When The Chips Are Down

by Aiden Vaughan

  “But what about the chip cover up and those crimes?” Jason persisted. “Isn’t that enough grounds to arrest them?”

  “We could do that, but now we are talking white collar crime, and not a major felony, until our suspects can be specifically linked to the crimes. I need something that is major to go in with a team and totally shut down a business!”

  “Santos stole our cell phones,” Daniel protested. “He tied us up in a storeroom and was planning to use us as hostages! Isn’t that something?”

  “Sorry, Daniel,” Garcia replied, “but that is petty theft, an imprisonment that was only temporary which you escaped from, and a whole lot of ifs.”

  “It just doesn’t seem fair!” Jason complained. “Urbano Santos and Chang Chao Ling are the main conspirators, are planning their escape with a suitcase of cash, are responsible for two fake hijackings and apparently a fraudulent sale of defective chips, held us prisoner against our will, and there is nothing you can do about it!”

  “Like I said before,” Captain Garcia tried to explain, “I can go in and make some arrests, but I have to do it in an orderly way when all we are talking about is white collar crime. It would take a lot of questioning to reveal exactly how the hijacking went down, and who was responsible. In the meantime they will be able to get bail and delay the investigation with their attorneys.”

  “If you don’t arrest these people today, they are going to be gone!” Jason insisted. “Probably out of the country! I heard Ling say he was having his airplane prepared for a flight! Once they are out of the plant with that suitcase of money, and then out of the country, how will you ever be able to bring them to justice?”

  “Unfortunately, boys, it is going to be difficult,” Garcia said shrugging his shoulders. “But you have accomplished incredible things in the last week. Why don’t you and Eric just go back home and call it a day! I’ll see what I can do about bringing in Mr. Santos and Mr. Ling for questioning.”

  “Eric?” Daniel asked. “Where is Eric? I thought he was waiting in my car!”

  “After you went inside, Eric came over here,” the Captain said. “We talked for a while, he stayed here with me for about twenty minutes, but then he said he needed to check on you.”

  “Eric went into the DCC building?” Daniel asked with concern in his voice. “He was just supposed to stay out here and wait for me. I was only going to be in there for fifteen minutes or so.”

  “Those bastards probably have him in detention somewhere like they did to us!” Jason said. “Why would he go inside? I had no idea that he was even coming here, much less going inside!”

  “Not to worry,” Garcia said with a big smile on his face. “I think Eric has just provided us with the solution to our problem. Do we all agree that Eric is missing, and was last seen going into the DCC building?”

  “Well yes, I guess so. You were the last person to see him, Captain Garcia.” Daniel answered.

  “Since Santos and Ling tried to kidnap you and hold you against your will, there is every reason to believe that they would do the same thing to Eric! This now gives us a great reason to sweep the entire building and we can now hold them on kidnapping charges if we can’t find anything else!”

  “All right! Go for it!” Jason and Daniel cheered and gave each other high-fives for Captain Garcia’s decision.

  Chapter 28

  If You Don’t At First Succeed ….

  (Monday Afternoon)

  Captain Antonio Garcia immediately got on his police radio and called all of his officers in. He also asked for four more units of backup. The backup units were asked to cover all exits at the plant and out of the parking lot. The police who had been on call were already at the DCC parking lot. They came over to where Captain Garcia was parked. “Men, we have several arrests to be made inside, evidence to gather in the DCC chip hijacking cases, and a possible hostage situation,” he told them. Garcia had eight officers, including himself, for the police action inside, and assigned them into teams of two. Each team had a specific assignment: to arrest Ling, Santos, or Ramanathan while Garcia and Sergeant Jim Malone were specifically looking for Eric Acosta.

  Jason and Daniel were ordered to stay outside and away from the operation. “Let’s us take care of this now, according to our standard procedures,” Captain Garcia told them. “You two already were hostages in there earlier. I don’t want the same thing to happen again!” Shortly the back up units arrived, and there was a police officer stationed at the front entrance to make sure no one entered or left until the operation was over. He had his police radio unit on, so the boys were able to listen in on reports about the operation inside.

  The teams going after Chang Chao Ling and Dr. Jignesh Ramanathan had no trouble finding them. Both were in their offices. Dr. Ramanathan was very surprised to be arrested and very indignant about it. Chang Chao Ling was caught with a suitcase full of cash, a lot of incriminating documents, his passport and a small revolver. It was clear that he was planning to leave the country. He also protested his arrest vigorously, but with all of the physical evidence sitting there, eventually he realized that he was wasting his time, so he became more cooperative.

  The team after Urbano Santos did not have the same luck. They went to his office and searched through the entire security area with no luck. They looked on the security camera feeds and the new plant grid that was supposed to be able to locate everyone in the plant, but there was no data for Santos. Somehow he had taken himself out of the system. Captain Garcia and Sergeant Malone started their search at the plant detention cell located in the security office, but there was no sign of Eric. The security guard in the detention area told them that Eric had been brought there earlier, but later Santos sent over a request to have him brought to his office. They were ordered to handcuff Eric and bring him over there about fifteen minutes ago. The guard was surprised that Eric wasn’t still there with Santos.

  Captain Garcia then asked the guard if there were other security areas or storerooms in the plant where they might have gone to hide. He made the guard show him a schematic of the plant. The plans showed several storage areas including the storeroom behind Santos’ office. He then radioed his intentions to the other team members. “Malone and I are going to check out the storage room behind Urbano Santos’ office.” He told the other officers to check the storage areas located elsewhere in the plant. “If you find anything, radio at once for backup. Otherwise return to the main reception area where you can be easily contacted.”

  When Jason and Daniel overheard the radio report, they looked at each other with the same thought. “I bet that Santos is holding Eric hostage in that back storage room where he left us tied up. I’m sure he is planning to use Eric as a shield so he can get to a van and make his escape,” Jason said. “We need to stop him somehow.”

  “But Captain Garcia told us to stay out of there. Won’t we just get in the way?” Daniel asked.

  “Santos is expecting the police to be after him, not the two of us. The place where he is going to be the most vulnerable is when he goes through that door in the storage room to the garage. If we can get in there, we can trip him up long enough for Eric to escape!”

  “How are we going to get in? Aren’t the doors all locked from the outside?”

  “We need someone with a key to those doors to help us. I know just the person!” Jason pointed inside to the lobby, where several of the company executives had gathered to find out what was going on. Junjie Liu was one of them. Jason went up to the policeman at the front door. “We need to talk to Mr. Liu in there. It is really urgent!”

  “Sorry, but no one is allowed in or out during the operation,” the policeman replied.

  “We think we might know where the hostage is being detained!” Jason insisted. “Can you at least let him come over here? His name is Mr. Liu!”

  The policeman opened the door and shouted over at Mr. Liu. “Mr. Liu, come over here please!”

  Mr. Liu came over to where the policeman wa
s standing with a puzzled look on his face. Then he saw the boys. “Jason! Daniel! What’s going on? Why are you here?”

  “The hijacking case has been solved!” Jason explained. “Now Urbano Santos, one of the conspirators, is trying to escape and we think he is holding our friend, Eric Acosta, as a hostage! We think we know where he is hiding out. Do you have a master key to the building?”

  “Yes, I do. How did you boys get involved in this? I didn’t even know you were coming here today.”

  “It’s a long story, Mr. Liu,” Jason replied. “We will tell you everything as soon as we can. Right now we have to find Eric!”

  “Officer, these boys are Jason Hunter and Daniel Holmes.” Mr. Liu said, addressing the police officer at the door. “They have been helping with the DCC chip hijacking investigation. I think we should listen to what they have to say!”

  “Okay, we know Jason and Daniel very well at the department. You boys can go inside, but don’t go anywhere without a police escort! Understood?”

  “Yes, we do,” Mr. Liu replied. “I’ll get that officer inside to go with us! Thank you.” Jason and Daniel went inside with Mr. Liu. They got the attention of Detective Will Nguyen, one of the officers who had completed the arrest of Chang Chao Ling.

  “We think that Urbano Santos is holding our friend Eric as a hostage in that storeroom behind his office in the security wing. We believe his plan is to use Eric as a human shield while he escapes in one of the company vans next door in one of your garages. If we can head him off there, he can be surprised and captured!”

  “This way, everyone!” Mr. Liu said in an excited voice. “Follow me down this hallway.” The policeman, Jason, and Daniel followed Junjie Liu down the long hallway, then turned right into another hallway. About five minutes later they arrived at the inside entrance to the garage.

  “After you unlock the door,” Detective Nguyen said, “I will go inside and check to see if anyone is there. Stay here behind the door!” Will entered the garage, and using standard police procedure to enter a room with possible armed criminals, carefully angled his way in. When he had determined that no one was in the room and that is was safe, he came back to the door where Mr. Liu and the boys were waiting. “There is no one inside right now. I am going back to the door and see if I can hear anything going on next door. Remain where you are!”

  Meanwhile, Captain Garcia and Sergeant Malone had gotten ready to enter the storeroom behind Mr. Santos’ office. The door was locked. A security guard was brought over to unlock it, and then was told to leave. Captain Garcia looked at Sergeant Malone and said, “On my signal, go!” They both got out their service revolvers. Captain Garcia turned the knob and opened the door. As he did so there was a crashing noise inside. Urbano Santos had piled a couple of light crates and some cans as a warning device. When they both entered the storeroom, it was too late. Urbano Santos was standing there with a gun pointed at Eric’s head. Eric was seated in a chair. His wrists were handcuffed behind him and he had been gagged with some rags.

  “Freeze, and don’t make a move! Put your hands up!” Santos ordered. “Otherwise I shoot the boy!”

  Garcia and Malone assessed the situation, and realized that they were at a complete disadvantage. Santos had the drop on them. They raised their hands.

  “I want you to slowly and very carefully place your guns on the floor,” Santos continued. “Do it!” he ordered in a commanding voice. Garcia and Malone slowly placed their weapons on the floor. Santos then said to Eric, “Get up out of that chair.” When Eric complied, he continued, “Walk over to where those guns are and slowly drag them over here with your feet. Now move!”

  Eric did what he was told, and soon had pushed the two weapons over to the side of the room. “Now go sit down again, kid.” When Eric had returned to the chair, Santos pointed his gun at Eric and said, “Don’t move from this chair unless I tell you! Got it?” Eric nodded his head yes.

  Santos then moved a little closer to where the two policemen were standing with their hands up. “You!” he said pointing at Sergeant Malone. “I want you to take out your handcuffs and put them on your friend there. Move very carefully and don’t be stupid and try anything!” Soon Captain Garcia was handcuffed and ordered to lie face down on the floor. Next Sergeant Malone was ordered to do the same and put his hands behind his back. Once he complied, Santos came over and bound his hands with a plastic tie. He then used two more long ties to bind their feet. “That should keep you two out of trouble for the moment.” While he was over there, Santos locked the door to his office, and rebuilt his little tower of cans and crates.

  “I think that is time for us to get out of here, boy!” he said to Eric as he came back to the center of the room where Eric was seated. “Get up out of that chair, and carry this suitcase over to the door. I know it is harder with your hands tied behind you, but you can do it.” Santos pointed to a small suitcase, one of three that he had been preparing when Garcia and Malone came in the storeroom. Santos put the suitcase in Eric’s hand, and then picked up the other two. He motioned for Eric to walk over to the door to the garage. Just as they were getting there, Santos noticed that the door handle was starting to twist open. “Freeze!” he said to Eric in a low voice, and then hid by the doorway.

  When Detective Will Nguyen started coming into the storeroom, he was at a complete disadvantage. Santos had position on him, and knocked him out with a couple of blows to his head and body. Nguyen dropped to the floor. “Santos 3, cops 0, so far,” Santos said with a sardonic chuckle. He dragged Nguyen’s body out of the way of the door so he could get through. “So long, cops,” he said as he opened the door to the garage. “Boy,” he ordered Eric, “walk through that door and toward the white van.” Eric walked through the door.

  Urbano Santos picked up the other two suitcases and came through the doorway. He never knew what hit him. Jason was standing on a step stool just inside the door with a tire iron he had found in the corner. He got two clean blows on Santos’ head. The suitcases fell out of his hand, and he crumpled to the floor, unconscious. “Looks like your trip will be to a different destination than what you were planning!” Jason said with a satisfied smile on his face.

  “Eric, come over here!” Daniel shouted from over behind one of the vans where he had been hiding. “Drop that suitcase and let me get you free!” Eric hurried over and Daniel pulled off his gag. He then gave him a huge hug. “Eric, I’m so happy you are okay! Are you hurt in any way?”

  When Eric said no, Daniel continued, “Let me see if I can get those handcuffs off of you. I hope there is a key in Santos’ pocket. If not, one of the cops should have one.” Daniel went over to Santos and pulled his keys out of his pocket. He found the handcuff key on the chain and soon had the cuffs removed from Eric’s wrists. “Now you are free again, Eric! I’m surprised to see you involved in all of this mess! I thought you were just going to wait in the car for me.”

  Meanwhile Jason had gone into the storeroom to check on Captain Garcia. First he spotted Will Nguyen, but could see he was unconscious. Then he saw Captain Garcia and Sergeant Malone lying on the floor in the other part of the storeroom. “Captain Garcia. Everything’s okay! Santos has been knocked out, and Eric is free. Let me get you untied. Do either of you have a knife in your pocket?”

  “I do,” Sergeant Malone replied. “It’s in my left pocket.” Jason was able to get the knife out of Malone’s pocket, and soon he had cut the ties binding his hands and feet. Malone then got out his handcuff key and released Captain Garcia while Jason cut the cable tie binding his feet.

  “Detective Nguyen is in pretty bad shape over there,” Jason told Captain Garcia as he was cutting the tie. “Santos slugged him really hard. We need to call in an ambulance for him!”

  “Jason, I don’t even want to know how you ended up inside here when you two were supposed to be outside, out of harm’s way, but thank you! That Santos was one mean hombre!”

  Just then some additional officers came bursting
through the door to the garage. “Is everyone okay in here? We have Santos in custody now!”

  “Yes, we are okay,” Garcia said. “We need an ambulance for Detective Nguyen and also the keys to get back into Santos’ office. There were several suitcases that Santos was taking with him. They need to be gathered for evidence. Designate this entire area a crime scene, until we are sure we have everything.” He and Sergeant Malone then retrieved their weapons from the corner.

  Daniel came to the garage doorway and said, “I have Mr. Santos’ keys.”

  “Here, I’ll take those, Daniel,” Captain Garcia said. “Thanks!”

  “Daniel, I am going to go with Captain Garcia into Santos’ office to get our cell phones and your camera back,” Jason told his best friend. “Then I will meet up with you and Eric.”

  “Okay, Jason, we’ll wait for you in the garage.”

  Luckily for Jason, the phones and camera were out in plain sight on a shelf in Santos’ office. A few minutes later, he had rejoined Eric and Daniel. As soon as he saw Eric, Jason came up to him and gave him a big bear hug. “After all of the stuff that happened to you last year, the last thing I wanted to have happen to you was something like this! But thanks for being a true friend and looking for us! Eric, you are the best!”

  “Eric,” Daniel asked, “Why did you go inside DCC by yourself? I thought you were just going to wait for me in the car.”

  “I did wait for you at first,” Eric replied. “I spent some time visiting with Captain Garcia, and then after about twenty minutes or so, I began to get worried that something had happened to you and Jason. I couldn’t just let them take you, without trying to help you, or at least finding out where you were! I was trying to find out where they had taken you when I was grabbed by two security guards and brought to their holding cell. I kept protesting that I was just trying to find my two friends but they just ignored me.