“I’ll come with you,” said Jim, emphatically.
“It’s better if yer stay here Jim, in case there’s any news. Can I go with the guy who just brought me from the airport?”
“He’s right Dad. You should stay here. You’re too angry. I don’t want you going down there and hitting him. What good would that do? And Scott you’re not going anywhere until you sit down and have a rest for a few minutes, and I’ll get you a drink,” Tiffany said, looking at them both.
“Okay, you are both right,” Jim replied.
“And yes Scott, Joe will take you down there. Is Joe okay to work more hours today Dad?”
“Yes, Joe’s available all day. That will be fine, he can drive you.”
“Sit down Scott. I’ll bring you some coffee,” she said, as she walked into the kitchen.
Scott sat down with Jim on the couch.
“We’ll know more today Jim. I will find Alexei and he should be able tae tell us something.”
“I hope so.”
“Just hang in there. How’s Linda holding up?”
“Not good, she’s in bed. I know she’s not sleeping. None of us have slept.”
“Aye, I know that feeling.”
Tiffany re-appeared with Scott’s coffee, handed it to him. She then sat down with them.
“What do you want us to do while you’re gone Scott?” Tiffany asked.
“Keep trying tae get through tae Kyle, Tom and Alexei. Sooner or later someone has tae answer a phone.”
“Okay, we will.”
“Look, I cannae sit around and wait. I’m nae thirsty. I’d rather just get going,” Scott said, standing up.
“Okay, I’ll get Alexei’s address and give it to Joe,” Jim responded, springing up from the couch. Tiffany stood up too and hugged Scott again.
“Be careful, and thanks again for coming.”
“I will, dinnae worry aboot me. I promise I’ll find yer brother.”
Ten minutes later the car pulled out of the driveway. They headed back down the coast towards the College. It was located pretty close to where they had come from earlier, near the airport. About twenty minutes into the drive, Scott’s phone rang, it was Tiffany.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Scott, Alexei just called. He’d been asleep and just listened to our messages. He said Kyle went to Moscow on his own. He also said that he’s on his way up to San Francisco to see some friends, so he’s going to stop here on his way and talk to us. You may as well tell Joe to turn around and come back.”
“Okay, will do. See yer soon.”
Scott passed on the message to the driver who promptly turned around. Twenty minutes later they were pulling back in the driveway. Scott walked back into the house. Linda was up now and they all sat waiting in the living room.
“So, did Alexei say anything else?” Scott asked, as he approached them.
“Just that Kyle went to Moscow, and that was all,” Tiffany answered.
“I don’t understand,” Linda added.
“Alexei should be here in about an hour, Mom. We can find out more when he gets here.”
The room was filled with trepidation as they anxiously waited for Alexei to arrive. It was fairly quiet. No one was doing much talking.
After a little over an hour, a car pulled into the driveway.
“He’s here,” said Linda, as she jumped up from the couch excitedly, running outside.
“Calm down Mom, just let him come inside and sit down,” shouted Tiffany. But, her statement went unheard, or ignored.
The young man was hit with a barrage of questions, mainly from Linda, as he got out of his car. Eventually, Tiffany managed to help him inside and offered him a cup of coffee. He seemed to be a fairly quiet man, early twenties, just a little under six feet tall and of slight build. He had short dark hair and looked unshaved for at least a few days. Every time he tried to talk, either Jim or Linda would ask him another question so he never finished what he was trying to say. Scott tried to get the facts straight in his head but was getting frustrated by all the questions that were not relevant. He could also see that Jim was getting angrier. He now needed to take control of the situation.
“Could everybody be quiet fer a minute? I need tae ask Alexei a few questions. Please let him answer! And dinnae ask him any more questions until I’ve finished. Then, yer can ask him anything yer think I’ve missed. Is that okay?” Scott said authoritatively, in a loud voice.
Everyone went quiet.
“Alexei, did anything unusual happen on yer journey tae Russia?”
“No, we didn’t have any problems, it was fine,” he answered, in perfect English. His accent was still strong. But, there were no problems understanding him.
“How aboot when yer got there. Where did yer stay? What did yer do?”
“We stayed at my parent’s house in Sochi. We visited the Casino site. And, we went out to a couple of bars in the evenings. I showed him around the town. We attended a couple of meetings about the Casino and finances. All things that we had previously planned to do.”
“Okay. Did anyone that yer did nae know approach yer or Kyle at any time?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Were there any potential problems that came up in yer meetings? Aboot the Casino, finances, anything at all?”
“Not at all, everything was great. Kyle seemed really excited to be involved in the business.”
“Did Kyle do or say anything that yer thought was unusual when yer were together?”
“Not really. But, the last couple of days he did seem a little distant, distracted even. But, he didn’t say anything to me.”
“So when did he tell yer he was going tae Moscow?”
“He told me the morning that we were due to come home. I was shocked.”
“Did he ask yer tae go with him?”
“No, he said he had to go to Moscow to take care of something. But he said he’d see me next week when he got back to California. We are supposed to go to a party in a couple of weeks down in San Diego. He’s been looking forward to that for a while.”
“Did he say anything at all tae yer aboot why he may have gone there? Was he making phone calls or sending text messages tae anyone?”
“He didn’t say anything at all to me. It was a complete shock. He never mentioned wanting to go to Moscow. And we’ve been planning this trip for months. I don’t remember him making any calls apart from calls home. But, he did seem to be doing a lot of texting.”
“Okay. Is there anyone that yer introduced him tae. Like yer family, friends, maybe someone involved in the Casino, who may have some connection with Moscow? Is there anything at all that yer can think of?”
“No, not really. Moscow is a long way away. I really have no idea.”
“Did Kyle ask yer tae let his family know that he may be a few days late getting haem?”
“No, I actually asked him that. He said that he would call and tell them.”
“Jim, Linda, any ideas at all as tae why he may have gone tae Moscow? Has he ever mentioned wanting tae go there?
“I can’t think of anything. I really can’t,” answered Jim.
“I do have to go now. I have to get to San Francisco,” said Alexei, getting up.
“You’re not going anywhere, until I find my son,” Jim responded, aggressively.
Scott turned to Jim.
“Calm doon Jim. I know it’s difficult. But, yer cannae hold him here. If he wants tae leave, he can go whenever he wants.”
“Dad, he’s right. You need to back off,” Tiffany added, embarrassed by her Father’s reaction.
Jim turned and walked out of the living room, towards the kitchen.
“I will call you if I hear anything from Kyle,” Alexei said to Linda, as he stood up.
“Thank you,” she replied.
Scott walked with Alexei out to the car.
“If yer hear anything at all, or if yer remember anything, please call us. Nae matter how small y
er think it is.”
“I will,” he replied shakily. Jim’s outburst had scared him.
“Thank yer fer coming Alexei. Bye.”
Scott returned to the house and sat down next to Tiffany. Linda was still in the living room. But, Jim remained in the kitchen.
“I dinnae suppose yer have any idea why yer brother may have gone there. Can yer think of anything at all?”
“Nothing Scott, he never mentioned anything about Russia at all. Not until this trip came up, and even then I don’t remember him saying a thing about Moscow?”
“Okay.”
Scott got up and walked into the kitchen. Jim just stood there and stared out of the window.
“Jim, I’m nae sure whether I trust Alexei or nae. I dinnae know him. But fer now it’s best if we dinnae push him too much. We may need him. And we definitely cannae hold him here against his will.”
“I know, Scott. I am sorry. I’m just so frustrated and worried. I hate not being in control of a situation or able to do anything.”
“I understand that Jim. Last year when I was in Baghdad with Bill’s daughter, there were a couple of times that I was unable tae contact anyone fer a while and people got worried. Those things just happen sometimes.”
“Okay, I’m trying to stay positive.”
Scott walked back into the living room with Jim to join the women.
“Do any of yer know if Kyle has a computer here?” Scott asked.
“Yes, he has a laptop. He was going to take it with him. But, he decided not to. He said he could use his phone to access the internet, so he didn’t see the point in carrying it around,” Linda answered.
“Can I look at it?”
“Yes, I’ll go get it.”
Linda returned a few minutes later with the computer. Scott tried to gain access into it. But, Kyle had it password protected, so he was unable to go any further. He asked if they knew what his password may be. There were a few ideas, but everything they tried, did not work. Scott was getting frustrated. He did know a computer expert who could easily get into it and tell them every piece of information held within it. But, he was over five thousand miles away.
He quickly called Chris and explained the situation. But, he was unable to help over the phone. Scott was not particularly good with computers and some of the things Chris suggested he do, did not make sense to him. Scott thanked Chris for trying and said he’d try to contact a local computer specialist. But, it being a Sunday afternoon, he was unable to find anyone. If he needed to unlock the computer, it would have to wait until the following day. Scott also wanted to contact the main PCPS office in London, to see if they had any other phone numbers for Tom. But, it was Sunday evening in England, they would be closed. That too would have to wait. It proved to be a frustrating day.
As the day turned to night, still there was no contact from Tom or Kyle. Everyone was tired. Earlier that evening, Scott suggested they try and contact Kyle’s credit card company to try and find out where he spent money in Moscow. Linda was more interested in contacting the police, to report Kyle missing. Scott told her that he didn’t think it would help. He knew there would be nothing that they could do, after all Kyle wasn’t really missing. It seemed like he’d just changed his mind and gone somewhere else. Plus, Scott knew that all the police could do was to contact the authorities in Russia. And due to past experiences, he found it hard to believe that they would take the matter seriously. However, Scott realized that if in a few days they still hadn’t heard anything from either man, then they were probably going to have to rely on the Russian police to try and find them.
A little after midnight, Tiffany managed to persuade her parents to go to bed and try to get some sleep. She told them that she would stay up with Scott and they would wake them if there was any news. Soon after they reluctantly went upstairs, she snuggled up on the couch next to Scott. He knew she was exhausted, he was too. She didn’t say anything. And, he put his arm around her and gently stroked her hair as she closed her eyes. Her head rested on his shoulder. Soon she was asleep. And, not long after, so was he.
Chapter 14
Scott awoke after a few hours; it was just after 5:00 a.m. He gently moved Tiffany’s head from his shoulder, and slowly lowered it so she was lying on the couch. He checked the house phone and his cell just in case anyone had called. There were no calls. Although it was early there, it was lunchtime in Europe. So, he went into the kitchen and made his call to the PCPS office. There was nobody available to talk to, so he left a message with the receptionist asking if someone could call him back with Tom’s contact number. Scott returned to the living room to check on Tiffany. She was still sleeping. He went back into the kitchen and started to make a pot of coffee. After a couple of minutes the house phone started to ring. Scott rushed back to the living room to try and reach it before it woke Tiffany. He was too late. She stirred and was reaching for the phone. Scott knew that it wouldn’t be the PCPS office as he had given them his cell number. He hoped that it was good news. Tiffany answered the phone, after a few seconds her eyes widened and she reacted angrily.
“Who is this?” she scowled.
“What is it?” asked Scott.
“Hello, hello, are you still there?” Tiffany said, before hanging up the phone. She looked at Scott. Her face was pale; she looked like she had seen a ghost.
“Who was it Tiffany? What’s going on?” Scott said, as he sat down next to her.
“Someone’s got Kyle,” she said, as her whole body began to shake.
Scott put his arm around her to comfort her.
“What exactly did they say?”
“He said ‘Mrs. Robinson, we have your son. If you want to see him again, follow the instructions we have emailed to you.’ The voice sounded muffled, and he must have thought I was Mom.”
“Was there anything else, at all?”
“No, that was it.”
“I think we better wake yer Mom and Dad and see what the email says.”
A few minutes later Jim and Linda were up; they were all huddled around the laptop and waited for Jim to access the email account. Jim quickly located the message, which had been sent about thirty minutes before the call came through. He opened it.
GOOD DAY ROBINSONS
WE ARE HOLDING YOUR SON, KYLE JAMES ROBINSON, IN MOSCOW. IF YOU WANT TO SEE HIM AGAIN YOU WILL DEPOSIT 10 MILLION US DOLLARS INTO OUR OFFSHORE ACCOUNT. YOU HAVE UNTIL THE END OF THE WEEK TO COMPLY. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE POLICE OR YOUR FBI, OR HE WILL BE KILLED. AT THE MOMENT HE HAS NOT BEEN HARMED AND WILL BE RELEASED AS LONG AS YOU FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE MONEY TO BE TRANSFERRED. WE WILL CONTACT YOU AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE WITH FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS AND ACCOUNT DETAILS.
Linda started crying and screaming. Tiffany tried to comfort her but it wasn’t doing much good. Scott was trying to stay calm. He had encountered many dealings with hostage situations in the past. This time was different. Scott had never personally known the hostage or their family. Tiffany sat on the couch with her Mother; she held her sobbing in her arms. Scott motioned for Jim, and he followed Scott into the kitchen.
“What do we do Scott?” he asked. He sounded concerned, but reasonably composed considering what he just read.
“It has tae be yer choice Jim. But, I will tell yer everything I know aboot this kind of situation.”
“Have you had prior experience with this kind of thing?”
“Aye, my government does nae negotiate with kidnappers. We were sent in a few times tae rescue hostages in various different places.”
“And did you save them?”
“Aye, every time. But yer have tae understand something. I was on the frontline then, I was nae the one getting ransom demands and dealing with this end of things.”
“Okay, I understand. But, even so, you still know more than we do. What do you think we should do?”
“It’s yer call Jim. Yer have tae understand that if yer do contact the authorities here, the only thing they
will do is contact the police in Russia. And we dinnae know if this group that has Kyle has anyone working inside in the Russian police force. Corruption is wide spread over there. If they do find oot yer involved the police, they may harm him.”
“What about sending our own Special Forces in?”
“Yer government is nae going tae do that, Jim. They are nae going tae want tae risk a big international incident. I guarantee they will nae send a Special Forces unit in tae Russia.”
“So we either contact the police and let them try to work things out with their Russian counterparts, or we just pay?” Jim asked, trying to get his thoughts together.
“It’s nae that simple either. If yer just wire them money, what’s tae stop them changing their mind aboot releasing Kyle and asking yer fer more money? If they know yer are willing tae pay ten million, they’ll ask fer twenty, maybe more. Where does it end? If yer do want tae pay, we need someone there tae make sure Kyle is okay and that we have him back safe. This is why I really need tae hear from Tom.”
“Maybe they have him too.”
“Nae, I dinnae think so. What bothers me is how they knew that yer have that kind of money. Who would know yer would be able tae pay that much of a ransom. I keep coming back tae Alexei. Either him, someone connected with him or the casino knows something.”
They were joined in the kitchen by the ladies. Linda was still extremely upset. She walked up to Jim and held onto him.
“What are we going to do?” she asked her husband, fighting back the tears.
“Let’s go and sit down in the living room. Scott was telling me a few things about how he’s dealt with this kind of thing before.”
They all retuned to the couch. Jim sat with his arms around his wife, while Tiffany sat next to Scott and held his hand. Scott explained again what he told Jim in the kitchen. He explained to them that whatever they decided to do, he would help in any way he could. Scott suggested that they should ask Alexei to come over to the house. Scott thought it would be a good idea to speak with him. Then, Scott’s cell phone rang.
KILTED DESIRE 2 - Russian Roulette Page 12
