Sam gripped his fingers around the cable and tugged down, testing its strength. He tried to imagine that he was jumping off the edge of the pool. That was scary to do too, but it always turned out all right. He realized as he held the metal cable that he'd never be able to slide down it without ripping the skin off his hands. He needed something to slide with.
He scanned the empty balcony then patted his empty shorts pockets. All he had was the belt for his canteen that he had thrown at the bear in the woods. He paused and considered the belt again. Maybe he could use that to slide on the cable. If it worked for James Bond or that guy in Mission Impossible, maybe it could work for him.
He pulled the belt from his waist, stretching it across the wire. He wrapped the ends around his wrists and squeezed them as tight as he could. He glanced up at the tower, wondering if Caitlin could still see him. She'd probably think his plan was stupid. Heck, he thought his plan was stupid, but it was the only one he could come up with. He'd always wanted to shake his fear of heights and this was as good a chance as any.
Sam stepped up on the railing, leaning on the belt stretched across the wire. This was nuts. He felt like Superman, or worse, a crazy person who thought they could fly before leaping to their death.
He saw a light bounce off the trees in the distance. They were coming back. He had to act now.
Sam closed his eyes, counted to three, then leaped off the balcony.
He was flying. At least it felt that way. He couldn't actually see anything since his eyes were closed. He didn't dare look, even in the dark. If he was falling to his death, he figured he might as well not see it coming.
He finally opened his eyes, the night air whipping by him, just in time to see a stone fountain coming right at him. Unlike the zip line that Derek rode at Maymont, this makeshift cable didn't have a stopping mechanism at the end. He was going to crash.
Sam gritted his teeth, pulled his legs up into a sitting position and braced for impact against the stone wall. Except, he didn't crash. Instead, he dropped, falling the final six feet to earth, splashing into the half-filled fountain of dirty water.
Sam shot to his feet, eager to get out of the warm, but gross, water. His hands were still wrapped in pieces of the leather belt, but it had broken in the middle, causing his fall. He tried to breathe, realizing that it could have been worse. He stared up at the balcony that he'd jumped from. It didn't look quite as high from the ground, but he was glad to be alive. He gave a wave up to the other tower, just in case Caitlin could see him.
He wished Derek had been there to watch his amazing feat. He peered off in the direction of where he'd last seen his brother depart into the woods. What was taking so long? He hoped that Dex and Cody hadn’t somehow found him on their trips in the truck. Maybe they had more men standing guard at the end of the property. Or maybe Derek got lost, or fell off a cliff while wandering in the woods. Maybe he got blindsided by a distracted motorist and was lying by the side of the road...
The sound of a truck engine snapped Sam back to reality. He realized all those anxious thoughts weren't going to help him. He had to get back to the tower before Dex.
He climbed out of the fountain, dripping wet, his sneakers squeaking from being water logged. Sprinting to the back door where he'd entered earlier, Sam moved through the room with the honeycomb ceiling, into the hallway, and up the stairs. He paused briefly under Sallie Dooley's watchful eye, trying to remember which way he'd gone before on the alternating staircase.
Choosing the left set of stairs, he hustled up the steps, down the hallway, and up the narrow staircase to the tower room. Sam remembered Dex reaching over the doorway, so he stretched his arm as high as it would go up the doorframe like Dex had done, but he was too short. He tried again, putting one foot on the wall, the other on the door handle, and pushed up toward the ceiling.
“I'm coming, guys,” he grunted, reaching his hand along the top of the high doorframe until his fingers landed on something metal. The key! He grabbed it, then jumped back down to the floor. He placed the key into the keyhole, and twisted the knob. The heavy wooden door swung open.
“I made it!” Sam exclaimed, bursting into the dark room. He stopped short as he realized Caitlin wasn't there. Neither was Mr. Murphy. In fact, this looked like a different room entirely. Then he saw a dark shadow, the size of a man, lying on the floor on the far side of the room.
Sam froze, realizing too late what had happened. He was in the wrong tower. He'd turned left on the staircase instead of right.
“Are you my rescue?” a man’s voice asked.
Sam squinted in the darkness as the shadow stood and moved into the moonlight coming through the window. He recognized that voice. When the man's face became visible in the light, Sam gasped out loud. It was the marshal!
“Are you all right?” the marshal asked Sam who was frozen in the doorway looking dumbfounded.
Sam's mind was racing. How was this possible? “I thought you were dead!” he managed to say.
“Dead?” The marshal laughed. “Not yet, thankfully. Although I was starting to wonder if I was at the end of my rope...” He stepped over, placing his hand on Sam's shoulder. “We met in Maymont, correct?”
He nodded.
“What's your name?”
“Sam.”
“Well it's good to see you, Sam,” said the marshal, “but what are you doing here?”
Sam tried to focus. “We found your phone and saw the message about the eagles. We figured out the clue and came to Swannanoa to try to save them.”
The marshal nodded, but looked serious. “That's some impressive detective work there, Sam, but we both need to get out of here fast.”
Sam told him about how he'd seen the men drive off toward the cottage, how Derek went for help, and that Caitlin and her dad were being held in the other tower. As he finished speaking, a truck door slammed shut outside the building.
“We're too late!” moaned Sam.
The marshal went to the window and looked down. He watched for a moment, then knelt down next to Sam, looking him in the eye.
“Listen carefully, Sam. This is what I want you to do.”
14
Sam and the marshal hurried down the stairs from the left tower. At the bottom, Sam went to the other end of the hallway and up the right tower stairs while the marshal snuck down to the foyer to locate Dex and Cody.
Sam used the key that he'd used for the marshal's door and turned the latch. Caitlin and her dad were sitting in the darkness against the far wall. When Sam entered, Caitlin jumped up and hugged him.
“You're all right! I was so worried,” she gushed.
For once Sam didn't mind. He had been worried about her too. He looked at Mr. Murphy against the wall, his leg propped up on a chair.
“I'm happy to see you again too, Sam.”
“I can't believe you zipped down that cable,” exclaimed Caitlin.
Sam smiled. “You saw?”
Caitlin nodded. “I thought you were scared of heights.”
He tried to look confident. “Yeah, well, I was desperate.”
Caitlin laughed then moved alongside her dad.
“Can you walk?” Sam asked, reaching his hand to Mr. Murphy.
“I don't think I'll be running any marathons anytime soon, but I'll be okay.”
Sam helped Caitlin hoist her dad up from the floor and toward the doorway. Mr. Murphy groaned as he put weight on his ankle. Sam noticed his face was flushed and he seemed to be sweating.
“We need to get you kids out of here,” Mr. Murphy said.
“We all need to get out of here, Daddy,” replied Caitlin.
Mr. Murphy nodded and looked at Sam. “Do you have a plan, or are we making this up as we go?”
Sam heard footsteps on the stairs and forced a chuckle. “Actually we have some help.”
“Help?” asked Caitlin, turning her head. “Did Derek come back?”
The marshal walked into the room, causing Caitlin's jaw
to drop like she'd seen a ghost.
“You're alive!” she exclaimed.
Sam put his finger to his lips, glancing down the stairs. “He was in the other tower,” he whispered.
The marshal grinned. “Alive for the moment. It's good to see my fellow historian in one piece.” He turned and nodded to Mr. Murphy. “Tom Drake, US Marshal's Office. Nice to meet you.”
“Glad to meet you too, sir,” replied Mr. Murphy. “Can you get us out of here?”
Marshal Drake nodded confidently. “We're going to try.”
Sam quickly told them how he'd heard Dex saying that things were happening earlier than midnight. He couldn't tell what time it was, but he could hear the men arguing outside by the truck. They’d likely be back in the house soon.
The marshal led them cautiously down the stairs and along the hallway, Mr. Murphy limping slowly, leaning on the railing. Sam hoped they wouldn't have to make a break for it. Mr. Murphy wasn't going to be able to run very fast.
They stopped at the landing, listening for sounds of the men. There was no sign of them, but the front door was cracked open. Sam nodded silently once more to Sallie Dooley, hoping that this would be the last time he'd see her that night.
“Let's go,” Marshall Drake whispered back to them, moving nimbly down the marble stairs to the front door. As the marshal peeked onto the patio, Sam's eyes wandered around the entryway. He spied several dark shadows on the floor through the doorway in the next room. He took a step toward them, but then stopped at a slight movement. He saw several sets of eyes reflecting the dim light.
“Marshal...” he whispered.
Marshal Drake walked over to where Sam stood. “Just as I thought. They're getting ready to move the animals.” He stepped into the room and the others followed.
Sam glanced around. Wire cages filled with animals were everywhere. There had to be more than a dozen of them set out on the floor of the big room in two rows. None of the creatures were moving, and for a minute, Sam feared they were all dead.
He counted two eagles, which had to be the ones from Maymont, another big bird like a hawk, and an owl, but also some larger animals—a baby tiger, a bobcat, monkeys, even a small gorilla. It was unbelievable!
“Oh my gosh,” whispered Caitlin. “Where did they all come from?”
Without even thinking, Sam started walking between the rows, gawking at the animals.
“There’ve been a rash of stolen species from collections like Maymont for several months now. Dexter and his crew tend to hit the smaller zoos to stay under the radar.” The marshal gripped Sam’s arm and pulled him back to the edge of the room. “Be careful. They're sedated, but let's still not get too close, okay?”
Sam gulped and nodded quickly. That sounded good to him.
“What’s going to happen to all these poor animals?” said Caitlin, shaking her head. “They're so beautiful. They don't belong in tiny cages like this.”
“These rare species can bring a hefty price to the highest bidder,” answered Marshal Drake. “I suspect that's what's going down here tonight.”
“Hefty indeed,” a voice answered behind them.
Sam jumped and spun around. Dex was standing in the doorway.
“Your little friends are more resourceful than I expected, Mr. Drake.”
“Let them go, Dex. This doesn't have anything to do with them,” said the marshal, stiffening his stance.
“They're just kids, man,” said Mr. Murphy, grimacing as he stepped forward on his bad ankle.
“Oh sure,” replied Dex. “I'll just let you go. After you've seen my face and now you've seen the animals.” He walked closer, a hand in his pocket. He bent in close to Sam, his breath stale like cigarettes. “I'm sure you won't tell anyone, will you now?”
“No, w-we won't,” stammered Sam.
Dex let out a terrifying cackle. “Sure you won't, you little brat. Just like you didn't act on that message on the phone. Well your nosiness just cost you.” He pulled a small gun out of his pocket and motioned them to the front door. “Outside. Now!”
“Daddy!” said Caitlin.
“Just do what he says,” said the marshal, glaring at the gun. “They're just kids, Dex. Leave them alone.”
Dex laughed again and nodded at Mr. Murphy. “He should teach his kids to mind their own business.” He gestured with the gun again toward the door so they all walked outside to the patio. “Sit down. All of you.”
Marshal Drake sat next to Sam, Caitlin and her dad on the step of the hard marble patio. When Cody walked around the side of the house, he eyed the row of prisoners and waved his hands at Dex. “What are you doing, man? I thought we were going to leave them locked up.”
“So did I, until I found them downstairs looking at the animals.”
Cody shook his head. “This is crazy, Dex.”
“So what's next, boys?” said Marshal Drake. “Are you going to add murder to your growing list of felonies? Kidnapping, poaching endangered animals, theft of government property, resisting a federal officer...should I go on?”
“What about him, Dex?” Cody asked, nodding at the marshal. He seemed nervous. Sam wondered if they were professional criminals or if this was their first time. He didn't know why anyone would want to steal rare animals in the first place, but he assumed the marshal was right and it was for the money. That seemed to be why most people committed crimes. At least in the movies and on TV.
“Like I told you before,” said Dex, “we can't leave any witnesses.”
Cody shook his head and began walking in circles. “No way, man. I didn't sign up for this.” His voice grew louder. “Birds and animals are one thing, but not people. I'm not a killer.”
Sam held his breath. It seemed like the two men were going to fight. He didn't know if that would help their situation or hurt it. Maybe the two of them would be distracted and they could make a run for it. He looked at Mr. Murphy, sitting next to Caitlin with his leg stretched out, and realized that probably wouldn't work.
“You should listen to your friend, Dex,” called Marshal Drake. “You don't want to make this any worse than it already is.”
“Shut up!” roared Dex, grabbing the marshal by the collar. He pulled him to his feet and turned toward the mansion.
“Where are you taking him?” screamed Caitlin, grabbing onto her dad's arm.
“I'm taking care of business,” growled Dex. “Keep quiet or you'll be next!”
Sam gulped, his eyes growing wide. Mr. Murphy whispered to Caitlin to stay quiet and that things were going to be all right.
As Dex pushed Marshal Drake up to the front door, Cody called out. “Dex! Look at that.”
Everyone turned and looked down the hill at a set of headlights rising up the driveway. Sam's mind raced. Had Derek reached the police?
Dex stopped in the doorway, then walked the marshal back to the steps. “They're here.”
“They're early,” said Cody.
“I told you,” answered Dex. “It's show time.”
15
A square, unmarked box truck pulled around the arc in the driveway, stopping next to the patio at Swannanoa. Two men wearing all black stepped out and shook hands with Dex. They looked over at the group sitting in a row.
“What's this?” asked one of the men. He was short and thin with long, dark hair pulled into a ponytail. He looked like a ninja but without any swords. The other man stayed silent, but he was big and built like the trunk of a tree. He literally didn't appear to have a neck. His head seemed to connect directly into his shoulders. Sam shuddered, imagining being squeezed to bits in those meaty hands.
“Nothing to worry about,” replied Dex, coolly. “The cages are inside. Take a look for yourselves.”
The two men glanced at each other then calmly stepped around the prisoners on the porch and into the mansion. Beams of light flashed through the room as they inspected the animals. After a minute, both men came back out to the truck.
“And they're all in good cond
ition?” Ninja Man asked. No-Neck stared suspiciously, his hands at his side, ready to squeeze somebody.
“Just a tranquilizer. Should be effective for another twelve hours or so. After that, they'll be good as new.” Dex gave the man a chilling smile. “Trust me.”
“I don't trust anyone,” hissed Ninja Man. He nodded to No-Neck, who stepped up to the truck, emerging with a silver briefcase.
Dex took the briefcase, flipping it open on the hood of the truck. Sam saw stacks of money neatly arranged inside the case.
“Very nice,” said Dex, motioning to his partner. “Let's get this done.”
Cody hesitated for a moment, then took another look at No-Neck and started up the steps.
Sam swallowed hard. It seemed like their opportunity to get Cody's support had faded with the arrival of the buyers.
As Cody disappeared inside the palace, a rumble sounded from further down the driveway. Ninja Man and No-Neck stopped and looked at Dex. “Another surprise?”
Dex shrugged, staring toward the sound. A single light appeared as the rumble grew closer. As it moved toward them, Sam realized it was a motorcycle. It rolled to a stop next to the truck, the rumble stopped, and two figures stepped off of the bike.
“Sorry, this is a closed party,” Dex jeered, pulling the gun back out of his pocket.
Ninja Man shined his flashlight at them. It was Derek and...Mad Dog?
“Are you guys okay?” Derek asked, his nervous eyes focused on the gun.
Sam nodded. He was relieved to see his brother but feared it was too late for him and Mad Dog to help anything. Things had gone downhill fast. Now there were four bad guys instead of two. If the marshal couldn't save them, Sam feared a biker wouldn’t do much better.
“What kinda party you throwing here, partner?” Mad Dog asked in his deep, gravelly voice. Even if he was only one person, he did sound tough. He looked it too, with his black leather biker pants and tattooed arms sticking out of his vest. Maybe he could save them after all.
No-Neck man took a menacing step forward, flexing his giant fingers.
Midnight at the Mansion (The Virginia Mysteries Book 5) Page 8
