A couple of seconds of silence ensued before Sandy replied. “Yes, the flight was fine and on time. How’s everything back home? I tried calling on the landline but got no answer.”
“Must be a problem with the line because the phone didn’t ring,” said Chris. “I’ll look into it. I can’t stay on too long because Dave’s waiting for me on the tennis court for a few sets.”
“No problem, sweetheart,” Sandy replied. “The shuttle is just pulling up so I’ll have to get going too.”
“You and the girls have a great time over there, sweetie, and take lots of videos,” said Chris. “Keep me posted on how the trip’s going and I’ll pick you up at the airport on the thirteenth.”
“Sounds good, honey,” said Sandy. “You go crush Dave on the court. Love you.”
“Love you too,” Chris replied before cutting the connection and gazing at Butch. “I trust that was okay?”
“You did good, Chris,” Butch replied. “I think you and me will get along just fine. Now, how about you getting me and my crew them beers you offered. It’s party time.”
* * * *
“What was that all about?” asked a puzzled Josée. “What shuttle?”
“Something’s wrong,” Sandy announced with a dazed expression. “To start, Chris called me Sandra. He’s never called me Sandra in my life. Nobody has. Then he asked if we made it to Los Angeles okay and said he was going to play tennis with Dave. Dave hates tennis. He then told me to take a lot of videos and said he’d pick me up at the airport on the thirteenth.”
“What the hell?” said Josée with concern. “Why didn’t you ask him what he was talking about? Are you sure he wasn’t just joking since we used the plane?”
Sandy shook her head. “I’ve been with Chris long enough to know when he’s joking. He was trying to tell me something, like in code, as if someone was there monitoring what he was saying.”
“As if he’d been kidnapped or something?” Josée suggested as she reached into her purse. “Maybe I should call Jon.”
“Don’t,” said Sandy. “Whatever it is, I doubt that only Chris is in trouble. If he was, Jon or Dave would have contacted us.”
“You’ve got a point,” Josée replied. “Call the girls and tell them to get back to the plane. We have to get back there and see what’s going on.”
Chapter 5
Saturday - 3:02 p.m.
“Look, there are a couple of guys on the dock by the Sea-Doos,” exclaimed Sandy in dismay as they approached the property from a couple of hundred feet up above the lake. “They look like damned bikers and they’re certainly not Chris’ friends. They’ve invaded our home.”
“Don’t worry, Sandy,” said Leslie. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“Should I get us down closer?” asked Josée.
“No, we can see well enough from this height,” Leslie replied, “And we don’t want to attract their attention or give the impression we’re scoping out the place.”
“Alright,” Josée agreed. “I’ll veer off some to the right so we can get a view from the south side then double back to see from the north. We’ll catch the front and back both ways.”
“Do it,” said Leslie. “Keep your eyes open, ladies.”
As they moved closer, they noted two more men seated at the patio table and one in the pool. The tennis court and golfing area were deserted but as the front of the lot came into view, another two men were spotted by the garage with its doors all open, beer bottles in hand as they examined the cars and recreational vehicles parked within. A passenger van and a large SUV, both unfamiliar, were parked on the lawn near the garage and a motorcycle could be seen on the walkway near the main entrance to the house.
A minute or so past the property, Josée looped back north then west and the Barry home soon came back into view from the opposite side though their second pass revealed no further information.
“Who are those bastards?” Sandy muttered as she stared down at her home.
“And where are our husbands?” added Cathy, the anger and fear audible in her tone. “They can’t be gone. The boats and cars are still there.”
“We’re going to work this out, ladies,” said Leslie, “And let’s keep in mind that Chris, Jon and Dave all know how to handle themselves.”
“Yes, they do, Les,” replied Josée, “But from what we just saw, they’re outnumbered by more than two to one.”
“Mon Dieu!” Dominique suddenly exclaimed. “I think there are thirteen of them.”
“What makes you think that?” asked Cathy.
Leslie smiled fondly at her French girlfriend then explained. “Chris told Sandy he’d pick her up at the airport on the thirteenth. He was telling her how many guys invaded the place.”
“I don’t know,” said Cathy. “It seems like a bit of a stretch from a date to a number of people who crashed the place.”
“Think about it, Cathy,” Sandy countered. “I call and Chris has been threatened if he says anything to tip me off. Saying that we’re in L.A. tells me something is wrong and tells everybody that we’re not expected back soon. He’s not really picking me up at the airport so saying the thirteenth could very well mean the number of intruders. They certainly have enough transportation parked out front for a group that size.”
“True enough,” Cathy conceded.
“It makes sense to me,” Josée agreed, “But it certainly doesn’t make me feel any better about our husbands’ situation.”
“Should we call the police?” asked Dominique.
“Of course we should,” Cathy replied.
“I disagree,” said Leslie.
“Why?” asked a puzzled Dominique.
“If we call the police, they’ll come in with a SWAT team,” Leslie explained, “And the whole thing will likely turn into a standoff and shootout with Chris, Jon and Dave inside as hostages.”
“I’m with Leslie,” said Sandy.
“Same goes for me,” said Josée. “Our guys are likely to end up dead if the police storm the place.”
“You’ve got a point,” Cathy admitted, “But what’s the alternative?”
“I deal with assholes like these guys for a living,” Leslie replied.
“Oh, come on, Les,” said Josée. “You can’t expect us to let you go in against more than dozen men by yourself. That’s ridiculous.”
“Who said she’d go in by herself?” asked Sandy.
“What are you suggesting, Sandy?” urged Cathy.
“I’ve been with Chris long enough to have learned a few things, not to mention the self-defense training I’ve been doing for years,” Sandy replied, “And my father taught me how to shoot a gun before I was ten. I had no qualms with shooting at my dad’s killers when I was sixteen. Now, our husbands are in there, in danger, and I plan to do whatever is needed to get them out.”
“All this scares me to death but I’m also angry and revolted that animals like this think they can terrorize others,” said Josée, her voice tremulous. “Jon’s shown me the ropes and I’m in great shape. Count me in.”
Cathy let out a deep breath and said, “With a husband who’s been a cop for twenty-five years and all the time I’ve spent at the shooting range, I can do my share.”
“I don’t have the knowledge or expertise you all have,” said Dominique, “But Leslie’s been showing me how to look after myself and I’ll certainly do anything I can to help. My sister and I might be dead if it weren’t for Jonathan and Chris.”
“We need some place where we can settle down to think this through and start planning,” said Leslie. “Any suggestions, Sandy?”
“Head to the marina,” Sandy replied, pointing south. “I know Alexandre, the owner. He’ll let us moor the plane and find us a private spot where we can sit and get our heads around this. He might even come in handy if we need anything.”
“Well, then, let’s get busy,” said Josée as she headed south.
Chapter 6
Saturday - 3:33 p.m.
“I have to tell you, Chris,” said Butch as he entered the dining room following a tour of the property, “You really know how to live. This is one hell of a place you’ve got here.”
The crew had moved their captives into the dining room where they had secured them to the heavy armed chairs with duct tape. A couple of them, including Ape, had been assigned to keep an eye on the three while the rest milled about, inside and out, familiarizing themselves with the Barry residence and its contents.
“I’ve done okay over the years,” Chris replied.
Butch laughed. “You’ve done better than okay, my friend. Boats, Sea-doos, fancy cars. That garage of yours is chock full of toys with your snow-mobiles and ATMs and this house is huge. How many bedrooms you got here?”
“Five,” said Chris.
“And they each have their own private bathroom,” added Butch. “What do you do for a living?”
“Management and consulting,” Chris replied. “How about you?”
“We’re into acquisitions and sales,” Butch replied, grinning at his joke. “What about you two? What do you do, Jonathan?”
“I work for the government,” Jon replied.
“Fucking paper pusher,” muttered Ape as he glared at Jonathan.
Butch chuckled and said, “You should have gone down when Ape hit you. You got on his wrong side by staying up.”
Jonathan looked at Butch and replied with a smile. “It’s not my fault the big chimp hits like a girl.”
Butch exploded with laughter as Ape jumped out of his chair in rage and headed toward Jonathan.
“Sit back down and relax,” Butch ordered good-naturedly as he waved the big man back. “I’ll make sure you get your chance along the way. We just got here so you’ll have lots of time to even the score. Let’s see how much he can piss you off before I let you have a go at him.”
Cursing under his breath, Ape went back to his seat and continued to glare at Jonathan who ignored him in return.
“And what about you, Dave?” Butch picked up from where he had left off. “What kind of fancy job do you have? Doctor? Lawyer?”
“Yeah, lawyer,” Dave replied. “Good guess.”
Butch’s easy gaze upon Dave turned into a cold stare as his smile morphed into a frown. Rising to his feet, he walked over to Dave as he pulled a wallet from his back pocket.
“Do you recognize this?” he demanded as he slapped Dave’s face with the wallet several times. “Answer me. What is this?”
“It’s a wallet,” Dave replied through clenched teeth.
“It’s your wallet, motherfucker,” Butch hissed. “It’s your wallet, along with your police ID card, Captain. You’re a fucking cop so why’d you tell me you were a damned lawyer?”
Dave shrugged. “I figured it wouldn’t go over well if I told you I was a cop.”
“You figured?” Butch sneered. “Who the hell told you to figure anything?”
“Aw, Jesus, let it go,” Jonathan growled.
“Not your business, buddy, so shut the fuck up,” Butch snarled, his eyes never leaving Dave. “What you never figured, Mister Policeman, is that you lied to me and that was a big mistake.”
His face a grimace of rage, he stepped back then kicked Dave in the chest, knocking the chair backwards and causing Dave’s head to smash against the oak floor. Jumping over the fallen chair, he dropped down and pressed a knee into Dave’s throat.
“Didn’t you pay attention when I explained the rules?” he hissed before backhanding Dave in the face. “I said that if you do anything stupid, you’re gonna get hurt. Didn’t you hear me say that before?”
Dave nodded, unable to speak with the pressure on his throat.
Butch raised his knee slightly and said, “Lying to me is stupid. Understand?”
“Got it,” Dave rasped.
“That was your first and only warning,” Butch replied as he stood. “Screw up again and you’ll see what getting hurt for real is all about.”
He turned and knuckle-rapped Jonathan on the back of the head then stormed off to the kitchen while bellowing, “Ape, get that lying bastard back up, will ya? I’m going to get me another beer.”
* * * *
“Here we go, ladies,” said Alexandre as he entered the room followed by one of his kitchen staff, both carrying trays laden with drinks, sandwiches and snacks.
“Thanks, Alex,” said Sandy, “But this really wasn’t necessary.”
“Ha,” Alexandre scoffed. “You should know by now that I look after my friends, young lady.”
Upon deciding to head to the marina, Sandy had called Alexandre to inform him of their impending arrival and asked if he could lend them some space for a while. He had been waiting on the dock to greet them and, once the plane was moored, he’d led the women to a closed dining room generally reserved for small, private parties. At his insistence, they had accepted his offer of drinks but had declined any food, stating that his providing them with an impromptu meeting room on such short notice was imposition enough. Alexandre had smiled and shrugged then left the room until his current reappearance.
“Anyhow, it’s probably a good idea to eat something,” said Leslie. “We may be having a late dinner so, thank you, Alexandre.”
“My pleasure,” Alex replied. “As I said, I’m always ready to help my friends.” He eyed the women seated around the table and added, “I must ask because you ladies seem troubled. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Maybe there is,” Leslie replied suddenly. “Would you have a boat we could rent?”
“Why would you need to rent a boat?” Alexandre asked. “Sandy and Chris already own a whole fleet.”
“Uh, some of the girls want to do a bit of fishing later,” Sandy quickly replied, “And I told them you had some nice bass boats.”
Alexandre gazed from one woman to the next for a moment then replied, “If you say so. I’ll have a boat gassed up and waiting whenever you’re ready to go.”
He moved to the door to leave but stopped before opening it and turned to face the table. “I’m not sure what the problem is, ladies, but I’ll mind my own business. However, if I can help you with anything, please do let me know, okay Sandy?”
“Oui, Alex,” Sandy replied. “I will. Merci beaucoup.”
He nodded and left, closing the door behind him.
“Okay, we’ve got a boat at our disposal,” Sandy announced, looking sheepish. “I hate having to lie to Alex. He’s been a great friend since we moved here and he knows something is up. He caught me off guard with his ‘boat fleet’ comment.”
“Sorry, Sandy,” said Leslie. “It just dawned on me that having a boat at our disposal could be useful but I asked that without thinking.”
“I would have done the same,” Sandy replied. “Don’t worry. I’ll patch this up with Alex later. We’ve got other things to deal with for now.”
“But do you trust him to stay clear?” asked Leslie. “I don’t want anyone trying to get involved without our knowledge and screwing something up or getting hurt.”
“Like I said, we’ve known him since we moved here,” Sandy replied. “He’s a good man and true to his word so he won’t meddle without telling me. One thing I can say is, if we do end up needing any help, I wouldn’t hesitate to turn to him or his brother, Serge, who owns the pub. They’re local boys with lots of family and friends. They have hearts of gold but are a bit rough around the edges.”
Leslie nodded. “We’ll keep that in mind then. Do you think they could help us get guns?”
“Probably,” said Sandy. “They’re both hunters, but we’d have to tell them a lot more about what’s going on.”
“I get you,” Leslie replied. “I’m just considering our options. Next, we’re going to need some place to stay, to take cover or crash while we work this out. Are there any motels, B&Bs, anyplace you can think of on your side of the lake? The closer to your place, the better though we’re probably going to have to find a car too.�
�
“Damn, my head’s not working right with all of this,” Sandy muttered. “Our neighbors, just north of us, are in Europe for the month. They left me their keys. I’ve been watering their plants and keeping an eye on things. We could have gone directly there if I’d thought of it. They have a dock and everything.”
“Perfect,” said Leslie. “Is your neighbor a hunter, by chance? I’m still thinking easy access to guns.”
Sandy shook her head. “Sorry. He fishes but he doesn’t hunt.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Leslie replied. “What about access to your place from your neighbor’s home? Are there any fences or walls separating the two properties?”
“Nope,” said Sandy. “Just a wooded area going from one lot to the next. It’s enough for privacy but not a problem to get through. There are even a couple of trails running through the woods.”
“We’ll want to keep our eyes open in case some of these idiots are patrolling in there,” said Cathy.
“Yes, we will,” Leslie agreed. “In fact, let’s hope they are. I’m all for eliminating a few of these bastards one at a time. We’ll likely have to go in there blind at some point to put an end to this so the smaller the crowd remaining, the better.”
“Oh, shit,” Sandy exclaimed, suddenly fumbling in her purse.
“What is it?” asked Josée.
“We’re not blind. We can see what’s going on,” said Sandy as she pulled out her phone. “We can access the security system receiver via internet. That’s what Chris meant when he mentioned videos.”
“Your husband is brilliant,” Josée murmured as they crowded around Sandy who scrolled through the menu, found the appropriate icon then entered a password.
“Here we go,” she announced, working the menu to move from one live camera to the next, the images showing some intruders in various rooms of the house but not the three captives.
“Do these feeds go to a security company?” asked Cathy.
Sandy shook her head. “That would be an open invitation to voyeurism. Only Chris and I have the access code.”
9 More Killer Thrillers Page 125
