Taker

by Patrick Wong

  Fortunately for PRESS, a passenger had used her smartphone to film most of the events surrounding the hijacking. Bishop and Velasquez had sat back and watched the video footage unfold, certain they’d collect more clues. But there were none. All they could discern was that Nicole had disappeared into the cockpit after Drake and the pilot had gained entry.

  “Look, I was up front with her, helping the flight attendant earlier, but after I was sure she was OK, I went back to my seat. I felt a little sick.”

  “Did you think it was in any way odd that a teenage girl thought she could be of use up there?” Velasquez asked.

  “I don’t know. I was just hoping we wouldn’t die up there.”

  “Did you get her number?” Velasquez’s change of tack floored Jason. He gave her an inscrutable look.

  “What, you people don’t have it?”

  “She wasn’t asking that,” Bishop interjected belligerently.

  “I figured I could find her on Facebook,” Jason said, shrugging.

  “Good luck with that,” Bishop muttered under his breath.

  “You haven’t arranged to meet again?”

  “No. Not really. Everything happened so quickly afterward.”

  “Raymond Turner, the pilot, mentioned that Nicole was doing something strange with her hands in the cockpit. Know anything about that?”

  “No,” Jason replied, perhaps too quickly.

  Bishop felt Velasquez tense up a little. Her pen-clicking stopped.

  “I can see the blood on your shirt, Jason,” Velasquez said. “You’ve been bleeding recently. Did she heal those cuts for you?”

  “No. What are you saying?” Jason’s voice was rising from irritation. “Look, some of the blood is probably from helping the injured flight attendant, or the second officer, or even the hijacker. There was just a lot of blood. Why can’t you people get that through your thick heads?”

  Jason stood up from his chair. “I don’t understand what you’re getting at. These are pretty weird questions. You said you wanted to talk about the flight attendant and Nicole, and I’ve answered your questions to the best of my ability, given the circumstances. Shouldn’t you have to read me my Miranda rights? I know I’m entitled to speak to a lawyer.”

  “Jason, please, sit down,” Velasquez said in a steely tone. She rose to meet his eye level.

  “Plus,” Jason continued, undeterred, “I’ve been involved in a traumatic hijacking, and I would really like to go see my dad and stepmom, because they’re waiting for me.”

  Jason was eyeballing Velasquez now, and she didn’t look like she was about to back down. Bishop resolved to give them 30 more seconds before intervening.

  “I have my rights,” Jason said to the silent agents.

  Velasquez observed him casually for a moment, then clicked her pen again and sat back down, as though Jason weren’t even there any longer, towering over her.

  “Jason, you just got way too defensive with us, and I’ll be honest in saying I’m a little concerned about that,” Velasquez said. “I’m sorry — you’re going to have to come with us.”

  “No!”

  Ignoring Jason’s panic, she gestured to two of the local agents and handed Bishop her clipboard.

  “See you back at the jet.”

  Bishop watched her go. She was right to assume a connection between Nicole and the boy, Bishop thought, but what that connection was, he couldn’t fathom just yet. There was still something valuable here, however. If Nicole had cared enough about Jason to heal him, the boy could be a powerful bargaining chip. Right now, Bishop needed anything he could get.

  That Guy’s a Jerk

  The guy with the colorful surfboard and black wetsuit had caught Nicole’s eye a few times over the past hour. He was pretty cute — not on Jason’s level, but he kept glancing over, and it was helping lighten Nicole’s mood.

  In the past, she would have noticed him and then felt the paralysis of shyness root her eyes into the ground in the hope he wouldn’t look again. Now Nicole offered a little smile back at him.

  The public beach had a few concrete maintenance buildings dotting the small parking area, along with a public restroom with stalls and a basic shower. Each of the buildings was covered with dark blue graffiti. Nicole and Ben had been sitting in the sunshine on the curb. Amy and Drake had made their excuses and were off, likely making out somewhere. Nicole was sensing that the beach was not Ben’s natural habitat. With Internet access absent, he could only twiddle his thumbs and look uncomfortable.

  She glanced up at the surfer again and swept a stray hair from her eyes with a flirty little smile. As he turned and laughed with his friend and carried his board up and off the ramp, it occurred to Nicole that any one of those surfers could be an undercover agent. How could she be so paranoid? It was like a stab to her stomach. Was this what it was going to be like from now on? Looking over her shoulder every so often, unable to make new friends for fear of who they really were? Jason appeared trustworthy enough. He’d covered for her. So what the hell was she doing flirting with some other boy?

  “Wanna grab something from the food truck?”

  “Sure,” Ben replied, relieved to get a break from watching the surfers ride back and forth on the distant waves like hamsters on a wheel.

  They walked in silence to the nearby food truck. Small talk was difficult after the extreme circumstances they’d just experienced.

  They passed an extinct-looking phone booth — something they didn’t even have around Washington, D.C., anymore. Ben saw an overused phone book and seized his chance.

  “Bingo! Let me look something up, and I’ll catch up to you.”

  Nicole watched him go, remarking to herself on her friend’s precociousness. Ben would take any opportunity to research anything. She was lucky to have him along.

  She leaned on the food truck and ordered two hot dogs — easy on the onion for her, and, for Ben, one crammed with everything, as she knew he liked it.

  She took a moment to try to soak in the view of the ocean, but she couldn’t concentrate. The first time she heard the hissing tones of some guy getting angry, she ignored it. But as the person became more determined in his fight, his volume increased. The sound of it raised the hairs on the back of Nicole’s neck.

  When Nicole looked up, the sight was unsettling.

  It was the surfer she had just seen before, except with his board gone. Now he was almost dragging his girlfriend away from the beach, toward the parking lot. She was pretty, with wavy, fair hair and a sweet, sad-looking face. She had a bruise on her left cheekbone, and when Nicole glanced down at the hole in the girl’s jeans, she could see an older, already-yellowing bruise on her thigh. She concluded this wasn’t the first time the girl had been dragged along a street.

  The girl stopped in her tracks then, refusing to go any further.

  “No,” Nicole heard her say.

  “I said get back to the car! We’re leaving now!” the surfer replied.

  The girl stood firmly to the spot and shook her head, though she couldn’t quite make eye contact with him.

  “Hey!” Nicole called out, attuned to the danger of the situation. “You OK?”

  The man turned his angry eyes toward Nicole, but as if a sudden magic spell had hit him, his face immediately became friendly.

  “Hey, no worries, honey. She’s just had a bit too much sun.”

  “I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to her,” Nicole reiterated. She locked eyes with the girl. “Do you need help?”

  “Sure, sure. You girls all stick together. I said she’s OK. Now run along and mind your own business,” the surfer said condescendingly to Nicole.

  The girlfriend now had her arms folded and was staring at the ground. Nicole noticed that she was shivering. The poor girl was so afraid of this man that her body was shaking just at the thought of standing up to him. He wouldn’t do anything now, but later he’d make her pay for this little episode, Nicole thought.

  Nicole f
elt a hand on her arm and jumped. It was Amy.

  “I see Ben’s working on his homework.”

  “Hm?” Nicole tore her gaze away.

  Then Amy noticed what Nicole had been looking at. “That guy’s a jerk.”

  Nicole nodded. As the food truck cook handed across the dogs, Amy let out a hungry growl and grabbed Ben’s.

  “The works! Just how I like it.”

  She munched it with pleasure, waving at Ben as she ate his food.

  With the girl now giving in, Nicole noticed the boyfriend grabbing the top of her arm and towing her forward with enough force to lift her feet off the ground.

  That was enough.

  Nicole took a bite of her hot dog and set it down beside her. She remembered the warmth in the guy’s eyes as he’d carried his board, and then how she’d seen them turn so cold. She could understand how this guy’s cuteness could sucker someone in. And then after the rage came and he’d lashed out at his girlfriend, the charm and sweetness that would follow would seemingly make up for those times. Nicole hadn’t been watching the girl for long, but she could sense she wanted to be brave. Despite the bruises and the fear, she wasn’t intending to go along with this man anymore. She had put her foot down, and Nicole admired that — and she was going to put a stop to this and set her free.

  Amy could see Nicole locking her gaze on the surfer, and she had a feeling this might not end well for the surfer.

  “Nicole, remember what your dad said. Don’t do anything to draw attention. Nicole, don’t do this!”

  Nicole sensed the bruises on the girl’s face and leg, and she held out her hands. She didn’t hear Amy’s cautionary words; she just recalled what it felt like to experience the force of fist on skin. She remembered it now, from in the woods with Agent Carter. A government agent turned bad, he’d wanted to hurt her, just like this guy wanted to hurt someone he should care for.

  Then, like a heavy rock slamming into her hands, Nicole felt the impact hit her, and she found herself holding the force of the man’s hands and their damaging punches.

  At that moment, the guy shoved his girlfriend again, presumably for daring to make him look stupid in front of other people. Taking her opportunity, Nicole punched out her fists and sent whatever forces had created the girl’s bruises right back to their instigator.

  From a distance, it looked like an invisible bat swung and knocked the surfer once to his face, and then delivered another crippling blow to his knees. He then collapsed on the ground and cried out in pain. A sudden bruise formed on his cheek, while the mark on the girl’s face faded to reveal her beautiful skin.

  From behind her, Nicole heard Amy let out a gasp. The guy glanced back, as if knowing Nicole had some part in what was happening. But Nicole just picked up her hot dog and took a few bites while giving her best death stare. She sipped her soda too, rattling the ice in the cup, as she liked to do.

  “Nix, what did you do?” Amy whispered.

  The surfer’s girlfriend, as stunned as he was, stood watching him. Then she did something Nicole would have never imagined.

  She knelt down and helped him up.

  “What is she doing?” Nicole gasped.

  “What? You think you’re going to save her by teaching him a lesson?” It was Drake, who’d arrived at Amy’s side as Nicole had been Balancing.

  Ben returned then, clutching a ripped page from the phone book.

  “Hey! How come you ate my food?” he shouted, grabbing back what was left of his hot dog from Amy. “And,” he continued to Nicole, “how come we’ve been hanging out in the middle of nowhere for two hours so as not to draw attention to ourselves, and then you go and do something like that?”

  “He had it coming!” Nicole protested. But with three pairs of disappointed and angry eyes bearing down on her, she realized her actions were indefensible.

  She watched after the couple — the guy staggering away from them, supported by his girlfriend.

  “How come she doesn’t leave him?” Nicole mumbled to herself. The anger that had welled in her stomach was still strong. It would be so easy for Nicole to crush the surfer like a soda can. Crush his body and make the world a better place.

  “Nicole, dial it down a little. Sometimes it’s not black and white,” Drake said. “In fact, you might need to come to terms with the fact that it’s never straightforward.” Drake moved over to block Nicole’s direct line of sight to the surfer and his girlfriend.

  “All right, all right!” Nicole blinked and shook her head, trying to stabilize her thoughts. “I hear you all. And I’m sorry, OK?” Nicole was growing a little weary of all this parental hassle from her friends.

  “Hold up. She was only trying to help,” Amy cut in. “But Ben’s right. Nothing to see here, folks. It’s been fun, but we gotta move along. So, Christopher Columbus,” Amy directed her question to Ben. “Where do we go next? My vote is for a shopping mall!”

  No one seemed to have any patience for Amy’s suggestion, serious or not.

  Nicole was busy rummaging in her bag. She pulled out the crumpled magazine and turned it to the page she had seen on the plane.

  She showed the photo of the dungeon to her friends.

  “We’re going here. Adventure World.”

  Arrrrrgh, Mateys!

  The cab had taken them through miles of marshes followed by miles of strip malls, gas stations, souvenir shops and food joints. All the while, a seemingly constant barrage of signs had pointed to Adventure World, each indicating a decreasing number of miles to the large park.

  After the cab passed through the main Adventure World sign, all the dense commercialism disappeared, replaced with views of lakes and manicured trees and gardens. It was postcard-perfect. Nicole and her friends started to get excited from the anticipation of devoting the rest of the day to the park. Transported into a world where federal agents were no longer hunting them down, they could at least pretend to be regular kids again.

  They reached the entrance of the main park, and because they’d arrived by cab, they were able to bypass many acres of parking lots, as well as the clusters of visitors lining up at the ticket booths nearest to the parking trams. They used the cash Nicole’s dad had provided to buy the best tickets — the fast-track tickets, which would let them spend more time enjoying the rides than waiting in lines.

  They walked through the security bag-check stations and turnstiles toward the large, purple-and-gold archway. The surrounding areas were bedecked with shiny stars and moons, so it felt like emerging from night into the blazing sunlight of the brilliant day. Beneath their feet, emblazoned in the paving stones, were the bright, golden words “Where Adventure Begins,” impressive as the sun hit each filament of stone.

  Nicole held her breath at the sheer scale of it all. She had heard about this place, but in person it was massive and just … awesome. In the distance stood the glittering tower, visible from every area of the park. All around, twisting roller coasters interwove with palm trees and lush greenery. The sounds of exhilarated screams and laughter and mechanical pushes and pulls echoed everywhere.

  “It’s amazing,” she whispered, grateful that she could still feel stirred by this kind of thing. That magic could co-exist with darkness.

  It was Columbus Day weekend, and they had pockets of cash and half a day to kill at the world’s best amusement park. It would be criminal not to make the most of it.

  “So, what first?” Nicole asked, unfurling the map of the park.

  “There’s so much to see!” Ben quipped. He glimpsed the amused expressions on his friends’ faces. “What? I’ve never been here before.”

  “Your parents never brought you to Adventure World? That explains a lot,” Amy snorted.

  Ben gave a side-glance. The truthful response would have gone something like, “My parents haven’t spoken to each other since I was 9, so fun and giggles in Adventure World was a bit much to hope for.”

  “I haven’t been here before either,” Nicole offered, in a
way to show support for Ben. “Mom was always too busy, and when Dad came off his trips, he just wanted to be home and avoid flying.”

  Ben walked away from the group and started perusing the different souvenir carts in the vicinity.

  Then, a rare event occurred: Amy felt a little guilty for picking on Ben. “You think I hurt his feelings, Nicole?”

  “He’ll be OK. I’ll try to cheer him up.”

  Nicole studied the map, which was almost as impressive as the park itself. Different areas boasted new and exciting thrills, from the smaller, safer kiddie rides to the scary Ghost Walk, Pirate Adventure and Prehistoric Perils. She pretended to scan all the attractions in the park, but her finger would always hover over the Fountain of Youth ride a little longer than anything else. She spent several minutes examining the layout of the park, and she noticed there was only one main way in and out. A slight panic resurged, as she realized the feds could trap her in this place.

  Amy moved next to Nicole to evaluate the map. “What about Arabian Nights?”

  Ben returned then, toting a tiara, a large wig, a pirate hat and a superhero helmet. He then proceeded to put the headgear on everybody in the group. Nicole got the tiara, Amy the large wig, Drake the pirate hat, and Ben put the superhero helmet on his own head.

  “Remember what Mr. Aaronson said. We need to blend in as much as possible. These hats will help hide our faces from all the cameras, and …”

  “And will also make us look as stupid as possible?” Amy offered.

  “Amy! Your crazy hair is back!” Nicole beamed as she frizzed up Amy’s wig. Amy couldn’t help but laugh as she gave in, letting herself get into the spirit of Adventure World.

  Drake shouted out his best pirate impersonation. “Arrrrrgh, mateys!”

  “All right. You win, Ben. We’ll wear the stupid hats!” Amy landed an affectionate punch on Ben’s arm.