“Rubber bullets, yeah,” Drew said. “Ooh.” He fished a handgun out of one of the nylon holsters on the back of the door. “Check this out. A 686 Smith and Wesson 357 Magnum revolver.” He opened the chamber and spun it. Clicked it back together and aimed the weapon away from us. Pulled back the hammer and shot it.
Click.
I flinched.
“Okay, help me out, kid,” I said. “Load me and Nick up with some non-lethal rounds, and load that handgun with live rounds for yourself.”
“Why?” Nick asked, looking ticked off.
“Because Drew knows what he’s doing, and we don’t. If they test us, thinking the guns aren’t loaded, Drew can shoot at something across the room and probably hit it. Me? For a first shot in—what’s it been since that gun class?—a year? I’d probably be a good ten feet off target, and that’s if I remembered to turn off the safety. We can’t go in there looking like amateurs. Let the hunter do the business of scaring these guys. You and I just stand there looking tough.”
Nick glared at me. “They have my sister. If they’re packing, I want to be packing.”
“You’re packing non-lethals,” I said.
“Why do you get to decide?” Nick asked. “I’m older than you are.”
“You’ve also committed several crimes and are completely at my mercy. You want my help, we do this my way.”
Nick turned away. “Whatever.”
I tried to hide the relief coursing through me. “Load us up, Drew.”
****
Now that we were packing, we set out for Alcan’s place.
The dogs were still barking mad, running back and forth on their chains and leaping around. We gave the kennels a wide berth as we circled, keeping to the tree line until we reached Alcan’s cabin. My cell started vibrating all of a sudden as it found a signal and started receiving.
I pulled it out of my pocket and read through the texts. A couple from Grace the night we got here commenting on dinner and how light it was. One from Grandma. Then several from Arianna that had been sent today.
Talked to my dad. SF team on the way. Just need to stall until they get here.
One of the intruders is talking to Mr. Canton.
they left! took alcan’s atv. im going to check on everone. meet us at the lodje.
I read the texts a few times. I hadn’t heard any ATVs. And while Grace might not be able to text spell, Arianna’s grammar Nazi ways had been stalwart until that last message.
“I think the girls are in trouble,” I said, showing my phone to the guys.
“Let’s go find them,” Drew said.
“Pete and Otis know a Special Forces team is on the way,” Nick said. “They want to lure you to the lodge.”
I spotted a Vernors can on its side by the door to Alcan’s cabin. Brown sludge had spilled out, splashed an arc over the smooth dirt by the entrance. Looked freshly knocked over to me.
I pointed out the can and whispered, “Let’s take a peek inside.”
We went into professional mode. We’d trained for this type of thing. I watched the entrance while Drew and Nick checked the sides of the cabin. They both reappeared and met me in the front.
“Windows are all curtained,” Nick said.
“On my side too,” Drew added.
“Cover us, Drew,” I said.
The kid kept an eye on the perimeter, while Nick turned the door knob and pushed it open. We both aimed our guns inside. Nick went first, me right behind him.
The place was tiny—no bigger than my bedroom at home—and packed with clutter. One room with a single door. A futon couch that was down in bed mode, the blankets knotted. Clive Cussler paperbacks and Playboys stacked all over the floor. A one-wall kitchen, sink piled with dishes, flies buzzing around. A square kitchen table with a desktop computer. I counted six opened Vernors cans in various places. I also noted two Zig-Zag tobacco paper packs, one on the counter, the other beside the keyboard.
“Check it,” Nick said, pointing to a device plugged into the computer.
A signal booster. “No wonder the cell bars are stronger here,” I said.
Drew nodded toward the one door on the wall opposite the kitchen. Bathroom, I guessed. Nick and I employed the same tactics we had upon entering and found a tiny bathroom with a toilet, sink, and standing closet shower, movement inside.
I opened the shower door. Grace, Arianna, Isabel, and Samantha were sitting inside the tiny square, looking up at me, handkerchiefs in their mouths, hands tied behind their backs. They started squealing and bouncing. Sam was nearest to the exit, so I helped her out. Nick grabbed Isabel. With room to move, Arianna was able to stand and walk out on her own. I went back for Grace. Nick found a knife in the other room and set about cutting the ropes off.
“Alcan is helping them,” Arianna said after Nick had removed the handkerchief from her mouth. “He took my phone.”
“But you did get through, right?” I asked. “Help is on the way?”
“Yes,” she said. “I talked to my dad.”
Excellent. Sasquatch twins to the rescue.
“What’s the plan?” Isabel asked.
“Where did you get those guns?” Arianna added.
“Why is Nick here?” Grace asked, glaring at him.
“The plan is to go in and negotiate,” I said. “These creeps kidnapped Nick’s sister. So I’m going to go in there and offer myself to them, as long as I have proof they’ve released the girl.”
“Spencer, that’s dumb,” Arianna said.
“You have a better plan to help Faith Muren?”
She pursed her lips. “Give me a minute.”
I did. She came up with squat.
“Look,” I said. “Help is on the way. It will probably take them a while to return Faith to Pastor Muren. My guess is that by the time they comply with my demands, Special Forces will be here. Plus, Lukas and Gabe are moving the planes, so they won’t have a way to leave. Even if they drag me out into the woods, they’ll be stuck and Special Forces can come rescue me.”
“I don’t like it,” Arianna said, “but I guess…”
For Arianna, that was as close to a yes as I was going to get. “Let’s go,” I said.
We left Alcan’s cabin and met Drew outside. We skirted the kennels and went through the woods behind the lodge so no one could see us from the windows as we made our way to the dock.
When we got there, I didn’t see anyone. I also didn’t see the Beaver. The flying boat was still parked up on the beach, but Gabe and Lukas had managed to turn it around on the sand. Its nose now pointed out at the water.
“Where are they?” I asked.
Drew pointed out to the lake. “There.”
I followed his gaze and spotted Gabe and Lukas in one of the rowboats, heading toward us. Behind them, floating on the surface and drifting slightly in the breeze, was the yellow Beaver float plane, stranded in the middle of the lake. Nice.
I walked out to the end of the dock to greet them. “How’d you guys get the Beaver out there without making any noise?” I asked.
Lukas pulled the oars into the boat and stood, rope in hand as he reached for the dock. “We towed it out,” he said, wrapping the line around the peg.
“You think you can drive the flying boat?” I asked Lukas.
“No problemo,” he said. “We moved it so I can just drive away.”
“Wait for the signal,” I said. “One of us will come out on the porch and tell you to go.”
We stared at each other for a stretch of silence. Lukas broke with, “You guys look like you’re about to storm the beach at Normandy.”
“Yeah, what’s with the guns?” Gabe asked, eyeing us warily.
“It’s time to go negotiate,” I said, then filled them in on Faith’s kidnapping and the rest of my plan.
Gabe took a turn at Devil’s advocate, which didn’t surprise me, but like Arianna, he had no alternative ideas of his own except to wait until help arrived.
“If we wa
it, these guys might get arrested but Faith will still be a hostage somewhere,” I said. “We’re going to help her while we can.”
“Then we need to increase our chances of keeping you safe once you hand yourself over,” Gabe said. “When Lukas drives their plane out into the lake, I’ll hide under the stairs. That way I’ll be ready to point Special Forces in the right direction when they arrive. Also, let’s have the girls split up. Arianna and Sam, you go around to the back porch and wait by the side entrance. Isabel and Grace sneak in through the back door to the kitchen and wait there. That way, when Spencer draws out the gunmen, you girls can go in and free the hostages.”
“And if Special Forces isn’t here yet, Mr. S and Kimbal can get you back,” Arianna said.
It seemed like a strong plan. I mean, there were six adult hostages in there, plus nine of us agents-in-training. We should be able to take three guys and some dogs. Right?
“They’ll take your gun when you give yourself up,” Samantha said, pulling the duct tape off her wrist. “You should hide some weapons on you.”
“Good idea,” I said.
Using Sam’s tape, Gabe stuck Grace’s knife to the shin of my compression leggings under my BDU pants. “They’ll probably find that one, but hopefully they’ll give up the search there.” He also taped the tin of matches inside the sleeve of my sweatshirt, and Lukas gave him the ivory pocket knife off the keychain to the flying boat, which Gabe taped to the inside shoulder of my T-shirt.
When he finished, I blew out a long breath. “I’m ready.”
“You’re not going to have to go with them, Spencer,” Arianna said.
“Yeah, Es-pensor,” Isabel said. “Help will be here, like, any minute.”
“Plus you’ve got your necklace,” Grace said. “They can always track you.”
“Just remember to move slowly,” Gabe said. “Waste as much time as you can.”
I nodded and picked up my gun. “Okay, let’s roll.”
REPORT NUMBER: 25
REPORT TITLE: We Take On the Bad Guys and Make Them Angry
SUBMITTED BY: Agent-in-Training Spencer Garmond
LOCATION: Mission League training compound, Bear Paw Lake Lodge, Alaska, USA
DATE AND TIME: Sunday, August 5, early afternoon
We rehearsed what to say on our way up the hill, but by the time we were creeping up to the entrance of the lodge, my mind went into auto-pilot.
Nick entered first. Drew and I paused in the foyer, out of sight, waiting for our cue.
“Nice gun, Muren.” Tebow’s voice. “You know how to use that?”
“I’ve got Garmond,” Nick said. “He’s outside and he wants to talk.”
“What talk? We aren’t here to talk.”
“Stay out of here, Spencer!” Mr. S yelled. “It’s not safe to—”
A smack. A grunt.
“Shut it, baldy.” Tebow again.
I clenched my jaw. He better not mess with Mr. S.
“You want to talk to him or not?” Nick asked.
“No, we flew all the way to Alaska to get bit by a million mosquitoes,” Tebow said.
“Spencer!” Nick called, his voice tight. “Come on in.”
I met Drew’s gaze and nodded.
We entered the lodge, guns drawn. I angled mine toward the floor. A quick glance around the room confirmed Gabe’s initial assessment. Tebow and Blondie had positioned themselves at the end of the dining tables, by the kitchen doors. Blondie had his laptop set up at the end of the table. They’d put their captives in the corner on the floor behind them. Despite the sound I’d heard, Mr. S looked unharmed. A quick headcount showed six hostages—Mr. S, Kimbal, Kerri, Chiklak, Dusty, and Bill. No wolves. And no sign of Alcan. Where was that old coot?
Blondie closed his laptop. “This was not what we discussed, Mr. Muren.”
Tebow barked a laugh. “You boys gonna shoot us?”
“Maybe,” Nick said.
“We’re hoping it won’t come to that,” I said.
“Thing is, you’re not the ones calling the shots here,” Tebow said. “This is our show, and you’re going to do what we say.”
I ignored his attempt at intimidation. “Nick tells me you kidnapped his sister.”
A gasp from Kerri. “Sweet little Faith?”
“What’s going on here, Muren?” Tebow asked. “You switching teams?”
“I was never on your team,” Nick said. “You wanted Spencer. Here he is. Now let my sister go.”
“Once we’re in the air with Mr. Garmond, we’ll make the call,” Blondie said.
“No good,” I said. “Call your boss now. Pastor Muren calls me back on your phone, tells me all is well, then I’ll go with you.”
“Don’t do this, Spencer,” Mr. S said. “You can’t negotiate with people like this. If you leave with them, we might never get you back.”
Tebow whirled around and bashed the butt of his Glock against Mr. S’s head. “I told you to shut it!”
Mr. S collapsed. Kerri cried out and crouched over her husband. Her hands were tied behind her back, so she could only talk to him.
I yanked my rifle to my shoulder and aimed the sights on Tebow. “Any more of that and you’ll regret it,” I said.
That got his attention. “You going to shoot me, boy? Do it. Otherwise, hand over the gun and the three of us will be on our way and leave all these nice, innocent people in peace.” He started toward us.
Drew lifted his gun and—blam!—shot a hole in the floor halfway between Tebow and me.
A beautiful shot.
And the sound… my ears might ring forever.
Tebow’s gaze fixed on the hole six feet in front of his sneakers.
While he was still reeling, I yelled, “Here’s what I want. You use your satphone to call the people holding Faith. You tell them to take her home immediately. They will leave your satphone number with Faith, and only when Pastor Muren calls that phone”—I pointed— “and only when he talks to Nick on that phone, and only when Nick tells me everything is good—will I leave with you.”
“That’s not all,” Nick said. “I want Kimatra and her kid too. Confirmation of all three of them delivered to my house before you get Spencer.”
I met Nick’s gaze and nodded. I’d forgotten about Kimatra’s kid.
“They’re not going to give back anyone alive,” Kimbal said. “Not if they can ID their captors.”
Tebow whipped his Glock toward the hostages. “I will shoot the next person who opens their yap!”
I nodded to Nick, who slipped outside to signal Lukas. “They don’t have a choice, Kimbal,” I said, “because we have the key to their plane.”
That pulled Tebow’s attention off Kimbal and back to me.
Any second now, Lukas.
“Newsflash, boy,” Tebow said. “I don’t need the key to start my plane.”
Beautifully, at that moment, the flying boat’s motor revved to life.
I grinned. “A key sure helps us.”
Tebow swore and ran across the dining hall toward the door.
The three of us kept our guns raised as we backed out of his way. Floor it, Lukas!
Tebow ran out onto the deck. I wished I could see the lake from here, but I could tell from his shrieking curses that Lukas had done good. Real good.
Tebow stalked back inside, face close to purple.
“They flew it?” Blondie asked.
“No.” He plodded across the room, back toward his partner. “But they drove it into the middle of the lake.”
That was my cue. “You have one hour to get Faith home to her parents,” I said. “Once I hear she’s safe—Kimatra and her kid, too—I’ll bring back your plane and leave with you.”
“Let’s just take the bush plane,” Blondie said.
“They moved both planes,” Tebow said.
“Then we take him in a boat.”
“And go where?” Tebow yelled. “They call for help and a chopper would pick us up before we reached t
he Big Su.”
“So, we have a deal?” I asked.
Blondie withdrew a phone from his pocket. “Let me make a call.”
****
I stayed put so I could hear every word Blondie said. I didn’t trust these guys, and I didn’t want any more surprises.
After he hung up, there was nothing to do but wait. And pray.
I prayed that Faith was okay and that she was getting delivered to her house right now. I prayed for Kimatra and her kid. I prayed that Special Forces would get here, but that they wouldn’t show up until Faith and Kimatra and her kid were safe. I prayed for perfect timing.
It didn’t take an hour. At my best guess, no more than twenty minutes had passed before the satphone rang.
Blondie answered. “Yes?” He set the phone on the dining table and slid it down the length. It stopped about two feet from our end.
“It’s for you,” I said to Nick.
He walked over to the table, lowering his gun. Drew and I shifted our positions to cover him.
Nick picked up the phone and held it to his ear. “This is Nick Muren.”
I watched for a change in his “I hate the world” expression. For a moment I thought maybe he only had that one look, but then he closed his eyes and choked in a strangled breath. “Okay, Dad … Thanks … Yeah, I’m okay … No, I can’t talk right now … I’ll be fine … Yeah, I … love you, too.” He set the phone on the table, then slid it back to Blondie. “She’s home. Kimatra brought her. She’s there with Rudy.”
Good. Real good.
“Our men are waiting outside your house to hear from me,” Blondie said. “Don’t give me a reason to send them back in.”
The reality of what I was about to do filled me with panic. What if they somehow managed to get away before help came? So many things could go wrong.
“Kid? What’s it going to be?” Tebow asked.
Mr. S, Kimbal, Kerri, Bill, Dusty, Chiklak, Nick, Drew . . . Everyone was watching me, waiting.
I hoped we could stall long enough for Mr. S and Kimball to get free and help us. If not… well, maybe it would be good, you know? To finally get this over with. Let Anya ask her questions. I didn’t have any answers, so I wouldn’t be very useful, no matter how many knives she waved in my face.
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