, “but they want to know if we’ll release the rest of the hostages if they can get their father to pay another six and a half million dollars.”
“Are they sure he’ll pay?”
The doctor looked at both Eric and Chip. He could tell that they hoped he would, but weren’t really sure. “They think he will.,” the doctor said.
“I don’t like it,” his brother said. “It could just be a trick to give the police more time to find our location.”
Suddenly another voice was heard on the call. “I’m confident Mr. Baxter will pay more money. I think we should do it. But don’t have him transfer the money to the account given to the police. Have him transfer the money to this account.” The mysterious caller gave the transit number for a different account number which was written down by the doctor.
“Okay, but I still don’t like it,” his brother said. “If the father doesn’t pay the additional money, kill them all – including his two sons.”
The satellite phone suddenly went dead. “What happened?” Eric asked.
“I ended the call,” the doctor said. “Your time was up. We have to limit each call to less than a minute to prevent them from tracking our location.”
“But I still have to call my father,” Eric said.
“I know,” the doctor said, “but we’re going to change locations before you make that call. Start the jeep.” The doctor made Eric drive the jeep a few kilometres turning down paths that didn’t seem wide enough for a person, let alone a jeep. “Stop here,” the doctor said.
The doctor started to hand Eric the satellite phone, but then held onto it for a few seconds more. “Are you sure you want to do this? One thing to think about is that the guards back at the compound were getting pretty nervous. They may have already killed the rest of the hostages and made a run for it.”
Eric already knew that the guards had talked about killing them by what Maria had told him. “We have to try,” Eric said.
“It’s your life,” the doctor said releasing his hold on the phone.
*** Chapter 26 ***
Brian was lying on the leather bench in the hallway at FBI headquarters staring out the window and watching the clouds roll by. The hallway and the window had become his own little private sanctuary during the ordeal.
“We need everyone back in the meeting room,” Detective Johnson said. “The Brazilian police have some new information to report.” When Brian entered the room, he could see the various TV screens already lit up with the participants from the various countries.
“We’ve recovered a few more of the hostages,” the Brazilian police officer reported. Brian noted that the officer had used the word recovered rather than rescued and his heart sank. “Two of our officers encountered the kidnappers and some of the hostages while on a regular patrol through the region. Both of our officers and one of the kidnappers were killed in the ensuing gunfight.”
“What about the hostages?” Detective Mitchell asked.
“Two of the Japanese hostages were later found wandering through the forest, shaken, but unharmed. Unfortunately, we also found the bodies of the two other Japanese hostages a short distance from the site of the encounter. They had both been executed.” The Brazilian policeman gave the names of the two Japanese hostages that had been found alive and the names of the two hostages who had not been so lucky.
“Based on interviews we conducted with the two Japanese hostages that we rescued, we believe Michael Porter and Oliver and Lucas Williams escaped into the forest during the gunfight. We are continuing to search for them.”
“What about Eric and Chip Baxter?” Brian asked.
The Brazilian police officer leaned over and asked one of the Japanese men who was sitting beside him. “They were not part of this group of hostages,” the policeman reported.
Brian knew that he had paid the ransom for his two sons later than the ransoms had been paid for the Australians and the Japanese hostages. He didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. On one hand, his sons might still be released unharmed. But he was also worried that the kidnappers might just kill all of the remaining hostages. After the update was completed, Brian wandered back out into the hallway to his sanctuary. He laid down on the leather bench underneath the window in the hallway watching the clouds roll by until he fell asleep.
“Thank you for paying the ransom for the boys,” Jean said to Brian in his dream.
“I probably should have paid it sooner,” Brian said. “I hope I didn’t wait too long.”
“It’s not your fault. You were just following the advice of Detective Mitchell.”
“Yeah I know, but I’m still worried that I may have left it too late. I’m glad Detective Johnson told me he would pay the ransom if it was for a member of his own family.”
“If you had paid the ransom earlier, the boys might have been killed like those Japanese hostages,” Jean tried to reassure him.
“I suppose you’re right,” Brian
replied. “I just hope that they’re still alive.”
“They are,” Jean said. “I can feel it in my soul.” She hated to see her husband suffering through this ordeal. “Answer your phone,” she said.
“What?” Brian asked.
“Answer your phone,” Jean said again. “It’s Eric.”
Brian bolted up from his sleep when he realized his cell phone was ringing. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket. The display indicated it was an unknown caller. “Eric?” Brian said hopefully.
“Yeah, it’s me,” Eric replied.
“Are you okay?” Brian asked. Before he had a chance to answer, Brian asked several more questions. “Is Chip alright? Where are you? Can I come and get you? You sound like you’re calling from the moon.”
“Chip and I are okay,” Eric said. “I’m calling from the middle of the rainforest.” Eric paused trying to figure out how to ask the next question. “Dad, can you send six and a half million dollars to pay the ransoms for the rest of the hostages?”
Brian was confused. “I already paid two million dollars ransom for you and your brother. Are you saying they now want another six and a half million for your release?”
“No, the extra money is for the rest of the hostages,” Eric said. “They’re going to kill them unless you send the money.” Eric didn’t have the heart to tell his father that they’d put themselves back in danger and that they’d also be killed if they didn’t get the money. He gave his father the account transit number to be used to send the money. “Don’t tell the FBI about this account,” Eric warned.
Brian wondered if Eric was being forced by the kidnappers to ask for more money with a gun held to his head. “Can we trust them? How do we know they’re not just going to keep asking for more money?” Brian didn’t know what to do. “Just tell me what to do son.”
“Send the money dad.” The doctor grabbed the phone from Eric and ended the call before Brian had a chance to ask any more questions.
* * *
Brian sat on the leather bench trying to calm himself. His heart was pounding and he felt a tightness in his chest that was making it difficult for him to catch his breath. He knew he should go tell Detective Mitchell about the call, but he was afraid – afraid that he would talk him out of paying the additional ransom. He thought for a few more minutes, but then hit the numbers on his phone to call Tom Beamish. Tom had been sitting by his phone for the last few days waiting to hear if the boys had been released.
“Are the boys okay?” Tom asked when he saw who was calling.
“Tom, I need another six and a half million dollars,” Brian said.
“Do you need it wired to the same account as before?”
“No, they’ve given me another account number,” Brian said. He read off the transit number to Tom. “Send the money as soon as you can.”
Brian hung up the phone and saw Detective Johnson standing in the doorway of the meeting room. Brian didn’t know how much of the previous telephone conversations the detective had overheard. “I had to,” Brian said. “I know we’re supposed to put everything through you guys first, but I couldn’t take any chances.”
Detective Johnson came over and sat down beside Brian. “I understand,” the detective said. “You gotta do what you gotta do when it’s your family.”
After he hung up the phone, Tom Beamish was searching his brain trying to figure out how he was going to come up with another six and a half million dollars to wire to the kidnappers. Sure, Eric had that much money sitting in his investments, but it was too late in the day to have those investments cashed out to be used. “Melanie, how much money is sitting in the trust fund?” he yelled to his assistant.
“We’ve got a little over two million of Mr. McKenzie’s money sitting in there waiting to be invested,” Melanie replied. “And we’ve got about another million of Mr. Ronson’s money sitting there waiting for his real estate deal to close. Why?” She came and stood in the doorway of Tom’s office and knew something was wrong by the look she saw on her boss’s face.
“It’s probably best if you not know what I’m about to do,” Tom said to his assistant. “There’s no point both of us going to jail.”
Tom immediately picked up the phone as he was going to have to find another three and a half million dollars within a matter of minutes. It was time to call in some markers from some people who had access to that kind of money, no questions asked. “Hi Randy, it’s Tom Beamish.”
Randy had been Tom’s first boss when he was getting started in the investment business. He had been running his own investment company for years and had been investigated for some shady investment practices several times, but nothing had ever stuck. However, several other people from his company had been involved in some investment scams and a few had gone to jail. Tom had worked for Randy for about a year and had learned a lot from him, but he had decided to leave because there were too many hush-hush meetings going on behind closed doors.
“Tom Beamish,” Randy said. “Well, there’s a voice from the past. What’s it been, ten years since we last spoke?”
“At least,” Tom answered. He hated making this call but he didn’t know where else to turn. “I’m in a bit of a jam and I need your help. I need to get my hands on three and a half million dollars within the next hour.”
Randy could not hide his shock at the request. He knew Tom always did everything above board and by the book. He knew Tom must have a good reason for making the request. “What’s going on?”
Tom explained the situation about the kidnappings. “Those two boys are like my own sons so I have to get the money somehow. I can have the money back to you tomorrow when the markets open again.”
There was an eerie silence on the other end of the phone as Tom waited for a response. But he could hear Randy hitting the keys on his keyboard. Finally, Randy responded. “Where do you want me to send the money?”
Tom gave a heavy sigh of relief. He gave Randy the details to transfer the funds to his trust account. Sure enough, the money appeared in the account a few minutes later.
Tom checked the balance in the trust account and saw that it was a little over the six and a half million he required. He hit the keys to transfer the money to the offshore account of the kidnappers and was relieved to see the confirmation that the transaction had been completed.
Tom knew that these transactions would trigger an STR. Suspicious Transaction Reports were how the authorities investigated potential money laundering transactions and he knew that he would soon be getting a visit from them to explain everything. Hopefully his explanation would avoid him serving any time in jail, but he knew a hefty fine would probably be levied. Still, it would all be worth it if it meant that Eric and Chip would be returned safely.
*** Chapter 2 7 ***
“For your sake, I hope he does send the money,” the doctor said. “We should start our walk back to the compound before it gets too dark. I suggest you remember the way because you’ll be walking this route on your own if he comes through with the money.”
The doctor put the satellite phone back into his backpack and pulled out a handgun. Both Eric and Chip held their breath in fear. “Do you know how to use a 9mm semi-automatic pistol?” the doctor casually asked.
“No,” Eric said. “Why?”
“Because you might need to know to get yourself out of here alive if your father comes through with the ransom. This rainforest is crawling with drug runners, not to mention any wild animals you might encounter.” The doctor quickly showed them how to load a magazine of bullets into the bottom of the gun. “Remember to keep your finger on the side of the gun and not on the trigger.”
“So is it ready to fire now?” Eric asked.
“No, because there’s no bullet in the chamber,” the doctor said. He grasped the top of the gun and pulled it back. “That loads a bullet into the chamber and the gun is now hot.”
“I’ve never held a gun in my life,” Eric said. “I’d be afraid I’d shoo
t myself in the foot. Does it have a safety?”
The doctor showed Eric where the safety was on the gun. “That might be a good idea with this gun,” the doctor said, “because this gun has been known to accidently discharge without pulling the trigger. The Brazilian police just recalled over 90,000 of these guns and let’s just say my family intercepted a few of them before they made it back to the manufacturer.” The doctor unloaded the gun and pushed the magazine of bullets into the seat cushion. “I’m going to leave this pistol underneath the seat in the jeep for when you get back here, assuming you do.”
The three of them started their walk back to the compound with Chip in the lead and the doctor holding the rifle and trailing behind them, giving directions to Chip about which way to go. Eric saw his brother periodically deliberately break a branch to mark their trail. The doctor saw him do it as well, but he didn’t care. If the ransom was paid, he knew they’d have to walk out of the forest on their own. If the ransom wasn’t paid, they wouldn’t be walking anywhere.
Maria was staring mindlessly out through the wire fence surrounding their compound when she saw the shadows of three men walking out of the forest. She assumed it was the other guards returning. “Eric,” she shouted when she recognized who it was. She was torn with mixed emotions. On one hand, she was glad to see him again as she was sure he had walked out of her life forever when he had left. But she was also frightened at seeing him being led back into their prison. She ran to hug him as he came through the opening in the wire fence.
“Hi Maria,” Eric said, hugging her back. “See, I told you I’d be back.”
“What’s going on?” Maria asked. The Girards, the Taylors and Jacob and Emily Davis also came over to hear why they’d returned.
“Chip and I asked our father to pay the ransom for the release of all of the hostages,” Eric said.
The Legacy Page 13