Double Fugue

by Aiden Vaughan

  “Let’s go take a look at it,” Jason suggested.

  Jason and Marilyn went into Eric’s room, and found that he had left his clothes and shoes all over the floor. There were Converse logo tee shirts draped on his bed along with six guitar picks.

  “You said that Eric was always very careful about his things, right?”

  “Yes, he always keeps his room neat and everything put away because he has so little clothing and really wanted to take care of the new clothes that you had bought him. Seeing a lot of his stuff just thrown around is very unlike him.”

  “Mrs. Ferreira, this mess is deliberate. I think that Eric has left us some clues! I think that the Converse logo tee shirts on the bed were put there to point to something with Converse All Star on it.”

  Jason grabbed one of Eric’s navy blue high tops off the floor. “Eric really likes these new chucks and wouldn’t leave them unless there was a reason. Look! There is a note wadded up inside.” Jason unrolled the paper and read it out loud. “It says, ‘Help, I am being kidnapped by my stepfather, Rogelio Fernandes. I think he is taking me to his property somewhere near where I used to live’.”

  “How did he get into our house?” Marilyn replied with concern in her voice. “I was sure I left the house locked.”

  “I don’t know the answer to that, but I bet those guitar picks on the bed point to another clue hidden somewhere in here. I am going to look through his bass case and music.” Jason walked over to the area where Eric kept his bass and bass music. His bass was resting on a guitar stand. There wasn’t anything underneath his bass on its stand, but when Jason looked through his music sheets, he found another note. “Look at the video camera I put into the garage.”

  “Why would there be a video camera in the garage?” Jason asked.

  “I don’t know, but I do know that Jorge was showing Eric how to use the camera yesterday.”

  “Let’s go check it out!” Jason exclaimed.

  When they went into the garage they found the camera on a lower rung of Jorge’s workbench. It was still recording. “He must have recorded something he wanted us to see!” Marilyn took the camera, hit stop, and then rewound it. They brought it inside the house and connected it to the television set to see what was on it. At first all it showed was the empty garage with the garage door opened. Then it showed a car backing into the garage.

  “That’s not one of our cars!” Marilyn exclaimed. As the car moved into the garage you couldn’t see much, except for the license plate. As the car pulled in the license plate number came in focus.

  “Eric is a genius!” Jason said emphatically. “He’s leaving us the car and its license plate number. This will really help in tracking him down.”

  As the tape continued to run, things became a lot more distressing. The playback showed the bottom halves of two people, one wearing boots and the other barefoot moving toward the trunk of the car. As they got closer to the car, the barefoot figure was pushed down to the ground, while the boots figure approached the trunk of the car. For a brief moment the video revealed that the barefoot figure was Eric, and showed his tape-gagged face. Next the audio had a series of gag-muffled vocal sounds. This caused a response from his kidnapper. “You’d better shut up, swimmer boy, if you don’t want me to knock you out.” The response was more muffled sounds from Eric. The trunk of the car was unlocked. Eric was lifted up and placed in the trunk. Next they heard tape being unwound from a roll of duct tape, torn off, and then apparently used to bind Eric’s feet together. Finally the trunk was slammed shut, the garage door opened, and the car drove off.

  “That definitely has to be Eric’s step father, Rogelio Fernandes. He always calls Eric ‘swimmer boy’ and I am sure he made Eric take off his normal clothes and put on a bathing suit. That was one of the abusive things he always did to Eric to keep him under his control!”

  “Poor Eric! That son of a bitch has stolen him away from us. We have to get him back!”

  AMBER ALERT

  (Thursday Morning)

  Just then there was a knock on the door. Lieutenant Garcia from the missing persons unit was there along with Sergeant Malone. “Hello, ma’am. I’m Lieutenant Garcia and this is Sergeant Malone. I understand that you believe your son has been kidnapped.”

  “Come in, Lieutenant. We have more than suspicion, we have actual proof!”

  Garcia walked in and then saw Jason. “Jason, hello again! How are you involved in this?”

  Jason quickly explained to the policemen the basic story of how Eric was rescued from his abusive stepfather and then brought here to live with his aunt and uncle. “Lieutenant Garcia, Eric’s stepfather, Rogelio Fernandes, has to be one of the worst predators I have ever heard about, and now he has kidnapped Eric right out of our neighborhood here in the Silicon Valley. We have to act and act fast! Luckily Eric has left us with a lot of good clues and information.”

  The doorbell rang again. When Marilyn opened it, in came Daniel and Joe Connor. “We got here as fast as we could,” Daniel said a little out of breath. “What has happened to Eric?”

  Jason showed everyone the notes Eric left and then Marilyn played the videotape again. After they got past the part where Eric was being bundled into Rogelio’s car in the garage, Daniel said. “Wait! Play that part of the tape again. Can you hear it? I think Eric is leaving us another clue. Those muffled sounds you hear from Eric sound like musical notes!”

  The tape was quickly rewound, and with the volume turned up it was clear that Eric’s sounds were distinctly different pitches.

  “I can hear a distinctive pattern!” Daniel exclaimed. “Do, do, doo, do, do, doo, do do do do. In notes that is G C E, E D C, D C A C.” He sang the pattern in solfege. “Sol, do, mi, mi, re, do, re, do, la, do. I’ve got it! It’s Red River Valley. Maybe that is a clue to where he is being taken!”

  Lieutenant Garcia spoke: “This kid Eric has really given us a lot to go on. I have everything I need to authorize an AMBER Alert. The videotape shows clearly that he has been kidnapped, and has been bound and gagged with tape. From what you described of his last incident with Fernandes, he clearly is in imminent danger of more bodily harm. How old is Eric? Fourteen, so he meets the age requirement. We need to get his data entered into the National Crime Information Center system to complete the criteria for issuing the alert. Sergeant Malone, run that license plate and have Detective Spencer call us right away. Then I want you to find out as much information as you can on Fernandes, and do a search to locate his property. Detective Spencer will work with you, Mrs. Ferreira, to get all of the information entered into the system so the alert can be issued. She knows how to do it. I am also going to organize a SWAT team to go after this guy. We will get going as soon as we can pinpoint a location.”

  Sergeant Malone was quickly back from the squad car computer. “I ran the license plate. It is registered to a 1998 Cadillac Eldorado. The address is listed as being on Green Street in Springdale.”

  “That is my sister Anna’s house, Eric’s mother,” Marilyn said. “I am really concerned about her, also. Fernandes couldn’t have known that Eric was gone from Springdale and up here unless he had been back to the house. I fear for her safety!”

  “Good point, and thanks for bringing that up. I will contact the sheriff for that part of Monterey County. Please give me her full name, address, and telephone.” Marilyn gave the information to Lieutenant Garcia, then dialed her telephone number, but there was no answer.

  Meanwhile Sergeant Malone had checked property records. “I couldn’t find anything in Monterey County, but I did find a location in San Benito County on Red Valley Road.”

  “That’s got to be it! It matches the music clue!” Daniel exclaimed. “Can we look at an aerial map of the property?”

  Marilyn turned on their home computer then opened a mapping and address location program from their web browser. When the aerial view of the property was displayed, they could see that it was isolated, and that there were two buildings visible,
a house and a barn.

  “As soon as we can get down there, we will surround the buildings and then move in,” Garcia stated with some authority.

  “Lieutenant Garcia, we are going down there, also,” Jason insisted. “Our friend Mr. Connor has agreed to drive us down. He assisted us with Eric’s initial rescue. We will stay back and out of the way until your SWAT team operation is completed. But once you are finished with your operation, Fernandes is in custody, and Eric is recovered, he is going to need a lot of help and support. The last time he was with his stepfather he ended up in a near catatonic state, due to the abuse and beating he took. He will need his clothes, some food, water, and some friendly faces to help him recover from the trauma of being kidnapped by his predator stepfather, bound and gagged, dumped in the trunk of his car, and taken from the safety of his aunt and uncle’s home.

  “Who knows what his stepfather will try when they arrive at his property? Also we know him if any changes in plans come down or you need more information, or a sure identification if there is a hostage situation. We can stay in contact by cell phone.”

  “You are making some good points, Jason, but I worry that you and Daniel will somehow get in harm’s way or do something foolhardy to try and help your friend!”

  “Now, Lieutenant Garcia, you made such a big deal about that when Daniel and I went into Frank Encino’s basement, that we have learned our lesson, and will leave all of the front work to the police! Besides we will have Mr. Connor with us, and he won’t let us do anything foolish!”

  “Okay, Jason, I will take you at your word. Be sure that you do stay out of the way. This Fernandes guy sounds very dangerous, and I would imagine he will be even more so when he discovers that he is surrounded by a SWAT team.”

  Lieutenant Garcia left to get his team organized and on the road.

  Marilyn spoke to the boys and Mr. Connor with real concern in her voice. “I want you to be very careful! How could I ever face your parents again if something happened to you! I would like to go down there myself and check out what has happened to my sister!”

  “Mrs. Ferreira, I think that the best thing you can do right now is to stay here,” Joe Connor stated. “If your sister is going to call anyone, I am sure that she would try to call here, and you need to be here to answer that call. Also you need to be available to the police if anything comes up where they have to consult Eric’s legal guardian, which I understand is you. I know it must be frustrating having to sit around and wait, but that is what you need to do.”

  “Here is my cell phone number,” Jason added. “Please call me if you hear anything up here that might affect what is going on. We will call you as soon as we find Eric. Now we need to go into Eric’s room and put together a tote bag of clothes for him and any other basic necessities. Also do you have a cooler that we can borrow? We will pick up food and drinks on the way down there. We want to have some food for Eric. I’m sure he will be hungry and thirsty when we find him.”

  “I will get you a cooler,” Marilyn said. “I have some ice and drinks that you can take along.”

  Jason and Daniel went to Eric’s room and found the Converse tote bag that Jason had bought for him. They packed it with a complete change of clothes, Eric’s shoes and socks, a towel, and some first aid items in case he had more bruises and cuts. Daniel also grabbed the adhesive remover.

  “I thought I would never have to use this again!” Daniel exclaimed. “Hopefully it won’t be needed as much as it was last time. That Fernandes guy has sure been mean to Eric.”

  Mr. Connor used the Ferreira’s computer to download maps from the Internet to the address and locations that they were driving to. He also talked to Gary Holmes and Bill Hunter on the telephone explaining what had happened to Eric and the agreement that they had with Lieutenant Garcia. He told them how important Jason and Daniel’s presence would be for Eric after the SWAT team finished its work, and that he was driving them down there and would be responsible for keeping the boys safe.

  “Right now the safety and mental state of Eric is the paramount thing,” Mr. Connor continued. “What has happened today is Eric’s worst nightmare being actually realized! After what Eric went through the last time he was with his stepfather, he is going to need the support of his friends when he is finally rescued. We already know some of the trauma he has been put through today. Eric’s aunt needs to remain here because of the danger to Eric’s mother Anna, who no one has heard from today.”

  Both parents reluctantly agreed after Joe reminded them of his experience in the secret service, how he was determined to keep Jason and Daniel away from any potential harm, and after he promised to keep them informed as soon as they had more news.

  About ten minutes later, everything was ready and loaded into Mr. Connor’s car. “You boys be very careful down there,” Marilyn Ferreira said with concern in her voice. “I’m counting on you to bring Eric back to us! Please call me as soon as you know anything!”

  “We won’t stop looking until we find Eric! You can rely on us!” Jason exclaimed. Quickly, Mr. Connor backed his car out of the driveway and headed toward the freeway south.

  SHOWDOWN AT WILD CREEK RANCH

  (Thursday)

  Back at police headquarters, Lieutenant Antonio Garcia had called together an eight-man SWAT team with two EMTs for backup and was meeting with them to discuss tactics and strategy for raiding the Fernandes property. He had been in touch with the Monterey County sheriff’s office, and told them about the kidnapping, the AMBER Alert, the SWAT team preparing to go after the kidnapper, and asked for cooperation in checking out the Acosta residence in Springdale. He had also contacted the San Benito County sheriff’s office, providing them with the same information about the kidnapping and asking for their cooperation in scouting the ranch area. Garcia had asked the sheriff to send a deputy down Red Valley Road in an unmarked car and scout for a lookout area from which you could see the house and barn on the property. He specifically wanted to know if the Cadillac vehicle was on the property and if it was, which building it was parked by. He cautioned them to not approach the property until the SWAT team was in place.

  Lieutenant Garcia began the SWAT team meeting with a complete description of Eric’s kidnapping. “Eric’s kidnapper has been identified as his stepfather, Rogelio Fernandes. We know that Fernandes is a dangerous predator with a very violent streak, and can assume that he is armed. Somehow Eric was able to set up a video camera in the garage which he had set to record before he was restrained. From the tape we were able to get the vehicle license plate number and see visual evidence of Eric bound and gagged with duct tape and then put in the trunk of the suspect’s Cadillac. Additionally the kid was able to provide a clue as to the location of Fernandes’ property which has been identified as a ranch on Red Valley Road in San Benito County. There is now an AMBER Alert being posted. We believe that the suspect is now heading south on 101 to that location. That is where we will be headed after the meeting. We need to get there as fast as possible without using sirens. If we run into any significant traffic congestion on the way, then I will authorize sirens and red lights. The San Benito County sheriff is having a deputy in an unmarked car drive by the property periodically to see if Fernandes has arrived yet. If possible the deputy will set up a lookout point if he can find a location where he can observe the property unnoticed from the road. If for some reason he didn’t go there, we have a second possible location, the mother’s home in the town of Springdale.

  “Surprise is going to be very important and difficult to achieve, since the ranch is so isolated.” Lieutenant Garcia then projected a topographical map of the area. “The property has a lot of little hills and gulches, and is crisscrossed with several dry creeks. The two buildings are on a more level part of the property closer to the entrance driveway, which is around a curve in the road and on the north side. The B team should go in here along this dry creek bed on the east side before the curve to be able to close off escape from the rear. I
f the suspect’s vehicle is parked by the house, the B team should try to reach the barn and set up your initial positions from there. The A team will try to get a single officer into a cover spot and give us more information on where the suspect is located and if there is any sign of the boy. Remember that we have a hostage situation, and we don’t want to fire any shots until we know where Eric is located. Then the A team will set up two officers on each front side prior to going in.

  “Gentlemen, I can’t stress enough the importance of taking this perp down. No one should be allowed to get away with coming into our town and kidnapping a young boy in broad daylight. Now get your gear and load up the vans. We need to leave by 0945 hours.”

  Meanwhile Jason, Daniel, and Mr. Connor were already on the way south to San Benito County. They decided to stop in Salinas to get some sandwiches and snack food that they could bring along for themselves and for Eric, when he was rescued. The boys were filled with nervous energy and fear that something horrible could be happening to Eric, so they only could eat half of their sandwiches. They decided to store away the rest of the food so they could eat with Eric later. After their food break, they continued driving south until they reached the Red Valley Road turn off of Highway 101.

  “Do we dare drive up that road to check things out?” Jason asked.

  “You know we promised Lieutenant Garcia that we would not interfere until after their SWAT team operation,” Joe replied. “I am sure that he contacted the local sheriff to send their own lookout car to scout the area. If they see another car doing the same thing, they will become suspicious and probably stop us. I think what we should do is find a rest stop or gas station area around here that we can camp out at until we hear something. Then let’s call Eric’s aunt and Lieutenant Garcia for any updates, and to get an ETA for the SWAT team.”