Entrance to Nowhere

by Marja McGraw

  “Good one, Sandi.” Aunt Martha lowered the rifle, but having second thoughts, she raised it again.

  “Now back away from the gun.”

  He did, and I walked to the desk and picked it up.

  Somehow it didn’t feel heavy enough. I checked and found that it was also unloaded. Sighing, I stuck it in my waistband. I wouldn’t tell him that ours were just for show, too.

  “Now sit down at the desk and keep your hands where I can see them.”

  He did as he was told.

  My cell phone rang. Caller ID told me it was Pete.

  “Sandi, we finally got a good look at these guys. They’re just kids. There was an argument and one of them left.”

  “I know. We’ve got him here, and he’s about to tell us everything he knows.”

  “Don’t underestimate him.” Pete knew me better than that, or at least I thought he did. “They may be young, but someone older and with more street smarts is behind this whole thing.”

  I glanced at the intruder and narrowed my eyes. “I think it’s more a matter of he’d better not underestimate me. I don’t think I’m going to have any trouble finding out who’s in charge.”

  The kid dropped his head to the desktop.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Pete hung up and I sat down across from Trap’s desk.

  I stared at the young man for a minute without saying a word. He began to fidget. I was making him nervous, which was my intent.

  My aunt watched my technique and decided to try it, too. She sat in another chair and also stared at him. The difference between us was that she had a no-nonsense look on her face, and I was merely expressionless.

  It was working.

  “What do you want?” he asked. “Why don’t you say something? This isn’t my fault, you know.”

  “Whose fault is it?” I asked.

  He clamped his lips together.

  “We can sit here all night and wait for you to talk to us. We don’t have anything better to do.” I leaned back in my chair, placing the .44 Magnum in my lap.

  “You may start by sharing your name with us,” Aunt Martha said.

  I gave her a warning look. I wanted her to stay out of it. Apparently she understood, because she leaned back and stopped talking.

  I continued to stare at the kid without saying anything more.

  He glanced at the ceiling and fiddled with a stapler that sat on the desk. In another moment he began to jiggle his knee.

  I still didn’t say anything. The quiet was unnerving.

  “Bubba,” I said, looking at the young man.

  Sometimes I wondered if the big lug could read my mind. He slowly stood and walked to the desk, where he sat next to the kid and grinned at him.

  “Please call your dog off,” he said. “My name is Ryan and I can’t tell you anything.”

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  “He watches us and tells us what to do. He said he’d, uh, hurt us if we didn’t do what he said.”

  “Who’s he?”

  The kid glanced around the room, as though afraid of being overheard. “I don’t know. We call him The General because he’s so pushy, and that’s what he wants to be called. I know he’s got military background.”

  “How do you know that?” Aunt Martha asked.

  “Because he told us.”

  I didn’t even have to think about that one. “He told you. Huh. And you believed him.”

  “He sounds like he knows what he’s talking about.”

  “How did you meet him?”

  “We haven’t met him. He found us on the Internet and contacted us.” He closed his eyes for a moment. Without opening them, he said, “I’m glad you caught me. I don’t like what’s going on. I think this guy is one of those crazy people who hates the government.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “The things he says. I think he wants to get even or something. I know he wants money.”

  “If you’re such a computer geek, why can’t you track this guy down? There must be a way,” I said.

  “We’ve tried, but we can’t come up with anything. We’re good, but he’s got someone working for him that’s better.”

  “Do you know why he chose you and your friends?”

  “Like I told you, we’re good. Very good. We understand hacking and cybersecurity, and everything that goes along with those things. He wants to use us to hack into the electrical grid. He says he just wants to make a threat and ask for a ransom, but I think it’s more than that. I think he really wants to take down the grid and take over the country. He’s nuts!”

  “Why did you kidnap Andrew Trapper?” Aunt Martha asked.

  “We didn’t. He did. He drugged him and left him at an abandoned strip mall. He told us we’d find him there and he’d have the technology and information for us to use in his plot to ruin the country. Can you imagine what it would be like if there was no electricity? This guy has even talked about setting off an EMP. Batteries wouldn’t work, cars wouldn’t work – ”

  “I’m familiar with EMP and solar flares,” I interrupted, trying to sound like I knew what I was talking about.

  I watched Ryan closely again, but this time I smiled, trying to put him at ease.

  “Do you think he’s keeping tabs on you and your friends?” I asked.

  “No doubt. He watches every move we make, except out here. He doesn’t have eyes out here. He knows we come to look for things, but other than that, he knows nothing about this place. Where are those men that stay out here?”

  “They’re at the strip mall watching your friends,” Aunt Martha said.

  I slowly turned to her. She was too outspoken and it was getting on my nerves. “Would you mind keeping things to yourself? We’re trying to stay under the radar.”

  Then it struck me. If The General was keeping an eye on these kids, then he would have seen Pete and the boys sneak in and talk to Trap. He was probably watching them right now.

  I picked up my cell phone and called Pete. “I thought you should know. The guy behind all of this is watching the mall. He knows you’re there and he’s watching you, too.”

  Ryan frantically waved at me, trying to get my attention.

  “Hold on, Pete.”

  I turned to the kid.

  “What is it?”

  “He’s biding his time. He’ll kill everyone.” Ryan’s face was pale.

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Because he told us he’d kill us if anything went wrong, and obviously things are going haywire. Do you think your friends could get my friends and that rich guy out of there?”

  Sometimes we have brainstorms when we least expect it. “Yeah, I think we can.”

  “Sandi?” I could hear Pete’s voice on the cell phone.

  “I’m here. I have a plan, but we’ll need Scott’s help. Hold on again.”

  “Ryan, is there some way the men could get into the store Trap’s being held in and to your friends without being seen?”

  He sighed. “The General already knows your men are there.”

  “What if you had to contact your friends from here?”

  “Duh.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone, holding it up in the air.

  “No need to be rude, young man.” Leave it to Aunt Martha to think about rudeness at a time like this.

  I spoke to Pete. “Do you think Griz could put the helicopter pilot on call? Would the pilot be ready to pick you guys up on a moment’s notice?”

  Pete turned from the phone and spoke to Scott and Griz before getting back to me. “Sure. He says it’s not a problem.”

  “Then have him do it. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”

  We hung up.

  “Ryan, call your friends. Tell them what’s going on and that they’re about to be rescued, along with Trap and our guys. Tell them when the helicopter lands to take Trap with them and run to the copter. If they’ve got anything that might help us find this Gene
ral guy, to bring that along.”

  His eyes lit up and he looked relieved. “Can do.”

  “And tell them to play it cool. I don’t want them peeking out the windows and giving things away. Tell them to just listen for the copter.”

  “Actually, they often step outside to take a break.”

  “That’s fine, but they need to make sure Trap stays inside until the last moment. It’s got to look like everything is normal.”

  He nodded and called one of his friends, who put the phone on speaker.

  I heard one of them say, “We owe you our lives, man. We’ll be ready.”

  I called Pete back and told him everyone would be in place when the helicopter got there.

  “Slight change of plan,” he said. “We talked. Griz and Layne and I are going to the motorhome and we’re going to drive out like we’re leaving Scott here by himself. The helicopter can only hold so many people. By the time those guys figure out what’s going on, we’ll be long gone.”

  “Please be careful, sweetie. Come back safe.”

  “Give us awhile. We’re going to get a good head start before Scott calls the pilot.”

  “I’ll have Ryan let his friends know so they won’t act nervous. We don’t want them standing around watching the sky.”

  We hung up and I turned when my aunt tapped my arm.

  “Let’s say we get everyone out of the mall,” she said. “What’s to stop this General guy from finding someone to take their place?”

  “Think about what he’s doing,” I said. “He certainly doesn’t want to bring more people in on his plan. He’ll try to figure out how to get these boys back, unless we figure out who he is and we get him first.”

  I turned to Ryan.

  “Is there anything you can tell us that might help us figure out who this person is?”

  “Not really. He knows how to cover his tracks. I’ll tell you this much, though. If I ever hear his voice again, I’ll recognize it.”

  “Oh? You’ve spoken to him?”

  “He contacted us in person once, on the computer. He had the camera covered so we couldn’t see him, but we could hear him. He could see us, though. He has a deep voice and a lisp. His voice was kind of… I guess you’d call it gravelly. Like some singers I’ve heard.”

  “Deep, gravelly voice. That might fit, oh, millions of people,” my aunt said.

  “Don’t forget the lisp,” Ryan said, ignoring her sarcasm, “and he sounds scary, lisp or no lisp. He made enough threats to make me sick to my stomach. This guy doesn’t play games.”

  Chapter Twenty-six

  “We’re not playing games, either,” I said. “This man kidnapped Trap and he’s threatened you, and he’s made you believe he’ll follow through on his threats. I don’t believe he’s as smart as you think. He set you guys up in an abandoned strip mall. He couldn’t do better than that? He might be dangerous, but he’s not as smart as he thinks – and it seems to me that it’s about time for us to become dangerous.”

  Aunt Martha looked both shocked and excited, at the same time. “What are you up to now?”

  “Let’s wait until the men get back. I’ve got a few ideas, but we need their input. It shouldn’t take long for them to get here. What did they say? The mall is something like twenty miles away.”

  My cell phone rang and Caller ID indicated it was Pete.

  “Are you on your way?” I asked.

  “We are. Scott wants you to go out to the helipad and pull off the camo cover. The pilot will need to land quickly and get out in a hurry. We don’t want anyone to see where it lands. We’ll be back soon and replace the cover.”

  “We’ll go out and remove it right now.”

  We hung up without further discussion.

  I turned to my aunt and Ryan. “Come with me. I’ll probably need help.”

  Without question, they followed me downstairs and through the tunnel.

  The cover was heavy, but with each of us pulling, we removed it quickly and returned to the house.

  “I’m impressed,” Ryan said. “I had no idea there was another home under the house.”

  “It’s a Safe Room,” my aunt explained. “Let’s say The General was successful in his mission. Andrew could retreat to the safe area and no one would know he was there. Well, it’s more than a room, but that’s what we call it.” She paused for a moment. “You won’t tell anyone about it, right?”

  He smiled. “No. I have to be honest. You people are the bomb.”

  My aunt’s eyes widened. “What do you mean about us being bombs? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  Ryan kept smiling at her. “It means you’re the best.”

  “And you think Andrew is the bomb, too?”

  “I have a lot of respect for Mr. Trapper. We told him what’s going on and he’s done everything he can to help us.”

  “You mean you knew he was going to misdirect you?” I asked.

  “Of course. I thought we were smart, but he puts us to shame. I don’t think there’s anything that man can’t do.”

  My aunt smiled. “It doesn’t surprise me. I always knew he was meant for great accomplishments.”

  Ryan looked at her with a new respect. “You know him that well?”

  “It’s been many years, but yes, I do. I just wish we’d kept in touch.” She sounded wistful. “I was one of his high school teachers.”

  “Okay, so that explains the ‘tude.”

  “Excuse me, young man?”

  “Attitude. It’s come through a few times. You kind of remind me of a couple of my teachers.”

  She cleared her throat. “I hope you mean that as a compliment.”

  “Oh, I do.”

  We heard the motorhome pull in and I glanced at my watch. It was after midnight. I’d been right when I thought about the long day ahead of us. It was turning into two days, and I was feeling it. We all needed some rest, but now wasn’t the time.

  Pete, Griz and Layne walked in and I saw Ryan stiffen. He didn’t seem to know for sure if they were friend or foe, until Pete walked forward and shook his hand.

  We heard the helicopter overhead and knew it wasn’t the right time for introductions.

  Hurrying to the Safe Room and out through the tunnel, we met everyone at the helipad. The noise was intense. The passengers barely had time to climb off before the copter took off again, heading in the opposite direction. No sense in going back the way he’d come. It might tip off The General as to where we were.

  Three young men joined Ryan and we headed back to the tunnel. Pete and Scott stayed behind to pull the camo cover back in place. Griz was followed by Trap, who’d been very good about keeping images of himself to a minimum. I didn’t recognize him, although admittedly it was pitch black outside. Without flashlights, we’d have been falling all over each other.

  Griz lit a cigarette.

  “Put that out,” Aunt Martha said.

  “In your dreams.” He took an extra puff.

  My aunt gave him a disapproving look, which I wouldn’t have noticed if it hadn’t been for the flashlights, and joined me.

  While we walked through the tunnel, the young men’s voices were jubilant. They were free, although their nightmare wasn’t over yet. There was no doubt The General would look for them, and he wouldn’t be waiting to reward them.

  My aunt and I led the group with the boys following and Trap and Griz bringing up the rear.

  “Sorry, Mr. Trapper,” I called over my shoulder. “My aunt and I have been raiding your chocolate supply.”

  I heard him chuckle, which surprised me because of the situation he’d just left behind.

  We reached the Safe Room and while the boys and I moved into the living area, my aunt stood with her hands on her hips, watching the entryway. I had a feeling she was wondering if Trap would recognize her.

  He and Griz walked in and Trap glanced around the room. “It’s good to be home.”

  The man was just as Griz had described him, about five
foot ten with dark brown hair and a mustache which was in need of a good trim. He was even more slender than I’d imagined. His longish face looked haggard. He’d been through a lot in a short time.

  He looked at my aunt and me and nodded, a kind of thank you.

  His gaze returned to my aunt and lingered. He looked confused, and then surprised. “It can’t be. Not here and not now.” He stared at her.

  She straightened her back and let her hands fall from her hips. “Don’t you recognize me, Andrew?”

  “Mrs. Washington? Is that really you? After all these years, you’ve come along to rescue me?”

  My aunt smiled. “Hello, Andrew. I’ve missed you.”

  She stepped forward and the pair hugged each other, although it looked like something neither one of them did often. They were stiff when they patted each other’s backs and stepped away from each other quickly.

  “Well,” she said. “It’s so good to see you. You were always my favorite student, you know.”

  He looked surprised. “Me? I’ve never been anyone’s favorite anything.”

  “We understood each other. No one else understood me, but you did.”

  “I guess I did. You understood me, too, and… It’s so good to see you.”

  They stepped forward and hugged again, but this time it was with some affection, even if it was still rather stilted.

  Stepping back, my aunt looked at him closely. “You look exhausted. Let’s sit down.”

  I couldn’t help it. Maybe I was simply tired, but my eyes teared up at this reunion.

  They sat on the couch.

  “You may call me Martha now. You’re a grown man, and I’m quite proud of you.”

  “And you may call me Andrew, although no one else does. I’m Mr. Trapper to some and Trap to others but, yes, you must call me Andrew.”

  I glanced up to see Pete and Scott standing in the doorway, looking a little bewildered.

  Scott shook his head as though to clear his mind, and left us to take up his post in the security room. “I’ll take the first watch. The rest of you get some sleep. We’ll need to be sharp today.”