by Dale Cadeau
“Yeah, I know, but it was just a reflex when I picked it up.” Taking one hand, he wrapped it around the back of his neck and brought it through his hair, wiping at his face with a sigh.
“God, that was stupid.”
“No, James, not stupid, just human. You’ve been through a lot, as we all have in the last few days. Your main concern is Avery right now and we understand. Come into the kitchen and I’ll fill you in. It’s not that bad. I think you might be pleased with what Tony and Chase uncovered.”
“Well I hope its good news. I could use some about right now.”
Walking into the kitchen, James sat tiredly at the table.
“How’s Angel doing?” Clay asked as he poured James a cup of coffee and placed it in front of him.
James picked up the cup and took a sip of the hot brew. “He should be here shortly.”
“Shouldn’t he stay with Cyn?”
“Believe me, he wanted to, but when I told Avery that she couldn’t come back to the penthouse for a while, she demanded that I tell her what was going on. I was caught, Clay. I couldn’t upset a woman who just had a baby. So I caved. Another thing to deal with after she is back to normal,” James told Clay in a frustrated voice.
“Anyway, I told her, and of course she told Cyn and Laura. They are all now at Angel’s place, Grandma included, having called Mary and Janet to help them. They also called Raven on the road and told her to hurry back. So Angel had no more say in it than I did. We left them at Angel’s with Jared and Stan on guard duty. Angel went to pick up Mary and some supplies that the woman made a fuss about needing.”
“Well at least I know that Laura is fine. I was going to call her for an update just before you got here.” Clay took a seat with his own cup of coffee.
“Where is everyone? I expected to see Chase, Tony, and Gabe,” James said.
“I suspect that Chase is in the shower. I heard that water turn on a few minutes ago. He is getting cabin fever. I haven’t let him leave the apartment since this started. Tony and Gabe went out for more supplies. They should be back any minute.”
The front door opened with a slam against the wall, hard enough that James and Clay started to leave their seats. Angel walked in with a scowl on his face.
“Women.” He stood in the middle of the kitchen. “God love them, but sometimes it’s just too much.” The frustrated Native American took a deep breath, then looked at the two men sitting at the table.
“You know what I mean. They’re soft and cuddly one minute, then the next they become demanding females that you just want to shake some sense into.”
Shaking off his mood, Angel went to the counter and poured himself a coffee and took a chair at the table. At James and Clay’s look, he added, “Don’t tell me that you both haven’t had the same thoughts.”
“It wasn’t that bad when I left,” James said.
“No, you got out before the other troops arrived. My house has become a hen house. The girls with Grandma leading the charge have taken over with Jared and Stan doing their bidding. This had to be moved, that is not sterilized enough for the babies. The girls are really going to it. You would have never thought that anyone had ever had a baby. We had stuff ready, but it wasn’t right according to Mary and Janet. All I can say is that I’ve never been so glad to leave my house to work on a mission.”
“Okay, enough about the women. I think you will both want to see what Tony and Chase found.” Clay interrupted Angel’s tirade. Clay pushed the computer to the middle of the table so they all could see.
Chase walked into the kitchen, still rubbing a towel over his hair. “I thought I heard voices.”
Chase grabbed James out of his seat and gave him a hug. “I heard you did good. I wanted to be there for you, but my jailer wouldn’t let me out.”
“Shit, Chase, don’t make me feel bad. You know why you couldn’t leave,” Clay said, looking up from the computer.
“Yeah, I know, but it would have been nice to see my little niece. Did you bring pictures?” Chase asked James as he let him go. “God, Angel, I didn’t see you sitting there.” Chase moved around the table and looked to give him a hug.
Angel stuck his hand out toward him. “No hugs, Chase. I don’t think I could do with any more huggy-feely moments. The girls smothered me with them when I left.”
Chase laughed at the big man and slapped him on his shoulder. “I hear that you did good, too.”
“That I did, Chase. The little guy is everything I could want, besides Cyn, that is.”
Chase went to the counter and the coffee pot. “Did you tell them what we found yet?” he asked of Clay, taking his cup back to the table and having a seat.
“Just started when you walked in. Take a seat and we’ll both show them.” Clay had no sooner got the word out of his mouth when Tony and Gabe walked in carrying bags of groceries.
The back slapping and hugging started all over again. When it seem to settle back down. Clay cleared his throat.
“Can we get back to what we are here for?”
All turned and looked at Clay.
“What, don’t you like babies, Clay? I’m sure a few minutes won’t change anything,” Gabe told him.
“Yes, I like babies and small dogs, too, but I would feel even more like celebrating if Grant was here with us,” Clay told them and brought the computer back to life, showing the small town they had been looking at earlier.
James looked at the others. “He’s right, you know. Grant should be here with us. Let’s get down to business and get Grant home and celebrate everything together.”
All the guys took their seats, except Tony and Gabe, who started to unload their bags of groceries.
“Okay, Clay, show us, what they found.”
Clay pointed at the picture on the screen. It showed a small town with not much activity.
Turning on the feed, they watched as a white van came into view and turned down one of the side roads leading off the main street. Clay stopped the feed.
“We’re 100% sure that’s the van that took them. It was Chase’s idea to hack into the bank surveillance along the way after they left the highway. It paid off and there they are,” Clay said, pointing at the van on the screen.
“But that was a couple of days ago. They could be anywhere now,” Angel added.
“You’re right, Angel, but we kept our eye on this small town. Hoping that they would reappear. There’s not much out there except some cabins along the road that they took.”
“So why aren’t we out there checking every one?” James asked.
“Hold on, James, look at this first.” Clay taped a few keys and the screen showed the same van time-stamped the next day going into the one McDonald’s in the town.
“Yeah, so?” James raised his eyes from the screen to Clay.
“We found a pattern, James.” Tony took over as he came to stand beside Clay. “We watched and every day within a half hour or so the same van comes into the McDonald’s and then leaves and goes back down the same road.”
“That’s sloppy of them,” Angel said, watching the van on the screen.
“I think that they don’t have a clue that the van would be traced. A white van among hundreds in this city. They also didn’t know that you had cameras installed behind the alley of the restaurant. They probably only worried about the one in the front where they snatched them,” Gabe added.
“So what’s the plan?” Angel asked.
“The guys and I discussed our options earlier. We think that the best plan is to grab whoever is in the van when it comes around supper time. One of us could take the man’s place and go back to the cabin. That brings them down to one. And Grant, I’m sure, will be ready for anything on the inside after we make a move,” Clay told James and Angel with the others nodding their heads in agreement.
“So tonight we move. Can we get a better look at the guy at McDonald’s? If one of us takes his place, we should be prepared. We’ll have to work swiftly when we do this.
McDonald’s is always a busy place, and we don’t want some well-meaning person calling the cops on us. That’s all we need is the cops up our ass when we go after Grant and Charlie.” James sat back and looked at the men around him.
“Tony hacked into the computer system at McDonald’s, and the one at the drive-thru gave us a pretty good look at the guy. He is beefed up but looks around your or Chase’s build and coloring. We thought that we would take the server’s place at the window and tell the guy that he has to wait for his order. They send the cars around the corner to wait. That’s when we’ll make our move. It’s sort of a blind spot that nobody ever goes to unless they have to wait.”
“I agree that it sounds like a good plan, all except one thing. Don’t you think the guy would get suspicious if one of us suddenly takes over the takeout window? None of us look like we would work there,” James said.
“I thought that over and I know who wouldn’t look out of place. Brad would fit the bill, he is wiry, looks younger than he is, and with his long hair, he just might fit in.”
Clay turned in his chair at the noise at the front door. “Speak of the devil and he comes.”
Brad walked into the room in holey jeans with his long blond hair tied back. “Did I hear my name mentioned?”
“Just in time, Brad. We need you to go to work at McDonald’s tonight,” James told him.
“Well that’s one place I never though you would sent me. But sure, I can eat a little fast food.” Brad stopped in front of the table with his hands in his pockets.
“You’re not going there to eat. You have the supper shift at the takeout window,” Clay told him, in his no-nonsense voice.
“Sure, no sweat. How’s the pay?” Brad smiled and made his way over to the now-empty coffee pot. Shaking the grinds out in the garbage, Brad made a new pot.
“Don’t you want to know more?” Tony asked.
“I’m sure James and Clay will tell me more when they want to,” Brad said, holstering himself on the counter to sit as all the seats were taken at the table.
“Hey, I forgot to congratulate you both on your new rug rats. I saw them when I dropped Raven off at Angel’s place. I must say that for babies, they sure are the best ones I’ve seen. I’m sure glad that you both married into good genes.”
“Well there is little bit of us in them, too,” Angel replied, flexing his muscles a bit. “Didn’t you see the fine form that my little guy has? He’s going to grow up to be just like me.”
“Couldn’t really tell, big guy, he was sleeping. Your little girl, James, was awake though, and I could see that she has kept on the Braden side with her bright blue eyes. All of the girls were gushing over them and Raven joined right in. Hate to tell you, Angel, but your house is a mess. The living room is now almost wall to wall mattresses.”
“Shit, really? What are those girls doing? Aren’t Jared and Stan keeping them in line?” Angel groaned. “My poor house.”
“Jared and Stan were moving the mattresses where the girls wanted them and trying to stay out of the women’s way as much as they could. That reminds me, they both sent a message to all of us though. And I repeat word for word. ‘Hurry the fuck up and rescue Grant and Charlie before they go nuts.’”
All the men laughed as Brad jumped down from the counter, and taking the new pot of coffee, filled everyone’s cups.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Do you really think that we only have a few hours left, at least one of us? I don’t think that guy was joking. He looks like that type that would like nothing better than to off us and take the money and run,” Charlie said to Grant, getting up off the bed and starting to pace.
Grant watched her pace from his chair at the table. He wanted to go to her and take her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay.
“I don’t think it will come to that, Charlie. My unit will have us out of here soon.”
“That’s all I’ve heard about, how good your unit is. Well they’ve had almost three days and we’re still stuck here. You might have blind faith in them, but I don’t. I could be dead in hours.” Charlie stopped and flopped on the bed, bringing her head to her knees and wrapping her arms around them.
“God, Grant, I don’t want to die.”
Grant got up. He couldn’t bear to see her in such despair. She might reject his comfort but he had to try. Walking up to her, he stopped and dropped to his knees in front of her. Scared to touch her in case she lashed out at him, Grant sat on his feet, bringing his head level with hers. “Charlie, I assure you that nothing will happen. We’re both going to get out of here in one piece.”
Charlie looked at Grant over one of her arms. “Don’t say something that you can’t guarantee.”
“Charlie, I will protect you if it comes to that point. I’m not going to let anything happen, that I can guarantee. They will have to get through me to get to you.” Grant placed both of his hands on her folded arms.
“Grant, you’re only human, you can only do so much. There are two of them against one of you.”
Grant pulled her off the bed and into his arms. Hugging her tightly, he kissed her forehead.
“Believe in me, Charlie. Just promise that. If I have to start something, I want you to barricade yourself in the bathroom.
Charlie lifted her head and looked into Grant’s serious eyes. “But maybe I could help. I just can’t hide while you take on two of them.”
“You forget I’m trained for this. But if I have to worry about you, I can’t put 100% into taking them down. You understand, don’t you? Like any job, to do it well, you can’t have distractions.”
Charlie pulled her arms that were trapped between them and wrapped them around Grant. “I know you’re right. I’d probably be in the way. But if I ever get out of here, I want some training. I don’t like being made to feel useless. Promise me that you will train me.”
Grant lifted her chin. “I promise that you will never feel useless ever again, if I have any say in that.” Getting to his feet, he brought Charlie up with him. “I think it’s time that we make a plan.”
“What can we plan? We have no guns or weapons of any kind,” Charlie said, sitting back down on the bed with Grant.
“Well let’s take stock of what we do have. Looking around, we do have a few things at our disposal.”
“Like what? We have a table, chair, and a bed. In the bathroom, everything is solid to the floor. I don’t see anything that could help us,” Charlie said looking around the little room.
“Let’s take the bed for example.” Grant stood up, took Charlie’s hand, and helped her stand beside him.
“It’s an old cot, if we move the mattress, I’m sure it will have springs under it. Why don’t we try and get a few loose?”
“Sure.” Charlie swept the covers off the bed, took them to the chair, and laid them over it.
Grant took the mattress and slid it on the floor. The coil springs were underneath. Flipping the small bed on its side, careful not to make any noise, Grant squatted down and started to pry at one of the springs. Working it back and forth, he finally got one corner released.
“Can I help?” Charlie asked, kneeling down beside Grant.
“Sure, hold the bed steady. It will move more now that I have one end loose.”
Charlie grabbed the metal frame of the bed, sat down on her ass, and braced her feet. “Okay, I don’t think it will move now.”
Grant went back to prying the other side of the spring from the bed frame. He really didn’t need Charlie to hold the bed steady. He could do it himself, but she already looked better now that they had a plan and she was helping. Finally, the spring let go and Grant sat back.
“This should make a good weapon with a little work. Let’s get the bed back together in case they come in,” Grant said, getting off the floor and helping Charlie up.
Charlie helped Grant straighten the bed and put the covers back on. “There—not too bad. They won’t notice anything. I just hope we don’t ha
ve to use that bed tonight. It could be a challenge.”
“Why didn’t we take another one? Then both of us would have a weapon,” Charlie asked.
“Maybe later, let’s get this one ready first. I think we should have lunch in case they come back in to see what we are doing.”
“I’m not hungry right now, let’s get the weapon ready first.”
“We might not be hungry, but every day when they bring in the food, we eat shortly after. If they come and see that we haven’t, they might start looking around to see if we’re planning something. No, it’s better if we keep our routine. Let me hide this in the bathroom and wash my hands, then we’ll eat.”
“Sure, you’re right. We don’t want to give them any clues. I’ll start unpacking our feast for the day,” Charlie said, moving to the table and opening the bag of food that they had been left.
When Grant walked back into the room, Charlie handed him his sandwich. Grant took it and looked at it with a grimace on his face. “Doesn’t the guy have any imagination? He brought us the same thing for lunch every day.” Sitting down on the bed, he took a bite of the sandwich. “I don’t want to see another one of these for the rest of my life.”
“Well, it could be worse,” Charlie said to him with a smile.
“How could it be worse? We have been eating the same thing for days.”
“We could be vegetarian,” Charlie said as she bit into her own sandwich.
Grant laughed around his mouthful of food. “You could be right.”
Grant was glad to see that Charlie had calmed down enough to joke. He had to keep her that way. If he had to make a move, he didn’t want her getting hysterical and putting herself in danger by not having a clear head.
“When we see James, I’m going to tell him that he owes us a dinner. A big steak with all the trimmings.”
“It wasn’t his fault that we were taken. We did have a nice meal beforehand.”
“You’re right, but I’m going to tell him that going to his restaurant ruined my evening. If I hadn’t taken you there, this wouldn’t have happened.”