by Cass Tell
He did not need the Weather Channel to tell him there was a storm. All one needed was to look outside. Trees along the golf course shook and bent to unreasonable positions. Rain rattled the building like a wood sander. Farther away, it sounded like a freight train, a deep rising and falling rhythm. Occasional flashes of lightning lighted the trees on the golf course.
Robert the porter said the hotel was specially constructed to withstand the force of Category 5 hurricanes, so they were safe. Yet, through the rainy Jack saw that a part of the roof of the clubhouse was flopping up and down like a rag flopping in the wind.
While Robert said they were safe, the incessant dull noise made Jack nervous. It was spooky to be alone in the room. Therefore, he decided to go downstairs to the lobby and wait for Amy.
He left the room, headed toward the elevator and then decided to stop at Ward’s room. He looked at the electronic lock and knew that he couldn’t open the door with his Swiss Army knife. He had opened several doors with the knife but this one was too complex.
Then he put his ear to the crack between the door and the doorframe to listen for noise. All he heard was the sound of the storm. He wondered if he could somehow get a master key from Robert, one that opened all the rooms. But, what more could he learn from going into Ward’s room. He had already seen the suitcase with the guns, duct tape and plastic handcuffs.
He moved back from the door when a deep voice said, “What the heck are you doing?”
Then a large hand grabbed his shoulder and squeezed.
“Ouch,” Jack moaned as pain shot through his shoulder and neck. He turned his head and behind him stood Ward, a towering bear-like figure.
“I asked, what you are doing here,” Ward said.
“Nothing.”
“Why are you standing by my door?”
“I’m looking for my friends,” Jack blurted out.
“What would they be doing here?” Ward asked.
“I don’t know. We are playing hide and seek and they could be anywhere.”
“In peoples’ rooms?”
“Yeah. One of them got a hold of a master key and he can go anywhere.”
Ward stood still for a moment as though he was considering alternatives. “I don’t believe you. You’ve been hanging around me all day, in fact, even from yesterday when you and that girl came out of my room.”
“She’s my sister.”
“I don’t care who she is. Why do you keep following me?”
“I’m not following you.”
With his free hand, Ward reached into his pocket and took out his key card. He held it against the electronic lock and a green light came on.
After opening the door, Ward pushed Jack inside the room and then he grabbed Jack’s wrist and pulled him over to the suitcase, the one with the guns. Ward took a plastic handcuff and then dragged Jack over to a long couch. He pulled one of Jack’s hands through an opening in the armrest at the end of the couch and then attached Jack’s hands together with the plastic handcuff.
“What are you doing?” Jack cried out.
Ward smiled. “Keeping a little squirt out of mischief.”
“You can’t do this,” Jack exploded.
“You better believe I can.”
“Why do you have this handcuff?” Jack asked.
“You’re a curious little one,” Ward said. “It’s for security against threats.”
“I’m not a threat,” Jack pleaded.
“Maybe not, but you are certainly annoying, like a little hornet that needs to be squashed.”
Ward’s threat sent a bolt of fear through Jack. He remembered how Larry and Nalf had threatened him and the hopeless feeling from that. This was similar and he needed to be as wise as possible around Ward. However, was it too late?
“Let me go,” Jack begged.
“I’ve got a better idea,” Ward responded.
Ward walked to his suitcase, took out a roll of duct tape and tore off a piece.
“What are you doing?” Jack asked.
“Keeping a little pig from squealing.” Ward approached Jack and with a sickening grin he dangled the tape in the air.
Jack asked. “What are you planning to do? I know you are up to something.”
Ward smiled. “Well, well, well, it looks like the truth came out. Indeed you have been spying on me.”
“No. I’ve just been playing hide and seek.”
“Who cares what game you’ve been playing? Now you’ll take a break for a while.”
Ward took the piece of tape and stuck it across Jack’s mouth.
Jack tried to speak but only mumbling sounds came out.
“Kid, you need to chill out for a while.”
With big eyes, Jack watched Ward go to the suitcase and shut the latches. He went to the closet, took down his clothing and put it in another suitcase, Then, he took both suitcases and headed toward the door.
“Don’t worry,” Ward said. “Housekeeping should be here soon. Whatever you tell them will sound fanciful. If the hotel security guy will comes, it is likely he won’t do anything. He’s worthless. The Tallahassee police have their hands full with the storm, and anyway, who’s going to spend time on an unkempt brat that was playing hide and seek with his friends?”
Ward opened the door, walked outside and shut the door with a loud thud.
Jack took a slow deep breath and tried to calm down. It was difficult to breath with the tape across his mouth.
He thought about what Ward had said, that housekeeping would be coming to the room. What if they did not come? Maybe the hotel was shorthanded because of the storm. Maybe it would take them several days before they got to the room.
He forced his hands against the tight plastic constraints but there was no room for movement. He wondered if he might lose circulation and then lose his hands.
The armrest was solid, and the couch too heavy to move.
He twisted around and sat on the couch, his arms in an uncomfortable position stretched off to the side.
The hopeless feeling returned only this time the dull locomotive sounds outside added to the terror.
He wished Amy was here and for an agonizing moment, he wondered if he would ever see her again.
Chapter 19
Jack tried to yell, but the tape across his mouth muffled all sound and he could never compete with the howling noise outside.
He shivered when remembering the sinister smile on Ward’s face as he left the room and was angry that Ward left him like this. He was even angrier that he allowed himself to be caught.
His shoulders became stiff, he shifted his position, and then an idea came to his mind. Ward had not checked his pockets.
Like a contortionist, Jack twisted his body into an awkward position and forced his hands into his front pocket. Pushing with all his might, he managed to get two fingers onto his Swiss Army knife. With a bit more manipulation, the knife was free from his pocket. Then, with a skilled movement, he opened the knife. Being careful not to cut his hands, he forced the sharp blade against the plastic handcuffs, cut through them and his hands were free.
He reached up pulled the strip of duct tape from his mouth and took a deep breath. He folded the knife, put it in his pocket and then went to the door. He sprinted down the hallway and then flew down four flights of stairs until he came to the lobby.
He saw Robert, ran up to him and said, “Can you help me?”
Robert smiled. “I can try. It looks like you’ve been running.”
“Yes, down the stairs. You said not to use the elevator.”
“What can I do for you?” Robert asked.
“There was a man in room 410 named Ward. Can you see if he’s still in the hotel?”
“That’s an unusual request.”
“I need to know, because . . .” He wasn’t sure what to say. Would Robert believe that he had been handcuffed to a couch? “I think I found something that he dropped.”
“What’s that?”
Jack had to
think fast. “A dollar bill. I saw it fall from his pocket.”
“A dollar bill?”
“Yes. I need to find him.”
“Just a minute,” Robert said. He walked behind the reception desk, and in a computer typed something. A moment later, he came back. “The man in room 410 has checked out. And, his name wasn’t Ward.”
“It wasn’t Ward?” Jack asked. “What was it?”
“It’s against hotel policy for me to tell you.”
“But, he checked out?”
“Yes, just as I said. If I were you, just keep the dollar.”
“Okay, thank you,” Jack said. He turned and headed back to the stairs to go to his room feeling uneasy. The mystery of Ward and his friends was greater than ever.
Chapter 20
Amy went back to their hotel room. Her hair had been washed, cut and curled. A makeup artist had spent half an hour putting makeup on her. A manicurist had filed her broken fingernails and colored them red.
When she walked into the room Jack was sitting on his bed and when he saw her, he laughed and said, “You look like a clown.”
She went to the mirror and looked at herself. Indeed, she was like a changed person, a remarkable transformation.
“We need to get ready for the banquet,” she said. She went to the cupboard and took out the dress Flora and Georgia had bought for her. Then she headed for the bathroom to change.
“Wait a second,” Jack said. “Something happened this afternoon and you’re not going to like it.”
“What’s that?” She asked.
“I got into trouble.”
“Oh no. I told you not to. What happened?”
Jack told her about being caught by Ward, what he had said and being handcuffed to the couch in Ward’s room. At times, he spoke too fast and Amy slowed him down. Then she asked questions.
“You really can be a pain sometimes,” she said. “He was probably just fed up with you snooping around in his affairs.”
“But, I’m sure he’s up to something,” Jack claimed.
“Even so, I told you to stay away from him. You said that he checked out of the hotel, so now he’s gone. Just forget about him.”
Jack had a long face and hung his head. “It wasn’t fun to get handcuffed like that.”
“You probably deserved it. Just be glad he didn’t harm you.” Amy felt a moment of dread in knowing what Ward could have done to her brother.
“Okay, I’m sorry,” Jack confessed. “I’ll forget about Ward and his friends.”
“It’s just as well. We need to get dressed and then join Flora and Georgia downstairs.
Amy went into the bathroom, yet she felt fear because of what Jack had told her. Maybe the constant noise of the hurricane was getting to her, but maybe Jack had discovered something very serious and they needed to be afraid.
Then suddenly, from one moment to the next the noise stopped.
Chapter 21
She put on her new dress, which the two women said was a belted chiffon halter dress. The color was Midnight, a dark blue. It was sleeveless and had a rhinestone design on the belt with a bow in the back.
At the clothing shop, the women had made her try high heels but she wobbled like on stilts and knew she could not spend an entire evening wearing them. They settled on dressy sandals with straps around the ankles and fancy beads on the strip running to her toes.
After dressing, she went into their hotel room. Jack stood by the window and looked outside. Night had come and everything was still. The rumbling train noise was gone.
“We are in the eye of the hurricane,” he said. “All day long on the Weather Channel they talked about it. It’s a still area in the middle of the storm as the wind swirls around it.”
Jack turned, looked at her and said, “Wow, you look like someone in one of those fashion magazines.”
She looked at him in his new shoes, slacks, pressed shirt and jacket. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
His tie was badly done, so she stood him in front of a mirror and showed him how to make the knot. She had learned that from her father and in doing this for Jack, it brought back painful memories.
They went downstairs to the banquet room. It was full of round tables and to one side of the room was a crowd of people laughing and drinking champagne. They all seemed to know each other.
The men wore suits that definitely did not come from common clothing stores. The women were elegant, wearing colorful dresses that certainly came from expensive shops.
Flora stood with some people and when she saw Amy, she waved at her to come over.
“Mind your manners,” Amy whispered to Jack.
“Yeah, yeah,” he answered.
As they approached Flora, Amy smelled a divine perfume that made her heart melt.
Amy noticed that Flora wore a couple of new rings in addition to her wedding ring. One on her right hand had a large cluster of diamonds. Flora also wore diamond earrings and a diamond necklace. Amy was dazed by her beauty.
Flora said, “My deer, you are lovely. And Jack is quite the handsome young man.”
Jack fidgeted, shifted his weight from one side to the other and his cheeks turned red.
“I’ve never been to anything like this,” Amy said.
“Don’t worry. We’ll take care of you. Anyway, this year it isn’t as extravagant as usual because of the storm. But, we will enjoy ourselves.”
Amy looked at the tables with large bouquets on them and she wondered where the hotel gotten the flowers in these stormy conditions.
Georgia and her husband Rick joined them. She was magnificently dressed with a green gown that went perfectly with her chestnut hair. She wore jewelry flashier than Flora’s.
Amy did a quick scan of the crowd. The men seemed confident and the women had radiant smiles. Amy wished she could feel the textures of the women’s dresses, as they seemed so soft and fine. The jewelry worn was stunning and Amy wondered if she had stepped into a fairy tale.
A server came by carrying drinks on a round tray and he handed Amy and Jack champagne glasses with juice, an exotic mix of tropical flavors. After a while, a man went to the microphone and announced that everyone should go to their tables.
It was noisy as people searched for their names on cards placed on the tables. Eventually everyone was seated.
Amy and Jack were at the table with Flora, Georgia and their husbands. There was another couple and the woman was dressed as elegant as Georgia.
Jack whispered :’. There are twenty tables with eight people at each one, so that’s one hundred and sixty very rich people”.”
“Shush, be quiet,” Amy said. “It’s impolite to talk about wealth.”
Jack smiled. “But they are.”
Amy looked around and felt overwhelmed to be in this room. They were two kids on the run. For sure, they had gotten lucky in Raleigh and received a reward. Yet, the reality of having a bank account with a million dollars in it had not yet sunk in.
She sat next to Flora who seemed protective of her. That gave Amy a sense of comfort.
Waiters came and served small plates of salty pastries with caviar and strips of fish. Flora explained that this was an amuse-gueule, which was French for a savory appetizer before the meal.
Jack poked a fork at the caviar and scrunched up his nose.
Then there was a loud noise in the kitchen and a large man rushed in from the kitchen door. He wore dark pants, a dark jacket and a mask.
He went to the front of the room, took the microphone and asserted, “Everyone be quiet. If anyone moves you will be shot.”
Chapter 22
There was a loud gasp in the room and then everyone froze.
Amy quickly looked around and saw someone standing by the kitchen door wearing similar clothing as the man with the microphone. The person carried a gun. At each of the two exit doors there were people with guns.
A man walked into the room carrying four large duffle bags.
The
man in the front said, “I want four volunteers.” He pointed at four men at one of the tables and said, “You, you, you and you. Each of you take a bag and go to every table. I want everyone to put all your jewelry into the bags, and your cell phones. And, all men put your wallets into the bags. Remember, no one moves or you will be shot.”
One of the men who had been chosen to take a bag spoke up, “You can’t do this.”
The thug closest to him hit the protesting man with the butt end of his gun and the man passed out on the floor.
The man with the microphone said, “No one talks. Now put your jewelry in the bags and I need another volunteer to replace the one on the floor.”
With trembling hands, the women took off their jewelry and the men reached into their pockets and took out their wallets. Two of the men with guns walked around to make sure all jewelry went into the bags. One of the men was large and thick and the other smaller and thinner.
Jack whispered. “I know the voice of the man with the microphone. It’s Ward.”
“Oh no,” Amy whispered. “You were right. They really were up to something.”
“And look at those two men. They look like Larry and Nalf. And those other two are Marv and Maya.”
A bolt of horror went through Amy. Indeed the two hooded men had the same size and movements as Larry and Nalf.
“Hide,” she whispered.
Jack slowly slid from his chair and went under the table.
When the bags came to their table, Flora, Georgia and the other woman put their jewelry into the bags and the men put in their wallets.
One of the hooded men looked at Amy for several moments and he took a step toward the table, and then stopped.
“Naw, it can’t be,” he said. “She’s in Miami.”
Amy froze knowing that Nalf may have recognized her. She was glad that her hair was different and she wore makeup. The dress was entirely different from her normal clothing. She was not the same person. However, for sure they would have recognized Jack.
