by E B Corbin
"Do you?" she asked.
"I don't have any reason to doubt them."
"But do you have any reason to believe them?"
"I'm sure they're not giving us bad information," he said.
"What do you think?" Roxanne swung around to Kate.
She stood holding a loaf of French bread, her head swiveling back and forth between them. "I think I arrived in the middle of this conversation."
"That's no excuse," Roxanne said with a smile. "Do you think the IRA wants the money to pay hackers or not?"
Kate appeared confused. "What is the message they want to get across?"
"Could be anything. No sense speculating until we learn more." Callahan unclenched his hands and waved them in the air. "Look, I'm not one hundred percent sold on this hacking theory. I'm just telling you what Interpol told us."
"So, you agree, they could be wrong," Roxanne pressed.
"Possibly." He shrugged. "God knows, my department has been wrong in the past, too."
Kate attempted to stop the bickering. "No matter what it's for, the objective is to catch them and find Roxy, isn't it?"
"You're right," Callahan conceded. "But it still would be nice to find that cache and keep it out of terrorist hands."
"After we find Roxy," Roxanne added.
"Yeah, we find Roxy first." His phone buzzed an incoming text. He read the message twice before his fingers began tapping a reply.
"Anything we should know?" Kate asked before Roxanne managed to open her mouth.
"My colleagues are following some men they think might lead them to where Roxy's stashed. They aren't sure how many are around and they want me to join them." Callahan frowned as he looked at Roxanne. "I told them I wouldn't leave you without any protection."
"Nonsense. If they need the help, you should go. The kidnappers aren't going to contact me again until later tonight anyway." She wanted to be part of the action, so she added, "I can get the fake money from Chester while you're gone."
"No, that's too dangerous if they're watching you." Callahan stroked his chin.
"I'll be careful," she said. "I'll drive around town for a while to make sure no one's following me. If they're watching me, I'll lose them--somehow."
"Oh, so now you're Veronica Mars?"
Her eyes widened at him. "Who?"
"Never mind, I just don't think you should be wandering around on your own," he said.
Her forehead wrinkled in annoyance. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I'm not some...some dimwitted damsel who needs saving all the time!"
"I never said you were dimwitted." He ran his hands through his hair looking at a loss.
"God dammit! If you think you have to stick to me like seaweed to keep me safe from harm, you can think again!" With that, she flung herself away from the table and resumed pacing, this time towards the back door.
"I worry about you, that's all," he called after her.
Glancing back, Roxanne saw him start to move in her direction but Kate stepped in front of him. She couldn't make out what Kate said but saw Callahan slump into the nearest chair and hold his head in his hands.
"Christ! She can't take on six well-trained men by herself."
Roxanne heard his words and knew he was right. All the same, her anger at being treated as if she were incompetent couldn't be denied. Who the hell did he think he was? Did he think he could order her around like a drillmaster?
While she fought the urge to continue their argument, his phone pinged. He jumped up staring at the message. Then he punched a button to make a call. "Where are you? What happened?"
Roxanne and Kate stared at him as he ran a hand through his already mussed hair and nodded while the person on the other end filled him in.
"I'll be right there." Callahan cut the connection and turned to them.
"I've got to go. Gabe's been shot."
- 24 -
Roxanne froze as Callahan dashed into the hall, grabbed his coat and flew out the front door. When she heard the door slam shut, she broke out of her trance.
"Where's he going?" She almost knocked Kate over to run outside. Callahan's SUV disappeared around the corner just as she reached the sidewalk. Suddenly feeling uneasy about her exposure, she ran back inside to find Kate hanging up the land line.
"What's going on?" Roxanne gestured at the phone with her chin.
"That was Pete," Kate told her. "He wanted to make sure we were okay. He's on patrol this afternoon and can't get away right now. Tiffany called him. She's taking Gabe to the hospital but that leaves Ron to search the woods alone. John told Pete he'd be back as soon as he could but he didn't like Ron being out there by himself."
"Is he bad? How did it happen?"
"I don't have any details," Kate admitted. "Pete will explain later, but in the meantime, we were to stay here where it's safe."
"Well, shit," Roxanne muttered just as Jonathon and Puka traipsed in, covered in melting snow.
"That's a bad word," the six-year-old piped up. "My mommy doesn't let me use bad words."
"You're right," Roxanne said. Puka nearly knocked her over before resting his wet paws on her shoulders.
"Puka doesn't like it, either." Jonathon struggled with the zipper on his snowsuit. "C'mon Pook, let's go watch TV. Mommy said we could!" With that, he dropped his damp jacket onto a chair as he and the dog scrambled out of the kitchen through the door leading to the family's private quarters.
"I hope you don't mind, my son seems to have taken charge of Puka." Kate dug in the refrigerator for carrots to add to the soup she had started earlier. No telling now how many, or how few, would be around for dinner.
"No, I'm glad they keep each other company. I always felt bad leaving Puka by himself all day while I was at the office. This arrangement is good for both of them."
"When you leave, I'll have to get a puppy." Kate laughed as she rooted around for the carrot peeler.
"I might be here for a while, so don't jump on it too soon," Roxanne told her. "Right now, I'm going to run out to Chester's for a bit."
The other woman's smile disappeared. "Shouldn't you wait for someone to go with you?"
"Don't you start, too." Roxanne hoped Kate accepted her bogus frown. "I can't sit around here all day, and if Gabe's been seriously injured, who knows when Callahan will get back."
Kate looked unconvinced but didn't try to stop her from grabbing her parka. She paused before opening the back door as she studied Kate's worried expression. "I'll be right back... but if Callahan calls while I'm gone, it's probably best not to mention what I'm doing."
Kate's silent stare sent daggers at her but she had to go.
Roxanne took care getting through the backyard to the alley, still her boots still were soaked by the time she reached her car.
She kept her gaze on the rear view mirror the entire way to Chester's and saw nothing to cause any alarm. All the same, her fingers relaxed their death grip on the steering wheel only when she pulled into the farm driveway without incident.
In spite of Chester's surprise at seeing her at his door, he beamed with pleasure as he invited her in. He scrutinized the road and the lane leading to his house before he quickly closed and locked the door. "You came alone?"
"Yes. Gabe's been shot." Roxanne watched the alarming news chase the smile from Chester's face. "And I received a text demanding the money. We don't have any time to waste, so if you could get me the cash, I'll go back to the B&B to wait for further instructions."
"You're not taking all the cash by yourself," Chester said. "It's much too dangerous. They could take the money and dispose of both you and Roxy. I'm sure John has not approved this plan."
"He can't be everywhere." Roxanne avoided looking directly at the old man. "If I get a text from the kidnappers to meet somewhere, I'll make sure somebody knows where I am. And I'll try not to go alone if I can help it."
Chester shook his head slowly. "This is not right. I can't justify giving you that much cash without
some sort of backup."
"We both know it's fake."
His eyes held hers. "Makes no difference. It'll be real to them."
Roxanne tapped a boot on the floor, struggling with impatience. "Put it in a trash bag or something. No one needs to know I have it." She didn't want to argue with him, but she needed that cash. Without it, she'd be reduced to showing up at the rendezvous emptyhanded and she knew that wasn't an option. "Please..." she begged. "I may not have time to come back for it later."
While Chester mulled it over, they heard the crunch of tires as a vehicle sped up the driveway. Roxanne peeked through the door sidelight to see a navy blue van come to a skidding halt almost kissing the bumper of her car. "Dammit. They're here!"
Chester wasted no time in grabbing a pump-action Winchester from the hall closet. "Get away from the window!"
Roxanne counted five heads in the van before she jumped back into the archway leading to the parlor. "There's too many of them. We're outnumbered."
He threw her a second shotgun, a Mossberg 500. She almost fumbled it before she caught it with both hands.
"Do you know how to use it?" he asked.
"I've never fired a shotgun." She stared at the weapon as if it were a snake. "I'm going out to talk to them."
"Do you really think that will do any good?" Chester took the Mossberg from her while blocking her exit.
She shrugged. "I think they're still hoping I'll deliver the money. I don't believe they'll hurt me... at least not yet." In truth, she didn't know what they would do but she could not allow Chester to be caught in the middle.
The way the guns shook in his hands, confirmed that was no time for a shoot-out. He would never admit it, just like he would never admit he needed help with the farm, but he was ninety years old and no match for the Irish thugs in the blue van. She'd plead with them to leave Chester alone if she had to.
When a knock came at the front door, Roxanne beat the old man to the entrance. She opened the door and dashed out before the newcomers had a chance to glimpse Chester with the two shotguns.
Four men stood on the front porch. They all wore similar-looking tan canvas jackets, one with a watch cap pulled low over his forehead and the others with unkempt hair falling to their shoulders. Three held semi-automatics at the ready.
One, with bulging muscles showing beneath the fabric of his jacket, stood on tiptoes as he tried to peer in the parlor window. He pushed back his navy blue watch cap from his eyes as he surveyed the room closely. With a shake of his head, he stepped away before retrieving his semi from the porch floor. "Cain't see a thing."
A second, his face framed by thinning black hair, blocked her with his bulk as she came out. He glared at her through cold, colorless eyes. "Ya'd be Roxanne Boudreaux?" He snarled more than asked.
She nodded, fear freezing her voice box.
"Ya need to come with us, lass."
"If you want the money, I don't have it yet." Her voice wavered as she tried to ignore the guns pointed in her direction.
"Then we'll come with ye while ye get it." An older man with gray-peppered orange hair spoke from behind the wall of the four thugs. "No excuses, now. We don't have time."
Her mind immediately replayed the words in the ransom note: No excuses, no delays.
"I thought I had until tonight!" Her voice quivered, betraying the fact that she was on the verge of tears. Hell, she didn't have to pretend to be frightened, she was scared to death. "I can't get it until later."
"In that case, we'll have to stick close." The man looked at the four bruisers lining the porch. "Did ye lads check out the house?"
"Nah, we ain't been inside." The man standing in front of her pushed her aside to get to the door.
"Wait!" Roxanne wanted to keep the focus on her, without involving Chester. The old man was healthy and spry for his age, but how much could he take? If anything happened to him, she would never forgive herself. Neither would Callahan, she thought.
Why, oh why had she come here? She should have known better. There had been one challenging situation after another since she found out about Roxy. It was too much. Weren't Callahan and the others supposed to be watching for these goons? Where the hell were they?
Then she remembered that Gabe had been shot and at least two of them were at the hospital. She was on her own.
Roxanne tried to get a handle on things; she used to have a working brain. Maybe she could talk them into leaving. She'd go with them, if necessary. She had no other choice. "I was supposed to meet someone here, but he never arrived. I'll come with you. You can keep an eye on me until it's time to pick up the money."
The creases in the Irish leader's brow deepened. "Ach, ye know we're not ejeets! You were thinking ye'd get the money here. But ye don't know where it is... so we'll have to search the place, see if we can find it."
"There's no money here." Roxanne barely managed to keep the panic out of her voice. "I was just visiting a friend."
"So then, where is it? Ye could be spinning us a yarn, trying to nuck the money for yer own self."
"No, I'm telling you the truth. You've got to believe me." Pressure mounted in her head as her stomach filled with rocks. Think! she ordered her addled brain. But nothing came out of the fear-induced fog.
He turned to his accomplices. "Faith and begorra! Do I have to do everything me own self? Ach, go on then. Search the place!"
The four large men stumbled forward, pushing and shoving, each trying to be the first through the door. After they kicked open the heavy oak door, Roxanne went numb when she heard a distinctive click.
All four semi-automatics pointed at Chester, who stood rooted in the hall with his finger on the trigger. Roxanne realized too late that she was in the direct line of fire. Even though she wasn't a praying person, she prayed now.
They gaped at each other for several seconds before Chester lowered the gun, shaking his head in resignation. The heavier thug with a watch cap moved first. He charged into the house and grabbed the weapon from Chester, nearly making the old man lose his balance.
Roxanne gasped. "Stop it. Stop it right now!"
Watch Cap glanced over his shoulder as he tossed the shotgun into the parlor. Then he gripped Chester's elbow to steer him out the door.
Roxanne turned to their orange-haired leader. "You'll never see the money if you don't leave him alone. He has nothing to do with this," she told him. "And I'll die before I tell you where it is."
"Aye, ye might but do ye want to see your friend die first?" The man brushed a lock of hair from his face. "We will get the money, one way or t'other, lassie. And I think we'll start right here." He nodded to the four men. "Take a look around the place. Leave it in tatters if need be."
Roxanne waited until the four men disappeared into the house. She stepped back slightly and relaxed her muscles preparing to overtake the older Irishman in a surprise attack. When she swung around she found herself facing Chester, who had a small pistol pressed against the side of his head.
"Don't even think about doing a runner, lassie. I've been around too long to let that happen. Ye don't want to see this old gent take a bullet, do ye?"
A stinging wind picked up like an omen, sending a shiver through her. She imagined it bit right through Chester without any coat to cut it. With a resigned shrug, she said, "Can't we at least wait in the van? It's cold out here."
The Irishman kept the gun trained on Chester as he pulled a zip tie from his pocket and approached the old man. "Hands out," he ordered.
With no hesitation, Chester offered his hands. Knowing the Irishman would need both hands to zip the binding, Roxanne eased her shoulders, ready to attack again as soon as the opportunity arose. Instead, the Irishman used one hand and his teeth to tighten the tie, keeping the gun pressed against Chester and his eyes on Roxanne.
Dammit, he was not giving her a chance to make a move and the option would be gone as soon as the other four returned. She shuffled her feet in frustration.
"You!
Get over here," the Irishman ordered.
Taking her time, Roxanne moved next to Chester. The old man gave her a wry smile and tilted his head. If he was trying to send her a message, she didn't get it. No way would she leave him with these goons. She aimed a belligerent look at their captor. "You're wasting your time. Let him go and I'll take you to the money."
The Irishman shook his head and regarded Chester. "I think this lassie protests too much. If you save us time and give us the cash, we'll be out of here."
"I wasn't born yesterday," Chester said. "You'll just shoot us that much sooner. If you're laboring under the impression that there's money in my old farmhouse, you'll soon be proven wrong."
"We'll see about that," the man snarled.
Roxanne thought she heard a glimmer of doubt in his cocky reply. She again relaxed her shoulders and took a deep breath, poised to attack. Before she could make a move, the door flew open.
"It's not here," Watch Cap said. "Hugh and William are checking what these Americans call a basement. So far, nothing on the other two floors."
"Ach, ye'll have to check all those other buildings in the back," his leader told him.
When Roxanne glanced at Chester, he gave her a knowing wink. Evidently, he wasn't worried that they'd find the money. She wished she could feel as confident. "At least let Chester go inside and sit down," she said. "He's freezing out here."
"Well now, lassie, he can sit in the van if he wants." The Irishman gave Chester a light shove while keeping the gun pointed at Roxanne. "You can join him."
At least they would be out of the biting wind and maybe she could loosen Chester's zip tie if they were out of sight. With a jerk of the gun, the man indicated for her to follow Chester to the van. Roxanne started to take Chester's arm to help him over the snowy path.
"Hands off!" the man with orange hair ordered.
"He needs help getting up into the van," she protested.
"You help him up and then step over to me."
She might be able to knock the gun from his hand if she focused. For that reason, she didn't argue but did as she was told. Then she noticed the second zip tie in the Irishman's hands. "Put this on," he told her.
