“I don’t care. A sandwich would be fantastic, but what I could use more than anything is a big cup of coffee. You can get some from the coffeepot by the nurse’s station.” She then sets her purse back on the floor next to her chair.
“Okay, I’ll get you some before I go downstairs,” Tyrone smiled then turned to walk out of the room.
“Thank you, Tyrone, and I’m glad you’re here too.”
***
After he had taken Ruth a cup of coffee, Tyrone decided to go outside and have a cigarette before getting them something to eat.
Tyrone noticed it was a crisp November day when he stepped outside. He paused a moment before walking toward the bench next to the hospital entrance.
It’s unusually cold for this part of the country, he thought to himself, but it was not as cold as the feeling growing inside of him.
“How did things get so out of control?” he groaned. He decided to sit on the bench and watch the people walking in and out of the hospital door.
He lit a cigarette and then took a long draw on it trying to clear his mind. What will I do if I cannot get Jenni back before Gran wakes up and asks for her?
He knew the chance of getting her back before then was probably zero, but he had to try.
“I’m sorry for everything, Gran.” He took the last drag on his cigarette and was about to stand up when his cell phone rang.
He reached into his pocket, took the cell phone out, and held his breath as he answered, “Hello.”
“Good morning, Tyrone. How is your grandmother is doing this morning?”
“What do you care?” Tyrone growled at the sound of his voice.
“My, my, are we having a bad morning?” the voice teased.
“Anytime I have to talk to you is bad! What do I have to do to get Jenni back? If Gran wakes up and she’s not there…,” He was interrupted before he could continue.
“You know what you need to do if you want your precious sister returned to you. You need to continue to do your part and follow my instructions to the letter; nothing more, nothing less.” He always enjoyed hearing the desperation in the voices of his chosen pieces.
To show them they were powerless was a delight, and he looked forward to it each time he played the game. “You need to pull yourself together because I have something I want you to do.”
“What now!” Tyrone felt the anger growing inside of him again.
“I will tell you in good time, but for now I want you to clear your mind and stay focused on the matter at hand. Now, I will ask you again. How is your grandmother doing this morning?” He posed in a firm tone.
Tyrone knew he would not win this battle. “She’s not doing well at all. She had a heart attack, and no one knows if she will survive. There, are you happy?”
“Happy? Why would I be happy that you caused your grandmother to have a heart attack?” He knew the effect this statement would have on Tyrone.
“You bastard, I will…,” the anger exploded out of him at the comment.
“Be careful what you say, my friend. You need to remember when you talk to me to choose your words carefully. I would hate to end our business arrangement before its time, and have it endanger poor Jenni.” His tone was dark and threatening, as he hung up the telephone.
“Damn it!” Tyrone shook with rage, as he held his cell phone firmly in his hand. He hated how this guy kept the upper hand against him by using his love for Jenni. He sat for a moment and tried to gather his thoughts when he noticed a small group of people watching him.
Shit, what do they want? He thought to himself, but he knew the truth. He had to compose himself and get through this if he wanted to get Jenni back. He looked at the group again and smiled while he tried to hide the rage burning inside of him. I need to get back inside before Ruth thinks I ran out on her.
He went to the cafeteria and bought each of them a sandwich with potato chips, and then walked back to the room. He hoped Ruth had not noticed how long he was gone, but he was not that lucky.
“Where have you been? It has been nearly an hour. Did it take that long to smoke a cigarette and get us a sandwich?” Ruth teased.
She took her sandwich and chips from Tyrone and set them on the bedside table.
“I’m sorry, but while I was outside Jenni called me.” He forced a grin hoping Ruth would believe him.
“She did, what did she say? She will be coming here, won’t she?” Ruth knew how important it was for Jenni be there when Maybelle woke up because she would want to know where she was.
“She asked how Gran was, and I told her she was still unconscious, but the doctor was due in after lunch to tell us what’s going on.”
He paused, trying to think of what to say next. “I told her we didn’t know when she would wake up, so if she wanted to stay at her friend’s house until then, I was sure Gran would understand.”
“You told her that, but why? She needs to be here, not at some friend’s house,” Ruth whispered, careful not to awaken Maybelle.
“You and I both know she’s better off staying with her friends. There is no sense in Jenni being here because she would only worry more. I don’t think it would be good for Jenni to see Gran like this, do you?” Tyrone prayed this answer would suffice.
Ruth had sat silently for a moment before she spoke. “I guess you’re right. She doesn’t need to see Maybelle like this. I just thought…” she paused, as she looked at Maybelle lying there motionless.
“I know, but thank you for understanding. Come on, let’s eat.” Tyrone sat in the chair next to Ruth. He then removed the wrapping from his sandwich and took a bite.
***
They had both finished eating their lunch when a doctor and his physician’s assistant walked into the room. “Good afternoon, my name is Dr. Walker and this is my PA, Ms. Sanders. I will be treating Ms. Gables during her stay with us. You must be the grandson, correct?”
“Yes, I am. How is she doing doctor?” Tyrone held his breath, waiting for the answer.
“Your grandmother had a rather difficult night, son. I’m sorry to have to tell you, but she has had a massive stroke. We have her stable for now, but we are not sure what functions she may have lost. I hate to have to tell you this, but it’s not looking good for her.”
He always hated this part of his job. To tell a family their loved one may not survive, or their life will never be the same was not an enjoyable thing to have to do.
The words slammed into Tyrone like a freight train. He took his grandmother’s hand in his and kissed it. “Thank you, doctor, I know you’re doing everything you can for her.”
“Doctor, why isn’t she awake?” Ruth asked.
“We have her in an induced coma for now. We are waiting for some of her test results then we will know what we need to do next for her. I am sorry, but I need to get to my next patient. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to ask your nurse, they can be extremely helpful.” He walked over and gently touched Maybelle on the arm then turned, and left the room.
“A stroke… oh my lord!” Ruth cried out at the thought of what this meant for Maybelle. “She’s been through so much lately, Tyrone, what are we going to do?”
Tyrone could not sit there any longer. “I need to go to Gran’s. Jenni asked me to bring her some extra clothes. I’ll be back later.” He stood and walked toward the door without looking back.
“You’re going to come back, right?” Ruth pleaded.
“Yeah, I promise,” were the only words he said as he walked out the door.
***
Mac awoke feeling refreshed and ready for the new day, and she was thrilled to be finally on to this mystery caller and his game. She only needed to trip him up enough to tell her where the boy was, and she decided to use his arrogance against him to do just that. As she walked out the door, she paused a moment as the same feeling of not being alone came over her again. Damn it, why do I keep feeling this way?
***
His alarm went o
ff when she got out of bed. He enjoyed watching her as she got ready for work following a steadfast routine.
“She is such a creature of habit,” he laughed to himself.
“I’m glad to see you’re feeling strong this morning because I have a few surprises in store for you today,” he snickered as he watched her walk out the front door.
***
Mac pulled into the parking lot at the Department with the hope it would be a productive day. Yesterday, she had spent the entire day running down dead ends as far as finding the car that belonged to the kidnapper. She decided to check in before she went to the last house on her list and was about to get out of her car when her cell phone rang, “Hello.”
“Good morning, Lucinda.”
“Good morning. You know, this isn’t fair; I don’t know your name. If we’re going to play this game of yours, I should at least know what to call you,” Mac responded in a playful tone.
“You’re correct; it is time that I properly introduced myself. My name is Erebus,” he waited for her response.
“Erebus, I don’t think so. I know who Erebus is, and you’re not him,” she laughed.
Her words caught him off guard, as no one had ever responded to him in this way.
“So, you know of Erebus, please share with me,” he felt the excitement grow inside of him at this delicious turn of events.
“Let me see if I can remember. Erebus is known as the embodiment of primordial darkness, the son of Chaos, also known as darkness. So, you unquestionably are not him that is unless you’re telling me you’re some sort of mythical creature,” she laughed.
“Excellent! I must admit I’m surprised as none before you had known of Erebus in mythology. You are a treasure, Lucinda. I have a good feeling about you and your part in The Game.” He was excited at the potential for this game and wondered what other surprises she would have for him.
“Well, I must say I’m a bit disappointed in you for hiding behind a fake name, but if you want to be called Erebus, then so be it. What do you want this morning? I’m a little busy now, so make it fast.” Mac did not want to give him the upper hand any longer, so she figured she would see how he liked the roles reversed.
Her response caught him off guard again. This one will take extra time to break; he thought to himself.
“Well then, I won’t keep you. Have you found the man that kidnaped the boy yet? You still have one more to look into, correct?”
Damn it, how does he know that, but he did say he knew everything I would do.
She took a deep breath before continuing. “How do you know about the search for the car, and that I have one more to investigate?”
“I told you, Lucinda, I know everything about you. You have no secrets from me.” He knew this would get her going.
“Are you nervous I might find you? Don’t tell me the car belongs to you,” her voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Nervous? I’m not nervous at all. I enjoy watching you do your job, and this community is fortunate to have someone of your caliber to protect it.” He admitted to himself that she would be difficult to break, not like the others. The last one had been no challenge at all. His guilt over his partner’s death and self-doubt had made him a perfect Tracker for the game. However, this one would take some extra work, but she also stirred a new sense of excitement in him that he had not felt in quite some time.
Yes, my dear Lucinda, I look forward to our time together.
Mac hated the way he made her feel. She felt like a mouse waiting for the cat to get bored and pounce. However, she knew for the sake of the missing boy, she needed to be careful and not anger him. “Thank you for the compliment. Yes, I only have the one left to check on, but can you give me a hint if I’m getting close?” She knew it was a useless question, but she had to ask.
There was a moment of silence then the sound of his laughter slammed into her ear. “Lucinda, you truly are a delight. I have already given you everything you need at this time. I will let you get to your work, and we will talk again later.” He ended the telephone call.
“God, I hate that guy!” Mac yelled as she slammed her fist on the steering wheel.
She looked at her cell phone on the chance his number was in the call record. “How does he do that?”
He was right about one thing, though; she needed to get busy and solve this case. She knew the longer it went on, the less chance there was of getting the boy home safely to his parents.
“Okay, enough of his crap,” she snarled and opened her car door.
“Fine, I’ll play along with your stupid game.” She rushed inside to gather her notes and the address for the final person on her list.
***
“Mac, I need to talk to you!” Detective Rick Jameson motioned for her, as she walked past his desk.
“What’s going on Rick?”
“We got a message from the kidnapper. He sent a video of the boy. Mac, it’s terrible what he has done with that poor kid,” Rick walked to Mac’s desk and sat in her chair.
“Here, check out this crap.” He opened a saved folder and hit on the video link. Mac stood behind him and watched as the screen went black then suddenly writing swirled onto the screen.
As you will soon see, the boy is still alive. If you want to keep him that way, you will have the parents transfer one million dollars to an offshore bank account I, have set up for this business transaction. If the transfer has not been completed by 6 pm on Monday, I promise the boy will die. I understand it will take time to come up with such a large sum of money, and with Thanksgiving this weekend, I decided to give you plenty of time. Here he is, and as you can see, he’s still very much alive.” The screen faded out again then focused on a small figure sitting on a cot in a dimly lit room.
“Oh, my God, it’s him!” Mac groaned with both fear and relief in her voice. The sight of the small figure sitting on the cot with his knees pulled up to his chest ripped at Mac’s heart. You could clearly see the fear and despair on his face.
“When did this come in?” she asked without taking her eyes from the screen.
“Only a few moments before you came in the door; hold on there’s more,” Rick replied.
The screen began to spin and blur with more writing coming into focus. As you can see, the boy is unharmed and safe. However, what happens to him next is entirely up to you. I would recommend that you leave now and get to the Afton’s before they receive this same message. I estimate that it should take you no more than twenty minutes to read this and drive to their home, so you had better hurry.
“Crap, we better get there before this does!” Mac turned and rushed to her car, with Rick closely behind her.
***
As they walked to the front door of the Afton’s house, Mac and Rick heard screaming and crying from inside. Mac took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.
“I was in his room when my phone alerted me to a new text message. I nearly didn’t open it because I didn’t recognize the number, but a strange force pushed me to read it. The message told me if I wanted my son back I had to open an email because there was a message I needed to see.”
Cheryl Afton sat on the couch, clasping her hands on her lap. Mac marveled at how she looked so much older today, but she knew what worry would do to a person.
“He wants a million dollars! We don’t have that kind of money! I don’t know what to do,” she cried as she realized she might never see her son again.
“Mrs. Afton, have you called your husband yet?” Rick asked.
Cheryl lifted her head and looked at Rick with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Yes, I called as soon as I saw the video. He’s coming home…,” she cried as she wiped the tears with her hand.
The front door flew open and in ran a distraught Brian Afton. He ran to Cheryl and took her in his arms.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. I should have been here!” he cried with both guilt and regret clearly in his voice.
Mac hated to interrupt, but sh
e knew she had to get all the information she could.
“Mrs. Afton, I’d like to see the video now if you don’t mind. If we’re going to get Joey home safely, I need to gather all the evidence we receive,” Mac held out her hand to Cheryl.
“You’re right; I need to stay focused for Joey.” She took the offered hand and looked into Mac’s eyes, and prayed this woman could, in fact, bring Joey home unharmed.
“Our computer is in Brian’s home office.” She released Mac’s hand and walked toward the hallway.
The email was the same one they had received at the Department; except for one slight difference, this version had audio. When the camera showed Joey sitting on the cot, you could hear his whimpers for his mommy and daddy, and the sound of his voice was like a dagger through Mac’s heart.
How could someone be so cruel? She knew the answer, as soon as the question formed in her mind. The world was full of cruelty and greed, and no matter how hard we try to stop it, we cannot.
The sound coming from the speakers brought Cheryl to tears again, “Baby, please don’t give up! I hear you…Mommy loves you,” the words faded into sobs of pain. “Please save my son, Detective. He’s my world!” Cheryl buried her face in her hands and cried uncontrollably.
Mac searched for what to say to ease Cheryl’s pain. She knew things could go terribly wrong if they took the wrong step, but what else could she do. “I hate to ask this, but can you come up with the money, Mr. Afton?”
The look of despair on his face answered her question. “No, I don’t come close to having that much money. I cannot even mortgage my home to get it. Oh, God, I don’t know what I can do,” Brian cried with a look of panic on his face. “Joey’s going to die and there’s nothing I can do about it!”
Mac turned to face Brian and grabbed him by the shoulders, “Joey isn’t going to die. You need to believe that. We are doing everything we can do to bring him home, and we will not rest until we do. Now I want the two of you to calm down and stay in control of yourselves for Joey. I want you to go back into the living room with Detective Jameson while I take some pictures of this message, okay?”
A New Game Page 6
