Mare's Nest

by Larry Darter

  "If I agree to help you, you have to allow me to do things my way," I said.

  "I need to know what I'll be agreeing to first," Shaw said.

  "Like I said, there is little chance the people who took your daughter have any intention of releasing her," I said. "If Allison is still alive, paying the ransom and doing nothing more is only going to sign her death warrant. We have to arrange a means of following the money to where Allison is being held so we can get her back. That's her only chance."

  "How are you going to do that?" Shaw said. "Follow the money, I mean."

  "What's the motive for kidnapping someone and holding them for ransom?" I said.

  "Greed, I suppose," Shaw said.

  "Exactly," I said. "And we can use the greed of the kidnappers against them."

  "How?" Shaw said.

  "I haven't quite worked that out yet," I said, "but I'll suss it out. No worries, I'm quite reliable."

  "Okay, it's a deal," Shaw said. "We will do it your way. Tell me what I can do to help."

  "First, I want you to put together $1 million, not the $750,000 that the kidnappers have demanded," I said. "Then I want you to have the money arranged into four shrink-wrapped packages of $250,000 each."

  "They only demanded $750,000," Shaw said. "Why do you want me to give them more than they asked for?"

  "That's how we are going to use their greed against them," I said. "You're going to have to trust me for now. Once I've organized a plan, I'll tell you all the details."

  "All right," Shaw said. "I'll do as you have asked. I'll get the million and package it the way you described."

  "Awesome," I said. "And, call me as soon as you're contacted with instructions for where to deliver the money. I'm hopeful they will give us some advance notice. I'd like to have time to do a reconnaissance of the drop site in advance of making the actual drop."

  "Anything else?" Shaw said.

  "No, nothing to do but wait now," I said. "The next move is up to the kidnappers."

  "Then I suppose you would like to return to Honolulu to your hotel," Shaw said.

  "Yes, I would," I said. "It's been a long day, and the flight over is starting to take its toll."

  "Very well," Shaw said. "I'll have Ken, the guy who picked you up at the airport, drive you back to Honolulu."

  "Sweet, thank you," I said.

  Chapter 3

  I FOLLOWED SHAW OUT of the room and back up the corridor to the front door. He left me standing on the porch while he went to get the driver. Kathleen Shaw was sitting in a chair a few meters away with a blank look on her face, staring into the distance. She seemed to have been crying. I didn't care for the woman, but I felt compelled to walk over and speak with her.

  Kathleen glanced in my direction as I approached her. "I suppose Douglas hired you," she said, "you're attractive enough."

  It seemed strange, but the woman appeared jealous of me. "I'm only here to try to get your daughter back," I said.

  "I'm certain Douglas has more in mind for you than that," Kathleen said. Her eyes started to fill with tears again.

  "You all right, Mrs. Shaw?" I said.

  "No, I'm not. If you want to hear about it, the first thing you'll want to know is what my lousy marriage is like. You'll want to know how my dear husband is too occupied with his own affairs to give me the time of day. But, if you want to know the truth, I don't feel like going into it."

  I didn't know what to say to that, so I didn't say anything.

  "Forgive me," Kathleen said. "I'm only feeling sorry for myself when my unhappy circumstances are for the most part of my own making. I suppose Douglas didn't mention to you that Allison isn't his daughter."

  "What do you mean?" I said.

  "Douglas and I married when I was 19," Kathleen said. "He was beginning his military career, and he was on deployment all the time. Not that it is an excuse, but I was young and lonely. On my twenty-first birthday, I went out to a club to celebrate, alone of course. A few days earlier, Douglas had left on another lengthy deployment. It was to some god-forsaken place in the Middle East. I met someone at the club. We ended up in a motel room. It was only a sordid little one night stand, but when Douglas returned a year later, Allison was three months old."

  "Did you tell him about it before he returned?" I said.

  "No," Kathleen said. "I planned to write him many times, but I was never able to do it. I knew he would be livid when he found out. Douglas has always had a temper, and his temper only worsened the longer he was in the army. So, it was quite a shock when he arrived home."

  "What happened?" I said.

  "He didn't throw me out, which is what I had expected," Kathleen said. "He called me some unflattering names, he beat me until I was black and blue, but he didn't leave me. He deserves some credit for that. And he has never told Allison that he isn't her father."

  "How awful," I said.

  "I tried to make amends, but Douglas has never been the forgiving type," Kathleen said. "We've lived as roommates since the day he returned from that deployment. He has never touched me since. He gets his sex from other women and flaunts his affairs to humiliate me, to punish me for my transgression."

  "Why didn't you divorce?" I said.

  "Douglas wouldn't allow that," Kathleen said. "He said if we divorced it might become known that I had Allison by another man. He said that he didn't want it to become common knowledge that he had married a whore. It would hurt his career. Instead, he insisted that we would remain married. He promised to make me regret what I'd done to him for the rest of my life."

  "Still, it seems you could have left him," I said.

  "No, I couldn't have," Kathleen said. "I had no education beyond a year at college after high school. I had never held a job. I had a child to support and no way to support her on my own. My mother died when I was a child, and my father had passed away before Allison was born. I had no siblings. I had no place to go. And, Douglas warned me that if I tried to leave him, he would have me declared unfit and take Allison away from me."

  "It sounds as if you've had nothing but a living hell," I said.

  "That's a fair assessment," Kathleen said. "But, as said, my circumstances are the consequences of my own foolish decision. And, Allison has been my saving grace. She can be difficult at times, but I love her more than anything."

  "I can't begin to imagine how you've managed to live in such a way," I said.

  "It hasn't been all bad," Kathleen said. "In fairness, Douglas has been an excellent provider both for Allison and me. We've never wanted for anything. I've had all the material things a woman could want, I've only not had happiness."

  "I'm going to do everything I can to get Allison back, Mrs. Shaw," I said.

  "Thank you, Ms. O'Sullivan," Kathleen said. "I apologize for my rude behavior earlier. I've had my fill of Douglas' affairs. When I saw the way he was ogling you, I knew he had more in mind for you than hiring you to find Allison."

  "Mrs. Shaw, it doesn't matter one whit what your husband may have had in mind," I said. "I have no interest in sleeping with your husband or any married man for that matter."

  "That may be true," Kathleen said. "But, Douglas can be quite charming and persuasive when he puts his mind to it. I've yet to see him not get something he wanted and it's quite clear to me that he intends to have you before this is over."

  "Not even," I said. "What a sad guy. I've known heaps of men like your husband. I can't be bothered with pricks like that. I'm here for one reason, to get your daughter home safe."

  Kathleen rubbed her upper arm mindlessly. I saw that the place where her husband had grabbed her arm earlier was starting to bruise.

  "I trust that you will be discreet, Ms. O'Sullivan," Kathleen said. "If Douglas were to learn what I've shared with you, he would fly into a rage."

  It seemed obvious that Kathleen was afraid of her husband. "No worries, Mrs. Shaw," I said. "I won't say a word. You can trust me."

  I heard voices and turned to see Douglas
Shaw and the driver, Ken, approaching the porch.

  "Ken will drive you back to Honolulu now, Ms. O'Sullivan," Shaw said. He looked at Kathleen and me, curiosity written on his face. "Seems you two have mended fences," he said. "What have you two been talking about?"

  "Nothing much," I said. "Just girl talk, you wouldn't find it of interest."

  I walked down the steps and over to the car where Ken was holding the rear passenger door open. Shaw followed me to the car. I got in next to my luggage.

  "You have my mobile number," I said to Shaw. "Call immediately when you hear something. I'll be ready to get on to it."

  "Thank you, Ms. O'Sullivan," Shaw said. "I hope we can wrap this thing up without delay. Once it is over, I hope you will consider staying in Hawaii for a few days for something more entertaining."

  I felt like punching Shaw in the throat but decided to behave demurely for the moment. "Perhaps," I said, "we'll see how it goes." I flashed him my best fake smile. What a prick.

  Shaw smiled and closed the door as Ken got in the front seat and started the engine. We drove out of the carpark and headed back to Honolulu.

  Chapter 4

  AN HOUR LATER, KEN dropped me at my hotel. I had a room at the Sheraton on Kalakaua Avenue. It was a 4-star oceanfront hotel with three restaurants on property. Malone, my boss, would have insisted on more budget-conscious accommodations. But, Shaw had organized the flash lodging, so it was all good.

  After checking in, I went up to my room and changed into my togs. I'd picked up a nice little yellow two-piece swimming costume from a shop in LA for the trip. I thought it went well with my ginger hair.

  It was a bit before four o'clock in the afternoon. There was still plenty of sunshine to allow me to work on my tan. I grabbed a beach towel, my sunnies, and my phone. I tossed them into my canvas beach bag along with a mint green sarong cover-up. After slipping on a pair of jandals, I headed downstairs to the beach.

  The beach was amazing. I found a spot and spread the towel on the powdery sand. After making myself comfy, I decided to call and check in with Malone before taking a dip in the sea. I dialed his mobile, and he answered on the third ring.

  "Hey, Malone, how's it going?" I said.

  "Can't complain," he said. "How's it going with you?"

  "Not too shabby actually," I said. "I've met with Shaw and his wife, and now I'm back in Honolulu relaxing on the beach."

  "Terrific," Malone said. "What did you think of Shaw?"

  "Not impressed, he's a real prick," I said.

  Malone laughed. "I told you he could be a little overbearing."

  "Yep, that too," I said. "You said Shaw was a businessman, but he seems a bit dodgy to me. How do you know Shaw and what kind of business is he in exactly?"

  "We met when we were in the army," Malone said. "He was one of my battalion commanders. After he retired, he started a government contracting business. He supplies paramilitary operators to the government for a fee. They go places and do things that the DOD wants to avoid having a direct connection with."

  "Right, a merc outfit," I said. "I should have known from the guys I saw at his place. I ran across a few of those dodgy bastards in Afghanistan and wasn't impressed."

  "Some of them are good guys," Malone said, "and they serve a purpose in combat zones."

  "Malone, they are killers for hire. They can't be bothered with the rules every legitimate military force abides by. But, I digress. Another thing is the circumstances here are not as Shaw described them to you, actually."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean it isn't a garden variety missing person case," I said. "Someone abducted Shaw's daughter. They have sent a ransom demand. At the moment we're waiting for instructions on where to deliver the money."

  "Ah, shit," Malone said. "You have to be careful with that, T. J., really careful."

  "Yep, I know, I could lose my license getting involved with a kidnapping," I said. But Shaw refused to call in the authorities. For the daughter's sake, I finally agreed to help."

  "So, what's your plan?"

  "Haven't sussed it all out actually," I said. "But, I've got to organize a plan for following the ransom money to where the girl is being held. That's the only real hope of getting her back."

  "Shaw is willing to pay?" Malone said.

  "Yes, he insists on it," I said. "Even after I gave him the standard disclaimer. I told him paying the ransom would not guarantee anything. He still intends to pay."

  "Yes, it's hard to imagine they would turn loose a victim who could identify them," Malone said.

  "Precisely," I said. "Assuming Shaw's daughter is alive now, I'm sure she won't be for long once the people holding her get the money."

  "You have to stay well below the radar on this," Malone said. "It will be bad news if the Honolulu cops get wind you're working a kidnapping. You better believe they will report it to the State of California. You may even lose your license to operate your VIP protection gig."

  "Right, I'm aware of all that, Malone," I said. "I'll be careful."

  "I could hop on a plane and come over to help."

  "Yeah, nah, mate. I'm all good at the moment. You know I never do stupid shit. If it starts looking like things are going sideways, I'll tap out."

  "You better," Malone said. "I mean it T. J.—Colonel Shaw will have to understand if you can't pull this off without sticking your neck too far out."

  "No worries, I will drop out if I must," I said.

  "Okay, call me if you need anything, and be careful."

  "Right," I said, "see you soon."

  I disconnected the call and put the mobile down. I turned over on my stomach to get some sun on my backside. Hearing Malone's voice always left me feeling a bit tingly. When I wasn't in denial of it, I had to admit I had a bloody crush on him like some silly schoolgirl. With the distraction of thinking about Malone, I decided to skip the dip in the sea and to go for a drink instead. Afterward, I was going back to my room to have a rest.

  I pulled the sarong out of my bag, wrapped, and tied it. Then I set out across the sand to the Edge, the Sheraton's signature bar. I ordered a Blue Hawaii at the bar. It seemed an appropriate match for my mood. I carried the drink out to a table on the patio so I could look at the sea. I promised myself I'd have the one drink and then head upstairs to my room. I couldn't afford to get trolleyed. There was no way to predict when I'd hear from Shaw and I had to stay sharp.

  Five minutes after finishing the drink, I was in my room lying on the bed trying to nap. At some point, in spite of the thoughts of Malone, I drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 5

  IT WAS 9:30 IN THE evening. As I walked into the lobby of the hotel after having had dinner, my mobile rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and glanced at the screen. The call was from Douglas Shaw. I answered it.

  "The kidnappers called," Shaw said.

  "What instructions did they give you?" I said.

  "They didn't," Shaw said. "They called to make certain I had the money ready, then they asked who would deliver it. The guy said he would phone tomorrow morning with the instructions."

  "Bugger," I said. "We will get the instructions last minute I expect, and there won't be time for reconnaissance."

  "Will that negate your plan?"

  "No, I will work around it," I said. "What did you tell them when they asked who would deliver the money?"

  "Only that a woman who works for me would make the drop," Shaw said. "The guy didn't ask for a name, and I didn't offer one."

  "It doesn't matter," I said. "They will know who I am soon enough."

  "So, what is the plan?" Shaw said. "Do you have it worked out?"

  "Yes, it's sorted as best it can be without knowing the when and where of the drop," I said.

  "Then tell me why we're giving them more money than they demanded."

  "The individual who comes to collect the ransom will know the amount of money they demanded," I said. "I'll make certain the person knows we're delivering a
good bit more than that, and then greed should take its course."

  "How do you mean?" Shaw said.

  "I reckon the person who comes to the drop will decide to keep the extra $250,000," I said. "In my experience, it's true that there is no honor among thieves. He or she will hide the extra $250,000 and then meet his or her accomplices with only the $750,000 demanded."

  "And that helps us how?" Shaw said.

  "I expect there will be an observer nearby watching while one of them is collecting the money," I said. "That means the person who collects the ransom won't have a lot of time to stash the extra money. I expect he or she will hide it somewhere at the drop site and then will return for it later. When that happens, I will be waiting. I'll confront the person and find out where Allison is being held."

  "Clever," Shaw said, "that might work if you can get the person to talk."

  "No worries," I said. "They will talk."

  "You're very confident aren't you," Shaw said. "I like that in a woman."

  "I'm good at what I do, Mr. Shaw," I said.

  "No need for such formality," Shaw said, "please call me Doug."

  "If you don't mind, I'm all good with Mr. Shaw," I said. "You're a client, and I prefer to keep business on a business level."

  "But once we conclude our business, there isn't any reason things can't become a little more intimate," Shaw said. "Frankly, I find you very attractive and hope to get better acquainted."

  "Let me be clear," I said. "You are paying me to get your daughter back. That's the extent of our acquaintance. That's not going to change, Mr. Shaw."

  "You can play hard to get all you want, but I'm persistent and accustomed to getting what I want," Shaw said. "I'll win you over in the end."

  "No, you won't actually," I said. "Ring me when you get the instructions for the drop from the kidnappers. Goodnight, Mr. Shaw." I disconnected the call. What a prick.

  THE ALARM ON MY PHONE awakened me at seven the next morning. I turned it off with a groan. It seemed like I'd only fallen asleep minutes before. I had been packing a sad when I'd gone to bed the night before. I'd been thinking about my late husband, David. We were meant to holiday in Hawaii when he returned from his last assignment in Afghanistan. Only David didn't return as expected. He came home on a military cargo plane in an aluminum, flag-draped "transfer case." David died in a Kabul hotel bombing engineered by the Taliban.