He would soon regret his decision not to question why the couple had needed such seclusion.
Jack carried Samantha and the chauffeur’s daughter, Maria, into the cabin and placed them in a back room. The room was bare, just floor, walls and ceiling, and its lone window was boarded over on the outside. The small closet beside the door held only one item, a blue, plastic potty chair with a drawing of a teddy bear on its front.
He took off the backpack he’d been wearing and fished into it for a ski mask. After donning the mask, he freed the girls’ hands and removed their blindfolds.
Samantha blinked at the sudden light, and then was startled, as Maria rushed over and hugged her about the waist.
“There’s no way out of here, kid, so don’t even try. Once your grandfather pays, I’ll let you go.”
“You won’t get away.”
“That’s bullshit, kid, the cops are useless, and so is the FBI.”
Samantha smiled and shook her head.
“You won’t get away, because Mr. White will find you.”
“Mr. White? Is that who you were talking to on the phone?”
“Yes.”
“Asshole threatened to kill me if I didn’t let you go, what is he, your bodyguard?”
“No, he’s my equal. Now go away.”
Jack took a step toward her, but then caught himself.
“You got a mouth on you, kid. I almost hope your grandfather doesn’t pay.”
Samantha continued to stare at him.
Jack sent her a grunt before grabbing his backpack and leaving the room.
After the door closed, Samantha separated herself from Maria, but the little girl cried and gripped her arm.
Samantha looked down at her.
“You’re scared, aren’t you?”
The little girl nodded as tears fell down her cheeks.
“I want Mommy.”
Samantha walked over to a corner by the window and sat down. When Maria followed her over, she lay on the floor beside her and rested her head in Samantha’s lap.
Samantha smiled down at the girl.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Maria nodded, and moments later, fell asleep.
***
They were back at the Ryan estate. This time it was at the behest of the FBI.
The Special Agent in Charge was John Brice, and he talked with them as they sat at a small table in a corner of the Ryans’ main kitchen. Brice was fifty-two, married, and the father of four children. He wore a three-piece suit and his crew-cut hair showed white at the temples, as his blue eyes sparkled with intelligence behind a pair of wire-framed glasses.
“I know of you by reputation, Dr. White, and I met your father once when I was a rookie, but tell me, what is your connection to the Ryan family, and why would Brendan Ryan’s granddaughter have your husband’s phone number?”
Jessica explained their involvement in the earlier case involving Samantha, while also offering her opinion about Samantha’s guilt in her parents’ deaths. When she was through, Brice stared at her.
“As I said, I know of your reputation, and if it wasn’t for that, I might think you were crazy.”
“I know it’s difficult to accept that a child is capable of such acts, but she is, now, regardless of that, this is still a child, and my husband thinks she’s capable of changing, that’s why he answers when she calls; he’s trying to counsel her.”
Brice shifted his gaze to him.
“Have you ever called her?”
“No, not only would it not be proper, given her age, but it would also be counter-productive. She has to want my counsel, not be preached to.”
Brendan Ryan walked over to them.
“Has the doctor been telling you lies about my granddaughter?”
“No sir, Dr. White was just filling me in on her connection to your granddaughter, but please sir, I need you back in the living room. The kidnapper will be calling at four, and it’s nearly that time now.”
“Agent Brice,” Jessica said, “How do you know when the kidnapper will call?”
“Because I’ve been trying to catch this man for three years now, and without fail, he always makes first contact at four p.m. This isn’t crime to Jack, to Jack, it’s a business transaction. He’s kidnapped over a half dozen children and once he’s paid, they’ve all been returned safely.”
“How do you know that his name is Jack?” Dr. White’s husband said.
“That’s what he calls himself,”
“How is he so successful? I thought that kidnapping had a very high failure rate?”
“Normally it does, Dr. White, but Jack is clever, and ruthless. He always works with two partners, a man and a woman, and he always sacrifices them in order to avoid capture.”
“What do you mean?”
“While his male partner picks up the money at a drop point, he sends his female partner off to return the child, while telling her that she’ll be the one collecting the ransom. Once the woman reaches what she believes to be the drop point, she releases the child and grabs a satchel supposedly containing money, but that actually contains explosives. Once the child is out of range, Jack detonates the satchel and eliminates the woman he no longer needs, while also insuring that we’ll stay away and not try to apprehend her. Later on, he kills the man, presumably as they meet to divide the money.”
“That’s almost ingenious; but tell me, has his routine varied any in this case?”
“Actually, yes, he usually murders the caretaker or chauffeur that he snatches the child from, in this case they left the chauffeur alive but kidnapped his child. I’m not sure why.”
“If this instance is different from the others, then how can you be certain that it’s who you think it is?”
Brice’s face grew dark.
“He sent me a letter this morning, telling me that he was going to kidnap one more child and then retire. He writes me... often, taunting me.”
“He’s trying to make it personal, hoping that you’ll make a mistake.”
“I’m well aware of his motivations, Doctor, it still stings that I haven’t caught him in all this time.”
“What about the chauffeur? Could he be involved?” Jessica said.
“We’ve grilled him, but it’s my belief that he’s innocent. He’s completely distraught over his daughter’s abduction. She shouldn’t have been in that limo, but with her mother in the hospital, the chauffeur, William Ortiz, was dropping her off at his sister’s once he took Samantha home. It’s just a case of bad timing. Thank God the child is very young, I doubt Jack views her as a threat. Now please, everyone, let’s go back into the living room, it’s nearly time for the call.”
***
When they returned to the living room, Brice pointed at a large laptop computer.
“That’s another new twist. It came with the letter. The techs haven’t had a chance to examine it closely, but they’ve assured me that it’s clean of explosives or toxins. According to the letter, it’s to be on and ready at four o’clock.”
When the time came, the laptop sent forth a beep.
An FBI tech examined it and turned to Brice.
“It’s a video call, sir, we’ll do our best to trace its source, but please, keep him talking as long as you can.”
“I understand, now answer the call.”
The tech touched the mouse, hit a button, and an instant later, a masked man appeared on the monitor. In the room seen beyond him was a wall covered by a white sheet.
“Special Agent Brice, we meet at last, so to speak.”
“Hello, Jack, I recognize your voice.”
The man on the screen wore a black ski mask; all that was visible were his lips and a pair of brown eyes.
“Okay, Brice, we both know how this works. I want five million dollars in high quality uncut diamonds and I want it in twenty-four hours.”
Brice leaned in closer to the camera.
“Five million?”
“Yes, I’ve upp
ed my usual fee considerably, I know, but as I wrote you, I’m retiring and we both know that Brendan Ryan is good for it. Besides, it would seem you’re getting two for the price of one.”
“I want to see Samantha Ryan and Maria Ortiz; I want to know that they’re unharmed.”
“Brice, Brice, Brice, how many times have we done this dance? You know that I only offer proof of life once I know you have the money ready. Now, we’ll talk again tomorrow, goodbye.”
“Wait! Why is the chauffeur still alive? Is he an accomplice of yours?”
“No, Brice, I was simply showing mercy. By now, you know what I’m capable of, and I saw no point in proving it again, now goodbye,”
The screen went dark and Brice walked over to the main tech, a man who looked to be barely out of his teens.
“Anything?”
“No sir, he wasn’t on long enough to trace, and somehow he’s using multiple I.P. addresses to disguise his location.”
“How much time would you need to trace his location?”
The tech chewed on his bottom lip as he thought it over.
“Three minutes, you give us three minutes and we’ll track him.”
Brice exhaled loudly.
“Three minutes is an eternity, son,”
The man hung his head.
“I understand sir, but even with our equipment... it just takes time.”
Brice patted him on the shoulder.
“Just do your best and I’ll try to get you those three minutes.”
The man smiled at him.
“Yes sir.”
Brice then turned his attention to Samantha’s grandfather.
“Mr. Ryan, will you have much difficulty in securing the ransom?”
“No, in fact, one of my companies owns several diamond mines. This man Jack must have researched me, since I’m one of the few people capable of procuring such a large quantity of diamonds on such short notice. I’ll have the ransom here by morning, but please, please tell me that I can trust this man not to harm my granddaughter. That poor child has been through enough already.”
“Jack has never harmed a child, sir. I see no reason why he would start now.”
Brendan Ryan appeared to take comfort from Brice’s words.
“I’ll make a few calls and begin the process to acquire the diamonds, after that, I’ll be upstairs with Mrs. Ryan, she’s taking Samantha’s abduction hard. If you need me, I’ll be in my bedroom.”
After Ryan left, Brice sat down with Jessica and her husband.
“What’s your opinion of Jack, Doctor?”
“Very confident, very matter of fact, I think it’s as you say, he thinks of this as a profession, not as a crime. There is one thing though,”
“Yes?”
“From what I gather, he’s changed his pattern. The increased ransom, the sparing of a life and the talk of retirement indicate to me that he’s being influenced by an outside force, possibly a woman.”
“You mean, you mean that Jack may have fallen in love?”
“Possibly, or it could be something else.”
Brice rubbed his chin.
“If true, maybe we could use it to our advantage.”
“Yes, while we’re waiting for the ransom to arrive, I would like to listen to all of the previous interactions you’ve had with Jack, perhaps I’ll pick up on something.”
“You’ll have it. I’ll have one of the techs send the voice files over. In the meantime, you and your husband may as well return home, knowing Jack, we have a day before he contacts us again. He’s a ruthless bastard who terrorizes children, but he is a man of his word.”
Jessica raised an eyebrow.
“You admire him?”
“I understand him, and if it’s the only thing I ever accomplish as an agent, I’ll see that man behind bars.”
The doctor’s husband spoke up.
“Prison is too good for him.”
Brice smiled without warmth.
“Then I’ll settle for the morgue,”
CHAPTER 4
The man calling himself Jack powered off the laptop and removed his ski mask. Afterward, he hit the button on a black box connected to a satellite dish positioned outside the window. Once the green power light faded to dark, he left the room.
Cinda, the young woman who had lured the chauffeur from the limo, walked over to him and fell into his arms, as her brother, Harry, questioned him.
“How did it go?”
“Smooth, that satellite hook-up worked great; they’ll never trace the signal. It was well worth the money.”
“That’s not what I mean; I meant how did Brice react to the huge ransom?”
“He was surprised, but he knows the score, once they pay, the girl goes home.”
Cinda smiled at her brother.
“Don’t worry, Jack knows what he’s doing, and soon we’ll all be rich.”
Harry stared at his sister. He was her senior by ten years and a lifelong criminal who normally made his living as a burglar, unlike Jack, Harry had been to prison and once served a two-year sentence for breaking and entering.
“I worry, Cinda. You’re my little sister and so I worry.”
Jack landed a playful punch on Harry’s shoulder.
“Like I promised, this is my last job. Brice is whipped, and two days from now we’ll be retired and untouchable, now let’s eat, I’m starved.”
Cinda pointed to a door at the end of the hall.
“What about the little girls?”
Jack made a face at the door.
“They’ll eat tomorrow. It won’t hurt the rich little bitch to go hungry for once.”
Cinda pouted.
“But, Jack, she’s just a child.”
Jack softened as he gazed into Cinda’s eyes.
“All right, we’ll feed them, but later, now let’s go eat.”
***
Within the room, Samantha had her face pressed against the crack between the bottom of the door and its frame, which allowed her to view the hall with one eye. She could see and hear the kidnappers; however, their backs were turned to her, so she couldn’t make out their faces.
Jack, Harry and Cinda, she thought.
“Can you see anything?”
Samantha turned her head and looked at Maria.
The two of them were the only items in the room. There were no beds or chairs, not even a rug, but outside the weather was warm and so the temperature was comfortable.
Samantha sat beside Maria.
“Their names are Jack, Harry, and Cinda, and I think that the one named Jack asked Grandfather for money, and as soon as they get the money they’ll let us go, so don’t be afraid, okay?”
Maria laid her head in Samantha’s lap.
“The bad people scare me.”
Samantha stared down at the little girl, as an unfamiliar feeling fluttered in her chest.
She brushed Maria’s long, dark hair from her face.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“Promise?” Maria said, before sticking her thumb in her mouth.
“I promise,” Samantha said, and then she smiled, as she thought of all the evil games she’d like to play with Jack.
CHAPTER 5
5:39 a.m.
Jessica awoke to find herself alone, as just the barest hint of the coming day showed at the window.
A few minutes later, she put on her robe and went downstairs. After a brief search, she found her husband sitting out on the patio with the dog at his feet.
“You’re up early.”
He sent her a smile.
“I woke up thinking about Samantha, despite everything else she is, she’s still a child and she’s out there somewhere being terrorized.”
Jessica sat beside him and took his hand.
“This will sound cruel, but... in a way, this kidnapping could be good for her.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s always been the one in control, aloof. The fear you say you h
eard in her voice yesterday, the loss of control, the threat of violence, these things, as terrible as they are, they might actually initiate a sense of empathy within her, that is, if it’s even possible. She may be incapable of feeling almost anything.”
“She’s not. There’s still hope for her. She’ll never be... normal, but I refuse to believe that she’s a monster.”
“I listened to all of the previous conversations between Brice and this kidnapper, Jack. Brice is correct, Jack sees himself as a businessman conducting a trade. In every instance but this one, he’s killed the person who was with the child in order to demonstrate that he was serious. In this case, he’s gone out of his way to keep the chauffeur alive.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“Well, I doubt that he’s developed a conscious. It’s more likely that he’s changing for someone. Brice said that Jack always sacrifices his partners; I wouldn’t be surprised that in this case that changes.”
“If you’re right, then he’ll need another way to return Samantha, or, this time he sacrifices only one of his partners instead.”
“Maybe, but I’m willing to bet that when the time comes that Jack will spring a surprise on Brice, and it’s anybody’s guess what it will be.”
He reached down and stroked the dog behind the ear, as the sun peeked through the trees.
“As long as we get Samantha back, that’s all that matters.”
“You care about her, don’t you?”
He smiled at her.
“Someone gave me a second chance once; I just think that she deserves the same.”
She squeezed his hand.
“You were worthy of a second chance, she may not be.”
“I only hope that she lives long enough to get one.”
***
That afternoon, they were back at the estate.
As they were escorted into the home, they saw Agent Brice having a heated, but whispered, discussion with a young man wearing a goatee. When the conversation ended, Brice walked over to them with a long face.
“I’m afraid we have to leave.”
“What? Why?” Jessica said.
“That man I was talking to, he’s Special Agent Kyle Croft. Special Agent Croft is now in charge of this case and I’ve been ordered back to the office.”
The TAKEN! Series - Books 5-8 (Taken! Box Set Book 2) Page 12