KIDNAP.org

by Peg Herring

  “What?”

  “You know the internet pays attention to searches and often shows news that matches sites where you’ve recently been.”

  “Yes. Shop for shoes on-line and you get ads from Zappos.”

  “Here is a news item from the Florida gulf coast. A woman’s body washed up near the Billings house this morning.”

  Robin smacked the steering wheel with a hand. “Tinker!”

  “The identification is confidential at the moment, but they say the victim is thought to be a woman from Georgia.”

  Massaging a knot that formed between her eyebrows Robin said, “They found out what she knew then drowned her, like they tried to do to me.” After a second she added, “They’ll probably blame Tom for it.”

  “They will say the woman followed him, putting her nose into his business, so he got rid of her.”

  “That’s how the police will see it.” Robin’s mind took the scenario one step further. If Tom were dead, he’d be unable to set the record straight. End of investigation.

  “Robin, your phone’s ringing,” Cam said. The ID said Unknown, but seeing that the caller was from Florida, she steeled herself for bad news. “Hello?”

  “Is this the woman who breaks into people’s homes and causes trouble?”

  Robin recognized Luther’s fluty, almost immature voice.

  “Is this the guy who buys and sells children?”

  “I’ve got someone of yours.” His voice faded as he spoke to someone else. “Say hello to your girlfriend.”

  Tom’s deeper voice came on the line. “Robin, don’t do what he says. He’s going to kill me whether you show up or not.”

  “Tom?”

  “That was him,” Luther said cheerfully. “Now he might be right about the killing part. I am seriously thinking of letting Dave slice him in a few places so we can watch him bleed out.” He let that sink in for a moment. “Of course, you have the power to change my mind.”

  “What do you want?”

  “You took a large chunk of our money, so here’s the deal. Give it back, and we’ll give you Detective Tom here in exchange.” His voice turned dark as he added, “And I’ll forget what you did to my mother.”

  “I can’t get at the money easily. It’s, um, tied up.”

  Luther’s laugh belonged in a cheap horror movie. “Then rob a bank, or start a GoFundMe page. You’ve got until tomorrow night.”

  “Let’s say I get it. What happens then?”

  “You’ll bring it—in person, alone—to a spot near Cedar. We’ll get specific next time we talk.”

  Robin’s mind went in a dozen directions as she tried to find an advantage. “Let me talk to him.”

  “You heard him. He’s alive.”

  “I want him to tell me he’s okay.”

  She heard Luther speak to Tom. “Here. Tell your girlfriend you’re all in one piece.” He chuckled as he added, “At least that you got all the pieces you had when we caught up with you.”

  “Robin? I’m okay.”

  Knowing Luther was listening, she said what she had to. “I’ll get them the money. Don’t worry.”

  “That’s good, honey. I’d like nothing better than to be back in your big old bed with the oak headboard.”

  Though she had no idea what that meant, she played along. “Me too.”

  The call ended abruptly, and she imagined Luther grinning malevolently at Tom.

  “What did they say?” Hua asked.

  She repeated it as exactly as she could in order to puzzle out for herself what Tom had tried to tell her. “The part about my bed is strange.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I’m pretty sure he’s never seen my bed.” She explained that Cameron had hidden in the bedroom on Wyman’s only visit to her apartment. “The door was closed, so how does he know I’ve got an oak headboard?”

  “Perhaps he searched your apartment after you left.”

  “She had everything put in storage,” Cam said. “I helped her take the bed apart for the movers.”

  Cam grabbed the dashboard as Robin reacted, making the van slew toward the ditch. “The storage unit!” she said, steering back onto the road. “Luther said we’d meet at a spot near Cedar, not in it. Tom was letting us know they’ve got him at the unit.”

  “So we can go let him out?” Cam asked.

  “It won’t be that simple. Somebody, maybe all three of them, will be guarding him.”

  Hua’s round face lengthened. “It’s my fault your friend’s life is in danger. I will make the exchange.”

  “That won’t work, Hua. They want me to do it.”

  “I could dress in your clothing.”

  Robin suppressed a smile at the idea of the five-foot-nothing Hua pretending to be five-ten. “You and I don’t look much alike.”

  Disappointment sounded in his voice, “If it were nighttime, perhaps it could work.”

  Robin rubbed her chin. “You should call Em. We’re going to need everyone’s help this time.”

  ***

  They reached Cedar at eight the next morning, which left them the whole day to prepare. Robin had Hua and Cam drop her off at a car rental agency and sent them to purchase items they’d listed as they drove. After renting a mid-sized SUV, she found a Goodwill store and bought a fluttery floral-print dress, a straw hat with a huge, floppy brim, and platforms so high she clopped like a horse. Dressed in her new finery, she drove to the Ur-Place Storage Lot.

  As Robin parked the car, she paid better attention to the layout than she had before. The facility was big, with 192 units broken into sections of sixteen per square. Her original unit, #121, was situated at the back of a square at the end of the second row. Using one of her false identities, she rented a second unit in the same building, #124.

  That done, Robin drove to a park where she and the guys had agreed to meet. Knowing it might be a long night, she tried to nap, but her mind wouldn’t stop churning. What if she’d misunderstood Tom’s message? What if they’d already killed him? What if? In the park’s smelly little rest room, she changed into shapeless black pants and a hoodie, what Em called her “caper outfit.”

  Cam and Hua arrived with a bucket of chicken and all the fixings. Robin tried to eat a little, telling herself she needed strength, but every morsel tasted like dirt. When they finished eating, the men transferred the items they’d bought to the rental then sat on the grass and played games on their phones. Robin sat under some trees, biting her nails and worrying.

  Luther called at four, ordering Robin in curt sentences to come to the Ur-Place Storage Lot at ten that evening. When he gave her the code for the automated gate, she pretended to write it down. She tried to sound reluctant to meet in such an isolated spot, but Luther promised glibly that she and Tom would both be fine. Yeah right! Still, Robin was pleased to know she’d figured out Tom’s clue. They were a step ahead of the bad guys.

  Em and the girls arrived at six, proud of the fact they’d made good time despite what Em termed the “clunkiness” of the van. “It’s about as comfortable as a buckboard on a two-track,” she said, “but it goes down the road all right.”

  At six, car keys were exchanged. Em took the rental, Hua and Cam the van, and Robin drove the RAV. She arrived long before the appointed time, parked the car some distance away on a side road, and walked the quarter mile to the storage lot. The RAV was Plan B. If things went wrong, everyone in the group knew where it was and where the keys were. Those who could would escape.

  Robin approached the security fence on the back side of the lot, climbed it like a grunt at boot camp, and dropped softly onto the grass. Listening for a moment, she heard nothing but birds making settling-in-for-the-night sounds. Moving into the shadows of one of the buildings, she found a spot where she could see the unit she’d rented long ago and hunkered down to wait for dark.

  The temperature dropped as night fell, and she soon wished she could move and warm her muscles a little. Shivering in the cool night a
ir, it was easy to recall the panic of that first KNP. There’d been the fear of discovery, fear of not being good enough to pull it off, fear of failure and its result, prison. She felt those things more strongly now. Added to them was the fear of dying.

  Still, the present situation was different. She’d spent months learning how to think like criminals, how to beat them at their own game. She’d learned to consider every eventuality. She’d practiced setting her emotions aside in order to act with confidence. She’d even accepted the value of her father’s lessons on how to play on the expectations of others. Though Mark had used “people skills” for his own ends, Robin tried to develop hers in pursuit of justice. Tom Wyman, a man of strong moral fiber, had seen the laudable intention behind their crimes, so she didn’t think they were deluding themselves about the value of their work. If she used her father’s teachings to make the world a better place, it was the ultimate rejection of him and his smug belief in Me First.

  Her cell phone vibrated, and she answered softly. “Hello?”

  “Where are you?” Luther asked.

  “I’m in a restaurant on I-20, almost there.”

  “Do you have the money?”

  “Most of it. I have to hit one more ATM before I meet you.” It wasn’t a complete lie. They’d brought enough cash to make a convincing show.

  “Okay. Don’t be late or he’s dead.” He ended the call.

  As she slid her phone into her pocket, a car entered the lot. The light-colored Subaru headed down the row to the storage unit where Tom was being held. As it passed, Robin glimpsed four heads—three human, one canine.

  The car stopped outside Unit #124. Two slight figures in hooded jackets got out and rolled the door of the unit open. From the back of the SUV they began unloading power tools and long, thin boxes marked IKEA. Soon boards started slapping against each other, a hammer pounded, and an electric drill whined.

  It didn’t take long for the door of Unit #121 to rumble upward, a few feet. Robin recognized Gary as he peered out, frowning in the direction of the noise. Ducking out, he closed the door behind him and approached the newcomers. When a dog met him halfway, growling in warning, he stopped. The woman who’d driven the SUV stepped out of the unit. “Behave, Dog!”

  “Does he bite?”

  She shrugged. “Only if you get too close.”

  Gary stayed where he was, but he pointed. “What are you doing in there?”

  “My nephews are making me shelves,” she replied.

  “Shelves?”

  “I collect dolls.” As if he’d asked for details, she launched into a long explanation. “I find them everywhere, in catalogs, in stores, everyplace I go. I have dolls from all over the world. They’re beautiful, just beautiful. It’s hard to decide which one is my favorite. You know, it’s just hard to decide something like that.”

  Gary winced as the drill apparently hit something metal. “You’re putting shelves in there. For dolls.”

  “My room at senior living is really small. A friend suggested I could adapt a storage unit and make a little doll museum.” Her hands made a fan-like gesture. “You only get the full effect when you see them all at once.”

  “Dolls.”

  Gary, you’ll never win a prize for sparkling conversation.

  “Some of them are pretty special. I have an African Ndebele, some wonderful Matryoshka nesting dolls, and two rare American Girls. Would you like to see them?”

  Robin gasped at the invitation. What if he says yes?

  “Uh, no thanks.” Gary took a step backward.

  Her enthusiasm didn’t flicker. “Stop by later, when the shelves are up and the dolls are set out.”

  He chewed at his lip. “Any chance you could come back and do this some other time?”

  “I don’t see why I should. It’s a free country.” Reacting to her tone, the dog gave a growl of warning.

  He spit into the grass beside the road. “How long you think you’re going to be?”

  “I promised the boys’ mom they’d be home by midnight. Kids these days are so busy, it’s hard to find a time when they can help their old granny out.” Her tone warmed again. “But it’s going to be great not to have my babies shut up in boxes.” As if it had occurred to her for the first time, she tilted her head. “What are you doing out here so late?”

  For a moment Robin thought the boundaries of what one person is allowed to ask another had been overstepped, but age apparently excused nosiness. “A friend is bringing stuff he wants me to store for him,” Gary replied. “He must have got held up.”

  “Well, I’m going to check on the boys,” Em said, backing away. “Soonest begun, soonest ended.” Bennett remained where he was, aware that he was on guard duty.

  Returning to the unit, Gary took out his phone and made a call. Robin couldn’t hear what he said, but after he did some explaining he listened, nodded, and slid the phone into his pocket. Almost immediately Robin’s phone pulsed against her side.

  She retreated to the next row of units before answering. With the noise Jai and Mai were making, pounding, grinding, and smacking bits of wood together, it wasn’t likely Gary would hear her talking, but she didn’t want Luther to figure out she was already at the lot.

  “Hello?”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’ve got the money.”

  “We hit a little snag. It’ll have to be later, around midnight.”

  “Why?”

  “What difference does it make?”

  “I want to get this over with.”

  “Me too, lady, but stay where you are. I’ll call when things are settled.”

  Robin ended the call, pleased by the frustration evident in Luther’s voice. He was on the run. He had no money and no resources. His chance for escape was delayed by an event out of his control. She hoped that meant he’d make mistakes. Lots of mistakes would be perfectly acceptable.

  When she returned to a spot with a slant-eyed view of Unit #121, Gary was pacing in front, a newly-lit cigarette in hand. He’d pulled the door down to about two feet off the ground.

  The better to hide the prisoner. Robin wished she could see into the unit. Was Tom really in there? Was he all right? Were Hua and Cam doing their part?

  Noise continued from #124, but Em came back outside and wandered toward Gary, apparently bored. Robin heard snatches of what she revealed: a recently-deceased husband, a move to a smaller living space, and a fondness for nesting dolls. He listened and nodded, though his expression revealed no real interest.

  As they’d planned, Mai and Jai’s pounding in their unit made it uncomfortable to remain inside the other. In addition to driving Gary out, the noise would cover sounds Hua and Cam made as they used metal snips to cut a hole in the side wall of #121. With luck, they’d get Tom out through the opening and into the rental car undetected. As soon as that was done, Em would get him and the girls out of there. Cam, Hua, and Robin would climb the fence, the guys would leave in the van, and Robin would call the police to report suspicious activity at the lot before driving away in the RAV.

  Their plan hit a bump when two vehicles rounded the end of the row and approached the spot where Gary waited. Robin’s heart sank. Luther was driving Linda Billings’ car, and Dave followed in Tom’s black Mustang. It was, as Em would say, “Time to book.”

  They stopped their vehicles and got out, but Dave left the Mustang’s engine running. The low roar of the after-market pipes interfered with Robin’s ability to hear what was said. She heard, “—tell ’em to get lost,” but Luther shook his head. His hands moved as he explained something, probably that they couldn’t afford to raise anyone’s suspicions, since they planned to commit a couple of murders in the near future.

  Dave had ducked into the unit, apparently to check on the prisoner, and he re-emerged, his face a mask of anger. “Gone!” she heard him say. In a typically human reaction, Luther had to see for himself. Gary followed him inside, and their voices rose with outrage when they saw the h
ole in the metal wall.

  Em and the girls had accelerated their movements when Dave and Luther arrived. Em ordered Bennett into the vehicle and followed himi in. Jai closed the hatch then squeezed in beside Mai on the passenger seat. They had to get out before their enemies realized the appearance of a slightly loony woman and her noisy helpers represented more than a minor delay to their plans.

  Dave had already turned his gaze in their direction. “Stop!” he called. When Em paid no attention, he pulled a gun from the waistband of his jeans. Taking a position in the center of the road he aimed at the car, his stance indicating he was no amateur shooter. Robin gauged the distance between herself and Dave. Could she reach him before he fired at Em? With a heart-stopping pang of dread she realized she was much too far away to help.

  Em had the situation under control. Ducking to her right, she pressed on the accelerator, and the engine responded with a roar. Robin got the idea, though she wasn’t sure she could have done it.

  What kind of crazy does it take to drive directly at someone who’s pointing a gun at you?

  Em’s action was dangerous, but it also takes an iron will for an unprotected pedestrian to face a two-ton vehicle in a deadly game of chicken. Em was betting Dave didn’t have that kind of courage.

  She was correct. When he realized Em wasn’t going to stop, he dropped his arm and leapt aside. The SUV sailed past as he rolled in the grass, took aim, and fired a couple of shots. Being hasty, they went wide. Em and her passengers were around the corner before he regained his feet.

  “Gary!” he called. “Stop them before they get out the gate!”

  Throwing himself into the Mustang, Gary drove off. It was pointed away from the front, and he sped past the spot where Robin stood, took the corner in a wild slide, and headed up the next row. Left in the darkness, Robin said a little prayer that Em got away before he caught up with her.

  ***

  Chewing at her lip, Em entered the passcode for the entry gate. It seemed to take forever, but the arm finally lifted in a series of jerks that indicated great age and a lack of maintenance. She scooted under just as the Mustang rounded the corner at the far end of the lot and roared toward them. The arm dropped behind them, almost in free-fall, and the driver of the Mustang had to stop and re-enter the code. Making the most of those precious seconds, Em gunned the SUV’s engine, strewing gravel behind her as she pulled onto the highway and headed for town.