Entrance to Nowhere

by Marja McGraw

“Hey, Jason,” I said, approaching him. “We figured out that Greta knows exactly who’s leading the blackmail scheme. It won’t be long until they’re able to locate him and arrest him. But keep that to yourself.”

  He looked surprised when I shared this little tidbit, but nodded and carried the drinks to his friends.

  The only people we hadn’t talked to yet were Ethan and Scott. I saw Layne talking to Scott, so I approached Ethan.

  I didn’t see Pete anywhere and assumed he’d either gone upstairs or to the security room to talk to Griz.

  “Ethan, keep this under your hat. I found out that The General is going to sell everyone out and let them fend for themselves. What do you think of that?”

  He thought for a moment. “It seems to me that this sounds like something he’d do. I think he’s in this for himself, and no one else. At least, that’s the feeling I’ve gotten from dealing with him. I also think he’s a zealot and as mean as they come.” He turned back to his computer.

  I walked over and stood near Layne and Scott, but I was out of Scott’s field of vision.

  Scott was pouring himself a cup of coffee. “So Trap wants to get out of here? Where’s he gonna go?”

  “From what he said, I think he’s heading to Europe, but don’t quote me on that.” Layne sounded believable.

  “Is he planning to come back?”

  “Eventually. When he feels it’s safe again.”

  “When is he planning on leaving?” Scott asked. “I wonder if he’ll want me and Griz to stay on here.”

  “He’s leaving right away. Don’t be surprised if he asks you to call for the helicopter to take him to the airport. Oh, and I’m sure you and Griz will be staying on here.”

  So Scott was worried about job security. Under the circumstances, I would be, too.

  We needed to change things a little and take Trap into our confidence. He should to be seen packing a bag. He needed to know what was going on. There was no doubt in my mind that he wasn’t involved with the dark side of things and that he wouldn’t have planned his own kidnapping.

  Pete came down from upstairs and we finally sat down on the couch together. He glanced at his watch. “You know, it’s just about time for The General to call the geeks again.”

  “Unless one of them has already been in touch with him,” I said. “Someone could have blabbed already, using a text or email, or something like that.”

  “Did you fill Trap in about what’s really going on?”

  “Yeah. Maybe we should get the boys out of here and check their computers. Both Scott and Trap would know how to do that,” Pete said.

  “The only one I trust is Trap. Nothing against Scott, but I’d rather keep things close to the vest. The fewer people who know what we’re doing, the better.”

  “Yeah. You’re right.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek, surprising me.

  “I’m right? Would you say that again so I can record it on my phone?”

  He laughed. “No, and I very seldom tell you you’re wrong.”

  “I love you, Pete.”

  “Sometimes you two make me take a second look at my own life,” Trap said from behind us. “You have such a good relationship.”

  I hadn’t even heard the whoosh from the door to the main floor when he came downstairs.

  I jumped, thinking Pete and I were alone in the living room.

  “They do, don’t they?” Aunt Martha asked.

  “Why do people keep sneaking up on me?” I asked, not really expecting a reply.

  Trap and my aunt sat down and joined my husband and me.

  I looked Trap in the eye. “It’s all about finding the right person. You need to start getting out more.”

  “She’s right,” Layne said, joining us.

  “Maybe I – “

  “Pete! Get in here,” Griz yelled from the security room. “We’ve got company.”

  Chapter Forty-two

  We jumped up as a group and all ran toward the security room. My aunt tripped over Layne’s foot. It would have been almost comical if Griz hadn’t sounded so serious.

  Pete reached the room first. “What’s going on?”

  “Look at the monitor,” Griz replied, pointing at one of them. He had the monitor for the inside of the mansion up on one of the screens.

  There was a man I hadn’t seen before standing in the upstairs living room.

  “Who’s that guy?” I asked, glancing around the room, hoping someone would know.

  Trap looked surprised. “I knew I recognized that lisp.”

  “Why didn’t you say something,” Layne asked.

  “I couldn’t be sure. I only heard it while I was in captivity, but there was a memory attached to his voice, even though he seemed to be using something so it would sound different.”

  “Okay,” Aunt Martha said, “so who is it?”

  Before he could answer, the man was joined by none other than Gerard Compton. They were both dressed in camo pants and shirts, and wouldn’t have been that noticeable while they moved through the trees and foliage. They both wore camo baseball caps, too.

  “Crap!” Layne whipped out his cell phone and punched in a number.

  While he made a call for help, the rest of us stared at the screen.

  The two men were joined by one more person.

  “At least now we know who the leak is,” Griz said, shaking his head from side to side. “And I thought he was one of the good guys. Now I know why the cameras inside the house were turned off on the console. I turned them back on out of habit.”

  “Thankfully,” Aunt Martha said.

  We watched as Scott joined the first two men. It was obvious he knew them, and even more obvious that he wasn’t trying to stop them when he smiled and shook the stranger’s hand.

  “Help’s on the way,” Layne said, shoving his cell phone back in his pocket. “They’re not far away. We figured something like this would happen. They know where the tunnel is.”

  He turned to Trap.

  “Who is that man?” he asked.

  Pete was suddenly all about survival. “Before we worry about who he is, shouldn’t we take care of business? Scott knows about the Safe Room and he can bring them down here.”

  “We’re on the same page,” Griz said.

  The two men ran out of the room and toward the tunnel, where Trap has some weapons stored.

  I sat down at the console. “I’m turning up the sound so we can hear what their plan is.”

  And I did.

  Layne sat down next to me and listened.

  The voices sounded tinny, and I noticed the speech impediment the boys had told us about.

  “Where are they?” Compton asked.

  Scott was looking around the room, searching for something. “In the Safe Room. Let me figure out where the old bat put the remote. Probably in the kitchen.” He walked away and left the scene we were watching.

  “What now, boss? Stick to the plan?”

  “We need to get Twap. I don’t cawe about the othehs. Knock ‘em off, if you need to. Just get me Twap.”

  I felt like I was listening to Elmer Fudd, only he wasn’t cute and funny.

  I glanced at Trap and he was pale. “That’s Greta’s father, Martin Thomas,” he said. “I met him a couple of times at the office.”

  “We’ve been looking for him,” Layne said. “He disappeared a couple of years ago.”

  “That’s when I met him. He must have spent all this time putting his affairs in order.” Trap pulled an old-fashioned hankie out of his pocket and dabbed at his forehead.

  “Planning, you mean.” Aunt Martha stepped toward Trap and stood next to him, looking like a mama bear protecting her cub.

  “Huwwy up!” the man yelled, facing the direction of the kitchen.

  Layne excused himself and left the room. I could hear him telling, or ordering, the geeks to get inside the tunnel and sit by the walls – and to stay there no matter what they heard going on inside the Safe Room.


  When he returned, Pete and Griz were with him, and they all held guns – nasty looking guns. Mean and lethal weapons. They brought extra pistols for the rest of us.

  We saw Scott return from the kitchen holding a remote control. “Got it. Have you got men stationed outside? The men downstairs are no dummies. They’ll put up a fight.”

  “Weenfowcements are wight outside.”

  I couldn’t help it. A giggle escaped my lips. It was difficult to take the man seriously with his speech impediment, even knowing that he planned on killing us and kidnapping Trap again. I guess it was the mental comparison to Elmer Fudd. In a normal man, I wouldn’t give his speech a second thought. But this man was a domestic terrorist.

  My aunt pinched my arm, effectively cutting off the giggle.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “Wet’s get moving,” the man said.

  “Be quiet.” Scott sounded like he was taking over.

  He glanced at Thomas and saw a look that could kill.

  “No, I mean move quietly. I’ll go through the door first because they’ll expect to see me. You count to five and then follow me.”

  The expression on Martin’s face changed to one of understanding.

  Layne motioned to Pete and Griz. “Bottom of the stairs and to the side where he can’t see us. We’ll be waiting.”

  The two men nodded and left the room with him.

  “What can we do?” Aunt Martha asked.

  “Back ‘em up,” I replied. “At least I will. You stay here with Trap.”

  “Not on your life. I haven’t been hanging out at the shooting range for nothing.”

  I nodded and we hurried to the kitchen. My aunt and I lowered ourselves to the floor behind the island. They wouldn’t be able to see us there, so we figured we’d be the element of surprise if things went sideways.

  I heard the whoosh of the door opening, followed by Scott’s voice.

  The boys were in the tunnel and Layne, Pete and Griz were out of his line of sight. Trap was in the security room and my aunt and I held our positions behind the island.

  “Hey!” Scott called. “Where is everybody?” He sounded legitimately confused.

  We heard him turn back to Compton and Thomas. “They must have gone through the tunnel. Hurry up before they get back.”

  “Get out of my way, you swacker,” Martin said.

  “I’m not a slacker,” The General replied.

  “Would you two shut up?” Scott didn’t sound happy.

  We could hear the men coming down the stairs, even if we couldn’t see them.

  “Hold it right there,” Layne said. “Don’t take another step. You’re under arrest.”

  Big talk for a guy at a disadvantage. Martin had said he had backup outside.

  I peeked around the side of the island and saw Scott frantically trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.

  Bubba stood near the stairs, watching the intruders with his tail between his legs. He wasn’t a happy dog and he knew the voices weren’t friendly.

  Layne stepped out, along with Pete and Griz. Somehow, some way, they’d managed to find vests, the bullet proof kind. They must have been stored in the tunnel.

  The bad guys were now the ones at a disadvantage. They wore no protection, but they didn’t seem to care.

  Scott aimed for Layne’s head.

  Bubba leaped at Layne, moving faster than I’d ever seen him move before, knocking him to the side.

  Boom! The bullet missed Layne by a mile, thanks to my big mutt.

  Clem squealed and ran to Bubba’s side, shaking and maniacally licking his paw, the only thing she could reach.

  Boom! A shot came from the direction of the tunnel, followed by a whole slew of men in camo uniforms.

  They couldn’t have been Martin Thomas’ men because they shot Scott, who held his arm with blood oozing out from between his fingers.

  “Looks like it’s your lucky day,” Griz said, aiming his gun in Scott’s direction. “You’re lucky I didn’t take that shot or you’d be begging for mercy. That is, if you could talk.” The anger in his voice was almost palpable.

  It was confusing after that. Several men ran out of the tunnel, and many more entered through the mansion door.

  One of them stepped up to Layne. “We’ve got the rest outside. Arresting them was like taking candy from a baby. Bunch of wussies.”

  I thought Layne might smile, but he didn’t. After all, this was serious business.

  Martin held one hand in the air and gently laid his gun down with the other hand. “This isn’t the end, peopoh. Thewe awe othews just waiting to take my pwace.”

  One of our heroes saluted Layne.

  My eyebrows shot up and my eyes bulged. Who was Layne?

  “We found the other compounds, sir. It’s all over for these terrorists.”

  My aunt and I stood and looked at each other.

  “What the heck?” I said.

  “A well-oiled machine,” Aunt Martha replied. “We needn’t have worried.”

  Trap had joined us. “I knew Layne would take care of things, with the help of Griz and Pete. My, they make quite a team.”

  The geeks came slinking out of the tunnel, unsure about their welcome.

  Layne waved them in.

  Without a word, they went to their computers. My guess was they wanted to share a war story.

  Layne walked over and spoke to them. There was so much confusion that I couldn’t hear what he said, but each of the boys nodded and shut down his computer.

  I had to assume this was a story that would never be repeated, although I could picture my aunt whispering to my mother in a dark corner.

  The military men, or whatever they were, took Scott, Compton and Thomas into custody, none too gently.

  And they were gone, with their prisoners, as quickly as they’d arrived.

  My head was spinning. “Layne?”

  “No questions. There are some things better left to the imagination.”

  He turned to Trap.

  “Guess you’d better look for a new secretary. Greta’s in custody, too.”

  Aunt Martha stepped forward. “Who are you?”

  “I really am a government agent.”

  “Could have fooled me,” she said, “at least for a while.”

  “And I did. Your country thanks you, even though they’ll never know what you did. Or what the agency did, either. This will remain an untold story. Understand?”

  My aunt winked at him. “I’ll tell my sister, though. By the way, you did a great job of convincing us you were a snooty, spoiled accountant when we first met you.”

  “My mother will never believe you,” I said.

  “Sure she will. She knows how you and Pete seem to attract trouble.”

  Bubba lowered his head and licked Clem with his big ol’ tongue, knocking her over.

  Trap dropped to the couch. I could see his hands shaking.

  “Come, Clem,” he said.

  She wouldn’t leave Bubba’s side.

  “I guess you really do have a new home. You’re a lucky little girl.”

  This had been the longest few days of my life. I was ready to go home and contemplate… Nothing. I didn’t want to contemplate a single thing. I just wanted to go home, to familiar territory.

  Chapter Forty-three

  Layne returned and he and Trap closeted themselves in the office for about an hour, after which our local spy, or whatever he was, said his goodbyes and disappeared again.

  During that hour Pete and I packed our things, had a snack and got ready for the trip home.

  Griz and Aunt Martha deposited themselves on the couch in the upstairs living room, while the geeks got back to their computers after receiving more strict instructions about keeping what they’d seen, been through and heard to themselves.

  “Aunt Martha,” I said, “you’d better go pack up. We’re just about ready to go.”

  Griz patted her knee and she gently placed her hand on hi
s cheek.

  I couldn’t help but wonder what they might have talked about while we were upstairs. None of my business.

  “Alright,” she said. “Give me a few minutes. I never unpacked most of my clothes. And I want to talk to Andrew before we leave.”

  Trap was in his office. She spent a few minutes with him before climbing the stairs to pack.

  The billionaire joined us in the living room.

  Griz smiled at him. “She’s quite a woman, don’t you agree?”

  “I do. She’s a one-of-a-kind.”

  We finally said our goodbyes and hit the road.

  As we neared town, I turned to Pete. “Would you please stop somewhere so I can stock up on chocolate?”

  “The good stuff,” Aunt Martha said from the backseat.

  He took us to a gourmet chocolate shop and let us shop to our heart’s content. They even had some healthy dog treats, not chocolate, so I bought some of those, too.

  My aunt spent the night with us and took off for Arizona to see my mother the next day.

  ~ * ~

  My mother called me a week later.

  “What did you do to my sister?” she asked. “She’s acting like a normal person, at least as much as she’s capable of. I’ve never seen her this happy.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Mom.”

  “It’s that Grizzly person, isn’t it?” Her comment came close to sounding like an accusation.

  I grinned, although obviously she couldn’t see my face over the phone. “Could be, but since she’s going back to Chicago, don’t expect her euphoria to last.”

  We talked a bit about my aunt, and I learned that she never spilled the beans about what happened. She told my mother how much she’d enjoyed getting to know Andrew again, and that we’d had an adventure.

  “Aren’t you the one who’s always telling me not to call your cases adventures?” my mother asked.

  I laughed without replying.

  ~ * ~

  About two months later, Aunt Martha called. Her opening words were, “I’m moving out west.”

  I was tongue-tied for a moment.

  “Who is it?” Pete asked.

  I held up my index finger, asking him to give me a minute.

  “Griz and I are setting up housekeeping.”