Unearthly Power

by R. K.

  “Actually, it went better than I expected. Cody is a first class weasel, but he is efficient as hell. He’ll know something’s up once he starts checking into things. And with the possibility that I might be wrong—giving him the opportunity to ‘nail my hide’—I think he’s already looking into it. I’m surprised he actually gave us as much as he did.”

  “He didn’t exactly narrow it down. That is a pretty broad area to cover,” Alex reminded him.

  “Not really. If he is holding the girls, I’d bet he’ll want privacy. That means the countryside. Once we get there, the locals will know where he lives. Cody doesn’t have to know where we are or what we are doing.”

  “He’ll learn enough to step in and shut us down. I doubt it will take him long to figure it out.”

  “Only if we give him the chance.”

  Before Alex said anything more Sean said, “I need to send a message. I’ll be right back.”

  He got out of the car and went toward the main building of the truck stop. He walked between the snack-aisles until he located the sign pointing to the restrooms. He used the opportunity to relieve himself while casually watching other men come and go. When he was done, he pulled up his zipper and removed the satellite communicator Professor James had provided from inside his waistband—it was too large to fit into one of his pockets.

  He stood looking down, while still in front of the urinal, and waited for it to power up. When it did, he typed the message: Sorry, but we decided not to catch a ride with Marcel. See you soon, S.R.

  That should keep things interesting for him, Sean thought.

  He turned off the device and waited until the lone man at the sink was finished and walked away. He went over, placed the communicator on the counter, washed his hands, pulled out several paper towels to dry them, and walked out; tossing the wet paper in the trash can as he did.

  At least that will give Marcel something to do. If I’m lucky, somebody heading for California will pick it up.

  They rehashed everything they could remember from the initial call booking the trip to the day they were pulled out of the water by the Carters. It wasn’t the first time they had done it. They also talked about what they would do when they at last came into contact with Silas Chandler. Alex, while eager to deliver some payback, was doubtful that they would be successful in even finding him. Sean, on the other hand, had no such doubts. He knew that what they had in their possession was enticing enough to draw out Chandler no matter where he was hiding.

  The miles passed by and the conversation eventually subsided as there was nothing left to say. After studying the road atlas, Sean settled on Skaneateles, New York, as their destination. It was one of the largest towns on the north side of the Finger Lakes. It was as good a place as any to begin their search. It was also a convenient location for him to facilitate a part of his plan.

  Alex dozed off, while Sean ran different scenarios through his mind. He had to stay undetected by anyone Cody may eventually send after them, he had to find Chandler, rescue Dee and Tori, and make sure they all stayed alive during the process.

  All of this for a piece of wood, he said quietly to himself. There was something strange about it, but it didn’t seem significant enough to kill anyone over. He still wasn’t sure he believed all of the professor’s story. Even if it was what he said it was, he doubted whether it had the ability to do what they imagined. Whatever the case was, he couldn’t afford to lose it now.

  ~ Fifteen ~

  When he woke from his sleep, the first thing he noticed was that his neck was stiff and sore. He massaged it with one hand while trying to dispel the lethargy from his mind. He had been dozing on and off since they started out earlier in the day. This last time was enough to remind him that sleeping in a car provided little satisfaction. Before he thought to ask about their present whereabouts, a sign indicating that an exit for Homer, NY, was fast approaching appeared on the right hand side of the road. When they went past it, he looked over at Sean and asked, “So where are we going now?”

  Sean turned to look at his friend as he continued to work the kinks out of his neck. “Airport. We need to get rid of this car, with its out of state license plates, and get something from here. That way we won’t stand out so easily.”

  “To who? Chandler or your buddy Daniels?” he asked jokingly.

  “Both. But especially Cody. I think he may have regretted telling me what little he did and might just have some eyes out for us.”

  “You really think he knows something about this guy?” Alex asked in a curious voice.

  “I think he knows quite a bit about him. There can’t be too many people someone in Cody’s profession knows off the top of their head like that. Not when they are called on it out of the blue.”

  Alex shrugged, accepting his explanation.

  “There is more to it than that. I can’t explain what it was, but Cody was talking more around the guy than about him. There was a lot that wasn’t being said, by either of us, and the silence between the lines really stood out. I don’t know why yet, but I don’t want to give him the opportunity to get in our way before we’re done doing what we need to do.”

  They continued north as their attention was automatically drawn to the illuminated overhead highway lights as they passed under each one. Sean followed the signs directing them to the Syracuse Hancock International Airport. He pulled into a long-term parking lot, got his ticket, and parked the car. They removed their luggage but kept the wooden staff in the trunk.

  “It’s the safest place for it. If we need it, we’ll know where to come.”

  Alex shrugged his shoulders in agreement, but thought his friend might be overdoing the ‘secret agent- cloak and dagger’ bit.

  They walked to the terminal and found an open rental car agency. After going through an experience similar to what they did with the other car, they finally ended up with a mid-sized sedan with New York license plates. They left the busy terminal and found a diner several miles west of the city.

  After they placed their food orders and were brought their drinks Alex said, “Don’t you think we’d be better off just letting the FBI handle this? I mean, this is a hostage situation and one person is already dead.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Alex looked at him expecting an explanation. When no further reply came he added, “I know you never really thought much of Cody, but this is his line of work.”

  Sean looked back from the window he was staring out of and at his friend. “I’m sure he’s really good at this sort of thing. I just don’t trust any law enforcement types to make decisions that affect the well-being of my family members. We can do what is necessary to get Dee and Tori back. If Cody wants anything more out of it, he can do whatever he would like after the fact,” he said leaving no room for debate.

  Alex put his hands in front of him in a sign of surrender. He knew that when Sean had his mind set on something, nothing could stop him. He also knew how important the situation was. He wanted Dee back and safe almost as much as Sean did. He also didn’t want anything bad to happen to Tori, but knew Sean had a more personal involvement concerning her.

  They ate their food and paid the bill. It would be another thirty minute drive until they would be able to check into the room they reserved earlier in the day. They decided they would start their search for the elusive Silas Chandler late the following morning. If his reputation was that well-known, they should have little trouble finding him. They would start with the local bars. Two things were a given when it came to small town bars: one was that everyone gossiped. And the second was that everyone gossiped about their rich neighbors. The price of a few draft beers could ferret out as much, or more, useful information than having a contact inside the FBI.

  Dismissing his previous don’t come back without him threat from his mind, Silas Chandler dialed the number to Marcel’s satellite phone. Marcel was the only man he employed who he could count on to do anything he asked without question or conce
rn. It was more than that. He had men to do his bidding around the world, in various matters, every single day. But Marcel was unique. He took care of the things that no one else could be entrusted with. He had been so efficient up until this last instance that his abilities were never in doubt. Silas Chandler suffered no fools and accepted no failures. But when it came to matters like this, he decided to allow his man another opportunity to atone for his failure.

  “I’ve been advised that the communication device that the professor used, and now Mr. Rylan is in possession of, has been traced to Kentucky. Once you get back to the mainland, call in and get a more precise location. Bring him in if you can; if not, do whatever you need to do to get me that wooden staff.”

  Before he hung up the phone he heard, “Yes, Mr. Chandler.”

  As was his custom, he called Dee to lunch with him. Tori refused to leave her room and he finally decided on keeping her there even if she had changed her mind, thinking her to be an unnecessary complication in her present state. Dee was different. Silas Chandler didn’t fool himself by thinking he could somehow win over the intelligent and beautiful young lady, but he was fascinated by her. Anyone else in her position might act like the James girl. But she was almost unflappable. It didn’t matter to him what she might be attempting to gain while in his company, as he had little concern for what she might be able to do, but the fact that she did it anyway left him with a profound respect for her. When it came to power or weakness, most people he witnessed gave in to the ‘fight or flight’ response straightaway. She was different. It was a shame that she would only be with him, with anyone, for a little while longer, he thought.

  She walked in as she always did, with no emotion on her face and no appreciation in her voice. She took her chair opposite of him and waited for whatever would be delivered. His approval of her demeanor was conveyed in his cold blue eyes, but went no further. He doubted that she noticed that subtle gesture.

  After a bowl of soup and a sandwich were placed before her, the serving man walked to a side table and returned to pour her a glass of water. He held up a bottle of wine knowing she would decline. She had one glass of wine at dinnertime, no more.

  When the servant had left the room she said, “Soup and sandwiches. I think your staff is getting lazy.”

  He raised his eyes at the charge as he swallowed a spoonful of the hot broth. He said nothing.

  They ate the rest of their meal in silence. She made it clear that their association was not social, but rather out of necessity. She would tolerate his presence only as long as she felt it was useful to her. If I only had a daughter, he had thought at that time. Once the plates were removed, and the waiter indicated he had the requisite number of metal utensils returned to him, he relayed the news to her.

  “Your brother is back in the States. He has been in contact and we should be hearing again from him soon.”

  Only the slightest trace of excitement could be seen on her face. She hid her emotions well, but to a trained eye like his they were still evident. The fact that she had emotions at all was enough to allow his reading her like an open book.

  “Will I be able to talk to him?” she asked.

  “I’m sure he will demand it. Just keep in mind that I am in full control here. Don’t do or say anything that will change the status of our negotiations when they happen,” he warned.

  “What about Tori? I’m sure he’ll want to talk to her as well.”

  “No. She will stay where she is for now. He’ll just have to accept your word about her.”

  “I don’t think he’ll believe you’ll hold up your end of the bargain. What will you do then?”

  “It may not even come to that. You see,” he said with a villainous smile, “I don’t think he is as smart as I thought he might be. I know exactly where he is while he has no idea where you are.”

  She did her best to hide any reaction to his announcement. If she thought she could get away with it, she would have closed the ten feet worth of distance that stood between them by way of the dining room table, and tried her best to do away with this vile man once and for all—but she knew that was wishful thinking. The guards would be on her before that could happen. She decided she would instead appreciate that her brother was, in fact, alive and well. She didn’t know what he was doing, but she hoped he wasn’t being his brash-self and running into this situation head-on. Sean could be both savvy and reckless. She hoped he was the former in this case.

  They checked into the small hotel room, tossing their luggage on the beds. Alex went into the bathroom to relieve himself and Sean looked in the local phone directory. By the time Alex walked back into the room, Sean closed the book.

  “What? Did you think the guy was actually listed?” Alex asked.

  “Not really, but you never know. It doesn’t hurt to check everything. I wish Cody could have just given us a bit more information; it wouldn’t have cost him anything to do it.”

  Alex looked at his friend. There were times when he was amazed by his intuition, and then there were times like this when he couldn’t believe his best friend didn’t know why he received the response he sometimes did; many times in fact.

  “You know Sean,” he started by saying, “you do have this way about you. You’ve been like this for as long as I’ve known you, and probably all of your life. You come across as an arrogant ass that dismisses people, and what they think about something, out of hand, as if they and their opinions don’t matter. When you are not actually diving, you are virtually insufferable. I don’t even know why I stick around other than the fact that I’m used to you by now and I ignore most of what comes out of your mouth. Or maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment. Either way, you seem to think that whenever you say something it makes it so, or that other people have to see it that way as well. The world doesn’t work like that. Your confidence can be addictive, but your overall personality is generally offensive unless you want something from someone. And the thing about it all is I don’t think you even care.”

  Sean’s grin went from ear to ear as he sat on the corner of the bed looking at his friend. “You finished?”

  “Yeah, I think so. I can only call you an ass so many times before it starts to lose meaning.”

  “Well, you’re okay in my book too,” Sean replied.

  Alex shook his head and let out a heavy sigh as if everything he said was nothing more than a waste of breath. The look on Sean’s face indicated that he had, in fact, heard what he said to him, and just as clearly showed that he didn’t really care. He was who he was, no apologies necessary. He took a seat on a singular chair in front of the room’s only desk and turned to look at his friend.

  “What about Daniels? It’ll only be a matter of time before he finds out what you are up to. You piss him off and we might wind up behind bars.”

  Sean looked at him as the smile vanished from his face. “I don’t know. Hopefully we can wrap this up soon and hand him the leftovers.”

  “I’m going to go back to the lobby and see what kind of local maps they have. Maybe they can help narrow down our search area. You want anything?” Sean asked.

  “Yeah, get me a soda.”

  Sean nodded his head and walked out of the room. As soon as he turned the corner of the building, he was grabbed by two pairs of strong hands. A moment later, everything turned black.

  Five men were standing in the dark recess between the two buildings. One of them had cut the wires from the building light above only minutes before. Once they had the keycard removed from his wallet, they placed his body into the waiting van. Four of the men went to his room, opened the door, and rushed in to subdue Alex in the same manner. When they were both in the van, two men returned to the room to search it, clean up all traces of the disturbance, and lock the door behind them before returning to the vehicle. They drove off with the less important of the two things they were sent to find.

  Sean was the first to regain consciousness. His vision was blurry and his head ached
from where he had been struck. He could feel the throbbing behind his right ear. When he was able to focus, he saw that he was in the middle of an empty warehouse. He could feel that he was restrained to a chair. He looked down to see the ropes holding him fast by his ankles, legs, wrists, and chest. He turned to his left and saw Alex sitting next to him, unconscious but breathing. He was bound in the same way. He yelled out once to whoever may have put them in this position, but then thought better of it as the result only served to amplify the pain in his head.

  He tried to move the chair but it wouldn’t budge. He looked over at the one Alex was in and noticed that it was bolted to the concrete floor. Whatever their captors had in mind, one thing was for certain: they were meant to stay where they were. Sean decided to retain his strength and did his best to remember what had happened. He recalled leaving the room; he was going to the front desk and then . . . he stopped . . . no he was grabbed from behind. No, there were men in front of him and behind him. That was all he could remember. He could hear Alex start to stir about. He watched him as he went through many of the same motions that Sean had gone through. When it was obvious he could see clearly Sean said, “Sorry, they didn’t have any soda.”

  “Where in the hell are we?” Alex asked with a wince, revealing the pain he felt from his wound.

  “I think we’re still in New York. Looks as if it’s still dark outside,” he said indicating the scene through a small window high along the wall.

  “Thanks. You’re just a wealth of information.”

  “Glad to help.”

  “Any idea who grabbed us?” Alex asked in a more serious tone.

  “Not yet, but I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.”

  “You don’t seem too worried about it.”

  “I’m not. It’ll only give me a little more to bargain with.”

  “How do you figure that?” Alex asked as he turned to look at him.