Harding lowered his voice. “Looks like a grab.”
“Agreed.” Jon pursed his lips. “I need to speak with Mr. Davis. Alone.”
“You think he’s involved?”
“No, sir. But at this point, he’s the only one who will help us find his daughter alive.”
***
“What did you do?” Franklin shouted into the phone. “The mountain is crawling with cops!”
“What did you think would happen? You wanted me to scare off the two guys. I guess my sharpshooting skills are even better than I thought. Moving target, a couple of hundred feet away. He sounded gleeful.”
“What about the kid?”
“Change in plans, boss. I have her.” Gerard used a mocking tone.
“What are you talking about? I paid you to disable her, break her legs, knock her out. Leave her there for her parents to find. Not kidnap her!”
“What’s with all the outrage? Your objective is achieved. From what I understand, you’ve had no reservations about more . . . significant . . . results in the past.”
“This one’s different.”
“Interesting.”
Franklin noted a demented tone. Made him think of Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs. “Where’s the girl?”
“Well, here’s the thing. I researched your dear old dad, and it occurred to me he would pay a kingly ransom for the safe return of his kid. The guy’s loaded. You never mentioned that juicy bit of info.”
Noting the man hadn’t answered his question, Franklin was losing his cool, but he had a good sense of whom he was speaking with. A cold-stone killer. “What are you going to do?”
“Now, calm down, boss. You got what you wanted. You’re putting the fear of God in the parents. The kid’s leg is broken. May never heal right. What difference does it make now?”
“I have a well-designed plan!”
Gerard laughed. “Here’s your opportunity to go with the flow. See ya around, boss.”
Before Franklin could respond, the man hung up.
Chapter 46
Squaw Valley
The entire operation relocated to the Davis’s condo, a more comfortable environment than the facility’s security office. For Nicole, the constant flurry of activity was a welcome distraction. Theo had agreed to speak alone to Agent Steadman. After twenty minutes, she began to worry. When he returned to the room, Nicole took one look at her husband’s slack-jawed, defeated expression and rushed to him. “What’s wrong? What did the agent say?”
When Theo didn’t immediately reply, she said, “Did they find Lizzy?”
Theo shook his head. “No.” He collapsed on the sofa. “Nic, I know this is the worst possible time, but I need to tell you something. Something awful that I did.”
Nic’s face filled with confusion, then fear. “Will telling me help find Lizzy?”
He rubbed a hand over his face. “It might.”
“Then whatever it is, tell me.”
He began. “Two years into our marriage, I represented a client named Tyrone . . .”
Nicole listened as the truth tore from her husband’s lips, like a thousand tiny knives stabbing her in the heart. By the time he finished, her husband’s eyes were wet. “I’m so terribly sorry.”
Nic began to shake, her body unable to absorb the shock. Feeling caught up in an alternate universe, she stood, her voice unsteady. “Fix this, Theo. I don’t care what you have to do. Find my baby.” She strode out of the room, brushing past Agent Jon Steadman standing in the hallway.
***
Jon watched Lizzy’s distraught mother rush by. His heart went out to the woman for all she’d endured in recent hours. Her husband had cheated on her, producing a love child she’d known nothing about. Still, even that was overshadowed by the prospect of losing a child. Nothing was worse. Jon prayed it would never come to that.
Randy’s sweet face popped into his head. He checked the time on his phone. It was nearing the boy’s bedtime. He took a chance and called.
“Hi, Abuela.”
“Jon, how are you?”
“Hanging in there. I’m out of town, but I’ve been missing Randy. Is he still awake?”
“Hold on, mi amor. I’ll get him for you.”
A minute later, he heard the phone being jostled. “Jonny! Can you come over to play tomorrow?”
Jon laughed, reveling in the child’s exuberance. The boy’s innocence was a panacea. “Sorry, buddy. Not this time. I’m away for work.”
“Can you read me a bedtime story?”
“Well, I don’t have any of your books here, but I can make something up.”
“Yeah!”
Jon spent the next few minutes conjuring up a tale about a young prince who drove cool cars instead of horses and ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with his pet tiger. Randy loved it. When Jon finished, he wished Randy a good night.
“Love you, Jonny.”
The words pierced Jon’s heart. “Love you too, little man.”
When the call ended, Jon was more determined than ever to find Lizzy and bring her safely home.
***
Alpine Meadows
Franklin needed to get out of town fast. His plan was disintegrating. The Feds were onto him. The kid—his half-sister—was now in the hands of a psychopath. Until now Franklin had successfully managed to maintain a respectable distance from any necessary unpleasantries. All that had been required to make a problem go away was a hefty payment and the proverbial nod. Admittedly, it was an intoxicating power. This time, it felt too close. Too real. Almost like he was holding a gun in his hand.
Regardless, the unexpected turn of events yielded what he so desperately wanted. Vengeance.
Then why didn’t it feel as gratifying as he’d dreamed?
Franklin was a planner, and while he hadn’t intended to implement the next phase for several more months, with the advent of Wang’s death, things were accelerating quicker than expected. Still, he was ready. He’d spent many hours working laboriously on Wang’s spyware, the updated version was locked securely in Franklin’s private server, one he accessed remotely.
Dealings with the secretive White Knight had been a challenge, the broker a savvy negotiator. Ultimately several buyers expressed ardent interest, leading to a healthy bidding war. While the parties were sworn enemies of the United States, Franklin didn’t think of it as his problem. It was free enterprise. Wasn’t that what America was built on after all?
Franklin took comfort in knowing Wang would have never successfully negotiated such a lucrative deal. The rewards were truly his own. He did an outstanding job and would be amply rewarded. While his mother’s credit card was preferable—he believed it less likely to attract attention—it was no longer an option. He’d switched to plan B, withdrawing cash from an account he’d maintained in a dead man’s name, an identity he assumed early in his hacking career. The balance never exceeded ten grand. It wouldn’t draw any attention.
Since changing hotels, he hadn’t unpacked his things and could be ready to leave town on a moment’s notice. Using his computer, he booked his flight. His funds would be awaiting him at his destination. Once there, he would regroup, initiate the next phase of his plan—setting up shop. A more Permanent and professional one. He had a thriving business to attend to.
He rubbed lotion onto his stumps and put on his new prosthetic legs, realizing he didn’t miss the old, familiar ones he’d used for years. The sizeable investment in bionics was his first big purchase and worth every penny. Excitement rushed through him. His new life was finally beginning. The trade was on schedule. In a matter of days Franklin will have unleased the boldest cyberattack in world history.
***
Tahoe National Forest
The kid had woken twice, listless and groggy. She seemed more confused than scared, oblivious to the condition of her poorly bandaged leg. That was the Ketamine. Gerard sat her up, made her drink some bottled water and swallow several spoonfuls of yogurt, then had her hobble t
o use the bathroom.
Gerard never liked kids. He could scarcely remember being one himself. Maybe because he was forced to grow up fast, escape the toxic environment of his father’s house. When his mother had abandoned him when he was an infant, his father—a car mechanic—wasn’t equipped to care for a child. He was a ‘latchkey’ kid—no one home when he returned from school, no dinner waiting for him. He learned how to take care of himself. As lousy a parent as his father was, he’d done one thing right—encouraged his son’s education. Not pay. He couldn’t afford it. Gerard applied for scholarships, eventually getting a full ride, thanks to a mix of merit and need-based grants oddly similar to Oakley.
Despite being stuck with this kid for the next few hours, he didn’t regret the decision to alter Oakley’s plan. Simultaneously brilliant and stupid, the fact that Oakley hadn’t seen a bigger, terrifically lucrative opportunity, was more than a blind spot. He's an idiot savant. Nothing more. Either way, what Oakley had told him on the phone was accurate. They would both get what they wanted.
Gerard looked at the time on his phone. He'd call the kid’s parents in an hour. Let them stew. It would further motivate them. Once he made his demands, he’d wait the agreed upon time and not a minute longer.
The girl was mumbling something he couldn’t understand. Once again, he sprayed the cloth with Ketamine and put her back to sleep. The sooner he got the kid off his hands, the better.
One way or another.
Chapter 47
Squaw Valley
Sheriff Harding ended the call with Agent Steadman. With the shooting occurring on his turf, the Feds agreed to have him take the lead on the manhunt. It was his responsibility to keep his citizens safe. In cooperation, he left the Feds to deal with the kidnapping. Sure, they were looking for the same perps—the shooting and abduction were connected—but they had yet to fit all the puzzle pieces together. The strategy for now was divide and conquer, then share all intel.
Two people had come forward with reports of witnessing a hurt child being whisked away by a medic on a snowmobile. It meant the abductor had never taken the roads, explaining why with nearly all evacuees passing through the roadblock, the shooter was still on the lam. As long as he had snow under him, he could elude the authorities. Sure enough, one ski patrol snowmobile was missing from the lot. It would have been an easy take. Keys were always left in the ignitions to accelerate emergency call responses. Attentions had been redirected to canvassing the area while maintaining a roadblock.
The way things were lining up, Franklin Oakley was behind his half sister’s abduction. It was unlikely, even with advanced prosthetics, that a man who’d never before been on skis had grabbed Lizzy Davis off the slopes. Or shot Bernie Patton. Oakley had hired a pro—someone capable of kidnapping a child and shooting a moving human target within a short period of time. They would either need to find Franklin or his accomplice. Fast.
***
Squaw Valley Resort
Jon entered the Davis’s condo from the hallway, having left a message for Matthews asking him to call. A palpable toxicity radiated between Theo and Nic, the tension thick as they willed the phone to ring.
A hostage negotiator now sat beside Nicole and Luanne, who’d insisted on keeping Nicole company. Matthews had had the foresight to call one in as soon as it became clear Lizzy Davis had been abducted. A stern-faced woman in her fifties, she’d flown in from San Francisco.
Theo stood, began pacing. “Why isn’t anyone calling asking for a ransom? What does that mean?”
Jon knew it wasn’t a good sign. But they needed to treat this like a search and rescue, while the sheriff was leading a full-on manhunt for the perp. “We can’t speculate. It’s still too early. Franklin may just want you to sweat it out. That’s what he’s been going for all along.”
“Stop saying it’s Franklin! We don’t know that yet. You said yourself that he isn’t physically capable of carrying out this kidnapping.”
Jon understood Theo was deep in the denial phase, but he’d better move on from it soon. Nicole sat quietly on the opposite sofa, Luanne holding her hand. Jon could only imagine the myriad of thoughts running through Nicole’s mind. She appeared on overload.
When she finally spoke, everyone looked up. “Why is he doing this?”
Theo shook his head, remaining silent.
Jon spoke up. “He wants revenge. In Franklin’s view, his father moved on, leaving his first born behind. He’s had a rough childhood, lost his job. He’s angry at the world.”
Theo spoke softly. “But me most of all.”
The phone rang. Theo lunged for it.
The negotiator said, “Remember what we discussed.”
“This is Theodore Davis.”
They watched as Theo listened, his hand grasping the phone in a vise grip. The negotiator’s eyes were on her tablet 's screen. It was opened to the app that was recording the call. Jon knew the FBI would run it through their voice ID system, see if the man could be identified.
Theo hung up the phone, his face deathly pale. “They’re demanding two million. He’s calling back in two hours to say where to make the swap.” He paused, spoke just above a whisper. “He said if I don’t have the money in time, he’ll . . . he’ll hurt her.”
Jon suspected the kidnapper’s words were more dire, but Theo was protecting Nicole. “You did great, just like we practiced,” the negotiator said to Theo. “Did the caller identify himself in any way?”
“If that’s your way of asking if it was Franklin, it wasn’t.”
Jon asked, “How do you know? You’ve never heard him with an adult voice.”
“I just know.” His voice didn’t falter.
Jon was about to say something when Luanne put a hand on his arm. He took the hint and kept quiet.
Nicole hurried to a laptop sitting open on the room’s desk. “I’ll check our investment accounts.”
The negotiator said, “Mr. and Mrs. Davis, it’s important we agree on a strategy.”
Nicole turned to the woman, her face beet red, contorted in pain. She was a powder keg ready to blow. Jon braced himself, saw Luanne react similarly.
“Strategy?” Nicole shouted. “There is no strategy! That lunatic has my baby. MY BABY! I’ll give him whatever he wants.”
The room fell still. Theo approached his wife, his hands up protectively. “Sweetheart . . .”
“Don’t!” she said and he backed away.
The negotiator spoke softly. “We can’t risk that he’ll walk off with the money and not release your daughter. Don’t you agree?”
Nicole’s face lost all its color. “Why would he do that if he gets what he wants?”
“A variety of reasons. But those aren’t important now. What we need to do is stall him, give the authorities a chance to find him and your daughter. In the meantime, we negotiate a simultaneous swap—he gets his money when you get Lizzy, not before. He’s fixated on the cash now, so he has incentive to work with us.”
Jon sat on the room’s sole club chair. Theo was on the left-hand loveseat, and Nicole and Luanne on the opposite one. It felt like a mediation. Addressing Theo, Jon asked, “What can you tell me about Franklin?”
Theo looked like he was struggling to keep his frustration in check. “Why are you going after him? He doesn’t have Lizzy. We need to find the guy from the slopes!”
Jon said, “We’re trying. There’s an APB out on him. It’s likely the same guy who shot Bernie. But we need to go at this from every angle. If we find Franklin, we’ll find the kidnapper. Now, think, where would Franklin hide?”
“You’re the FBI. Why don’t you track him?”
“Because he’s a first-rate hacker, Mr. Davis. He can use anybody’s name and bank account to get anywhere. I know he’s your kid, but if you interfere or withhold information, there will be repercussions.”
Theo looked helpless, shook his head. “I haven’t seen him in over twenty years. His mother can help you better than I can.”
<
br /> “I tried. She’s currently being detained, and not in any condition to help.”
“You mean she’s intoxicated.”
Jon’s silence told them Davis was correct.
The three sat quietly for a moment. Then, Theo said, “He likes video games.”
Jon leaned forward. “Okay, that’s good.”
Luanne who had been quietly listening, interjected. “Listen, Mr. Davis, I know this is beyond difficult, but we need you to focus. I understand you haven’t been in contact, but can you think of anything that he was passionate about? Something that could help lead us to Lizzy.”
Theo closed his eyes, drawing his lips in concentration. “Computers, anything electronic really. And swimming, I guess. We used to have a pool. He loved it. Had this inflatable dolphin he’d hold on to and kick, splashing everyone around. He can’t swim anymore.” Theo put his head in his hands, a deep sob emerging.
Jon noticed Nicole begin to stand, wondering if she would sit beside her husband, but instead, she sat down again, her eyes focused downward.
He said, “Francine told me she didn’t know why if Franklin couldn’t swim he’d want so badly to go to a beach.”
Luanne perked up. “Which beach?”
Jon thought back. He’d seen the posters on the wall. “Something about pigs. A beach with pigs.”
Theo furrowed his brow. “I don’t know anything about that.”
Luanne was already on her phone, tapping furiously. “Got it! There’s a place called Pig Beach. In the Bahamas.” Luanne stood, energized. “Bingo. That’s where we start.”
Jon said, “I’ll contact Sheriff Harding, have him alert the regional airports, give them a heads up.” He pulled out his phone, making the call. Harding answered on the first ring. Jon brought him up to speed. “Get local law enforcement to keep an eye on regional airports. Tell airport personnel that Oakley could be armed. And that he may or may not have an uncooperative or injured child with him.
Nicole gasped, her tears seemingly dried up. In a halting voice, she said, “You think he’s going off with her.”
Vengeance: An Action-Adventure Novel (A Jon Steadman Thriller Book 3) Page 25