by R Weir
McNair didn’t respond, his jaw clamping down a little harder now on the pen. An act Hunter could tell was due to nerves.
“Flew to a residence to pick up several passengers at around 4:30?” continued Scanlon.
“My clients expect anonymity as part of the service, which I provide them.”
Again, Scanlon disregarded what McNair said. “Including two minors who were being taken against their will.”
McNair got angry now. “I believe this meeting is over. You can contact my lawyer if you want to further interrogate me.”
He waved off Scanlon, before returning to his paperwork, the pen in is hand, back to writing. Hunter came up behind and grabbed him with his left hand by the back of the neck and slammed his face into the tabletop. At the same time with his right hand he opened the top desk drawer, then grabbed the pilot by the right wrist, putting his fingers on the edge before closing the drawer slowly until his fingers were being squeezed enough to cause him pain.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing,” yelled McNair, as he unsuccessfully tried to struggle free.
“Testing a theory to see if a pilot can fly with several broken fingers,” answered Hunter, his strength holding the man in place impressive. “It appears you’re righthanded. Can you manage the controls with your left hand?” He pushed a little harder on the drawer knowing it wouldn’t take much more before the bones started cracking. “Answer the man’s questions truthfully, or your fingers will get crushed, which you won’t find pleasant.”
“Hunter, I’d prefer you didn’t do this?” announced Scanlon matter of factly. His tone wasn’t all that demanding.
Hunter wasn’t about to stop. He was doing what was needed.
“I’m getting the answers we need, no matter what it takes. Blade here needs to understand I’m serious and how far I will go to find out the truth. Blade, are you coming to any conclusions about the depth of my will?”
McNair continued to struggle, but his will was slowly breaking, as were the bones in his fingers, as the pressure mounted.
“Fine, fine…let me go and I’ll tell you what I know,” he proclaimed in pain and panic.
Hunter held on, until he was certain McNair was completely convinced.
“Understand, I can start all over again. Don’t pussy foot around and waste our time.”
Blade’s edgy tone was now gone. “Please…”
Hunter released him, stepping back, ready for any type of reaction. He glanced over to the doorway and saw the female mechanic standing there, her mouth wide open.
“What the hell is going on here?” she declared in a panic. “Daddy are you okay?”
The detective stood up and flashed his badge again at the late twenty’s woman, who apparently was McNair’s daughter.
“Police business young lady,” he announced. “It’s best you leave, so your father can finish answering our questions.”
She glanced back and forth at the three men in the room, uncertain of what to do. McNair’s head was up now, the side of his face red, as he flexed his hand, trying to get the feeling back in his fingers. They were sore and bruised, but it could have been worse.
“It’s okay honey,” he said, trying to sound reassuring. “Go on and finish getting the copter ready for the noon client. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”
She made final eye contact with all of them before turning and walking away, concerned by what was going on.
“Are you ready to talk?” inquired Scanlon.
“I need something to drink. Can you grab me a water from my fridge?”
Hunter nodded and walked over to the mini fridge on a table and grabbed a bottled water, handing it to him. McNair twisted off the top and drank half of it down. It probably would have been alcohol if he didn’t have to fly out here soon.
“I don’t know much,” he finally said. “I got a call about a job, paying some nice money. I was told to fly down to Colorado Springs and wait for a call to pick up passengers around 4:30 a.m. Once they were onboard, I was then supposed to fly back here, where they would go on to who knows where. Sounded like there would be a small jet waiting for them.”
“Who called you?” inquired Scanlon.
“He didn’t give a name.”
Scanlon glared at him; not certain he was telling the truth.
“Did you know the voice? Maybe someone who you’ve done work for before.”
McNair hesitated. “Maybe. I can’t say for certain. The phone connection was poor.”
Scanlon looked at Hunter in disbelief but decided not to press on that fact.
“Did you know who the passengers were?”
“No. And I didn’t ask.” McNair continued to rub his fingers to ease the soreness.
“How many passengers did they say there’d be?” Scanlon had a small notebook out that he was writing in. He was old school when it came to keeping notes.
“Six altogether.”
“How many did you end up flying away with?”
“Four. One had been shot and was bleeding all over my seats. We had to wash and scrub the entire inside when I got back?” His face contorted at the thought of the blood.
Scanlon cursed, his pen out of ink. He tossed it in the trash and pulled another out of his pocket.
“Did you take them back to Denver?”
“No. They said there had been a change of plans. I dropped them off in an area off state highway 24, which I wasn’t thrilled about doing since it was dark and hard to see. Finding a safe place to land was a bitch.”
“Was there anyone waiting for them when you landed?”
McNair thought for a minute. “A van of some kind, with a driver. Couldn’t see much since it was dark.”
Scanlon continued writing. “Then what did you do?”
“I flew back to Denver.” McNair finally finished flexing his fingers, the feeling having returned.
“And did you have to report to anyone when you returned? Let the pilot know who was waiting for them?”
“No. They handled that end of it. My job was to pick up passengers and fly them where they asked with no questions.”
Scanlon continued to write. “Did you know where they were headed once they got on the small jet?”
“Hell no. Why would I know?” McNair was getting some of his edge back.
“Could be you heard rumors. People talk and tell stories. Word gets around.”
“I try not to get into other people’s business.”
Hunter leaned down, glaring at McNair without uttering a word.
“You can break my fingers, but it won’t change the fact that I don’t know anything else.”
“Were you aware they were kidnapping two teenagers?” asked Hunter, who was hovering behind him.
McNair turned his head, afraid of what Hunter might do. “Hell no. Why would I help someone do that? I have a daughter of my own.”
“And what would you do if someone took her?” inquired Hunter, while leaning down to glare into his eyes.
McNair paused, still frightened. “I guess I’d do whatever it took to get her back.”
“Exactly. And that is why I will do what it takes to find out who is behind this.” Hunter put his hand on the fingers of McNair and slowly squeezed. “And if I find out that you’re holding out on me, I’ll be back breaking more bones than your fingers. Is that clear?”
Hunter’s face was inches from McNair’s waiting a minute before releasing the sore digits, the tense expression on his face coming across clearly to the pilot. McNair nodded his head slowly, fear lining his entire face, the edge vanishing for good.
“I expect a call if you learn anything new,” said Hunter, as he slapped a card with his number on it on the desktop, before heading towards the door.
“Call me as well,” added Scanlon, writing his number on the same card. “It will go a long way in protecting you from me coming back and arresting you for being an accomplice in a felony.”
They walked out, leaving
McNair alone with his thoughts, his body shaking in fear. Flight or not, he found a bottle of hard liquor and swallowed down several shots, hoping to steady the shakes.
Outside Hunter and Scanlon were stopped by the daughter, concern on her mind, her body shaking.
“I listened in,” she stated, looking down at the ground. “I don’t know why men are so stubborn when it comes to fessing up.”
“What do you mean?” wondered Scanlon, hoping for a lead.
“He didn’t tell you a name, but I heard him say it when he originally got the call about the job. I’m not certain if it makes sense or not, but if you promise not to hurt him anymore, I can tell you.”
Scanlon looked at Hunter, knowing he was the one with the mean streak that needed controlling. If it meant getting important answers which lead somewhere, Hunter was willing to give his word.
“If it helps us find the culprits, I promise not to hurt him,” declared Hunter.
“Don’t let him know I told you, but he said ‘The Train Man’. Not sure what it meant, but maybe you know.”
Neither men knew the name, but they would research to figure out what it meant. They thanked her before walking back to their car and driving away.
When she saw they were gone, McNair’s daughter walked back to the office to check on him. As she opened the door, she found him passed out. His head resting on the desktop, an empty bottle sitting next to him, his snoring filling the room. She knew his day of piloting was at an end and she would have to cover for him with the client. A task she’d done more times than she cared to count.
Chapter 17
Each of the four members of Hunter’s team, had been assigned one person to guard in the family. There hadn’t been too much debate about whom would watch whom, but it made sense Athena would get Olivia, since it appeared she was the main target, Athena being the most skilled and a woman who could go where Olivia went. From there Shen would watch Deion, while Keoki would get Paige and Cameryn would guard Jose.
It was Monday and all parties needed to get back to work and school. Athena and Shen drove a rental silver Lincoln Navigator they picked up yesterday, transporting the two kids back to Cheyenne Mountain High School. They would shadow each of them, arriving early to make the proper arrangements with the school’s Principal, Vice-Principal and Dean of Students. The power trio weren’t thrilled about having armed guards wandering the halls, but after explaining what had happened over the weekend, they really didn’t have much choice.
“We’ll live with this, but please do your best to blend in,” stated the Dean of Students, who was female. “And try to keep your guns hidden.”
Athena gave a sideways glance at Shen. “Shen doesn’t carry a gun, but he is armed with other weapons.”
“How can you protect them without a gun?”
“I’m skilled in martial arts and boxing. And faster than a speeding bullet.” He grinned ear to ear.
The Dean didn’t crack a smile. “Funny.”
“We’ll need to get familiar with the school,” noted Athena. “When Olivia and Deion are in class, they should be safe. We’ll wander the halls getting our bearings. Please make certain your staff is aware of us. We’ll talk with each teacher before class, making certain they understand the circumstances.”
“Our school secretary will email their teachers as well,” declared the Dean. “And I may join you on the first day or so to make sure there aren’t any issues.”
“We also need all the information on graduation day for Olivia. We understand it will be held at the Broadmoor World Arena. It will be a large event, with lots of people. We need to guarantee she is safe there.”
“Maybe it would be best if she skipped the ceremony,” interjected the male Principal, with concern written on his wrinkled face. “We have to consider the other students and any risks to them.”
“No I want to be there,” pleaded Olivia, adamant about going to the event. “I deserve to be there with all of my friends. I’ve worked hard to be one of the top students at graduation.”
“I agree,” added Athena. “It’s one of those special moments for a student. We know it’s a risk, but we’ll do our best to protect her and not endanger anyone else.”
The Principal nodded, though he didn’t appear thrilled with the prospect.
“If there isn’t anything else, we’ll get moving to the first class for each of them,” announced Athena, while standing.
“There’s one other thing,” announced the male Assistant Principal. “The school district called and are sending out a counselor to talk with both Olivia and Deion.”
“What for?” inquired Deion.
“They want to make sure you are both handling the stress of the situation properly. Mostly to give you an ear to talk to. This is normal procedure for traumatic situations a student has endured.”
“We’re fine,” declared Olivia, looking at her brother, who agreed.
The Assistant Principal’s eyebrows raised sternly. “I’m sorry. It’s not an option. You must talk with her and get her stamp of approval to allow you to continue with your classes. She’ll be seeing both of you at the beginning of your third period.”
Olivia and Deion groaned at the news, each figuring it was time wasted that could be better spent on almost anything else.
“We’ll make sure they get there,” said Athena motioning to the kids they were leaving. “We better get moving so they aren’t late.”
The four of them walked out, the Dean of Students following them. It wasn’t long before they were working their way through the rush of teenagers heading for class. A normal day at high school, or so they hoped.
***
A second Lincoln Navigator, this one red, was driven by Keoki, with Cameryn in front, both Paige and Jose in the back seats. The plan was to drop off Jose first at the NBC news station on Tech Center Drive where he worked, along with Cameryn. From there Keoki and Paige would head to her business, Green Revival Living in the northern part of the city near Briargate off Voyager Parkway. It was a six-floor building constructed and opened five years ago, designed to run completely on renewable energy, which the company was trailblazing in designing. The building ran on solar from extensive panels built in the parking lot and on the roof, and several wind turbines gracing the outer edge of the property line. Advanced tech that generated wattage with near optimal efficiency. Demonstrating to their clients what they provided for the money invested—clean and renewable power to get them off the grid.
Parking the SUV in Paige’s CEO parking spot, the solar panel above them providing shade and cover from the weather, Keoki escorted her into the building where she was greeted by the head of security—Jonathon—who had been contacted to meet them.
“This is Keoki,” Paige said. “He will need a full access card to the entire building.”
Jonathon glanced at Keoki, before turning back to Paige. “May I ask why?”
“A need to know reason, and right now you don’t need to know. Please do as I told you.”
Jonathon nodded and had the woman at the front desk who checked everyone in, get a card ready. After several keystrokes, the formerly blank card in a plastic pouch and clipped to a lanyard, was handed over, a quick snapshot of Keoki gracing the front.
“Thank you,” said Keoki, who hung it around his neck.
Together they walked to an elevator, where access to all floors was restricted. Keoki tested the card, the door opening, the sixth-floor button lighting up. Once they arrived, they walked to Paige’s office, a corner unit with a beautiful view of the foothills and the US Air Force Academy north of them. The office space appeared larger than Keoki’s home and was decorated with glass-top work desk, a $2000 brown leather chair, leather sofa and oak meeting table with six chairs. It was an extravagant office for the head of the company.
“I have a great deal of work to do today, including several meetings,” declared Paige. “As you can see security here is tight. If you want to leave and pursue other
activities, I will be safe.”
Knowing Hunter would be mad at him, Keoki figured he should remain in the building, especially on the first day watching after Paige.
“I’ll stay in the building for now. Move around a little, make sure my keycard works. You have my number in case you need me or need to leave?”
“I do. If I need lunch, I’ll have my assistant order delivery from somewhere. She can order for you as well when you get hungry.”
“Remember Hunter needs a list of people that could be after your kids by the end of the day.”
“An enemies list,” Paige said with a huff. “Damned if I’d ever think I’d have to create one.”
Keoki nodded, a situation no one ever planned for. He decided to stroll the building to get familiar with it. He started on the sixth floor where most of the other executives worked. CFO, CIO, various department heads and internal board members. Many had a stake in the company, hopefully none of them with an agenda to hurt Paige by taking her kids. Hunter had mentioned a possible merger in the works with another company. And with any company involved in this type of deal, not everyone was thrilled about such actions. There had been no mention of any internal strife, but Keoki knew of no company who didn’t have power struggles and infighting internally. It was life in the corporate cut-throat world.
Once he was through the sixth floor, he took the stairwell to the fifth, where he found Research & Development, with a few offices, labs and large area of cubicles, many with powerful computers and four monitors of data spread across the counter tops. Keoki had no idea how anyone could keep track of all the information across so many screens. With his aversion to tech, he doubted he would ever need to try.
The fourth and third floor he found accounting, and other office staff, handling various duties, with only a few offices on the third floor. The rest of the space was filled with a large kitchen and lunchroom, plus recreational areas with video games, pool table, a bar and wall of four eighty inch TV’s, each playing different channels, with closed caption crawls across the bottom of the screen. Other than all the tech, which he didn’t trust, he found the recreational area a fun aspect of work many companies didn’t enjoy. A place to leave the stress of the day behind.