My Granddaughter was Stolen!

by Waggoner, Robert C.

  He had to pee badly. Staggering to the bathroom he could only use one hand and almost wet his pajama bottoms. He reached down with his good hand and flushed the toilet like he'd been taught since he married the snarly witch Hazel. He ran some sink water and drank heavily. It was only after he was satiated with water did he look in the mirror. He hated mirrors because mirrors didn't lie about age. A mirror never said, "Oh my you look ten years younger today."

  Still holding his hand to his belly he went looking for his wife. He found her in the kitchen humming a nameless tune and cooking scrambled eggs. He said, "Hazel, I fell out of bed last night and broke my hand. Call my driver and have him pick me up and take me to the hospital."

  Hazel looked at his hand and saw the thumb at a strange angle. She turned the stove off and hurried to look at his hand. She never said a word. She picked up the phone and called his driver.

  Almost three hours later he was back in the house in his easy chair rocking back and forth deep in thought. Mr. A admitted his house security wasn't up to standard, but what did that guy say? He remembered clearly the guy saying no matter the security he would breech and get me. Needless to say, he was between a rock and hard place.

  At seventy two he was still in fairly good shape, even considering his portly body. The brain was functioning at a level he felt comfortable with. The group never contested his commands. With his good hand, he picked up the house phone, sat the receiver down, and speed dialed Mr. B.

  The loyal Mr. B was sitting in A's study within the hour. Mr. A told him the story. Mr. B was squirming in his chair acting more than nervous as usual. When he was finished, B said, "I had a man check on Bend. The place was empty and a small amount of blood was found on the bed and the floor. It's my opinion that the two hostages were rescued somehow and by whom, remains unknown."

  A's first thought was, who the hell are we up against. The next thought was what the hell we do now. Their well laid plans were unraveling like a cat playing with a ball of wool. Do we pull back and wait or do we plow ahead like we know what we're doing?

  A said, "B what do you think about this situation?"

  "We've eliminated two people and abducted two others. If charged and convicted we spend the rest of our lives in prison or worse. I say we give up the Iowa connection and rest on our laurels until the smoke clears."

  "That's probably good advice B. But, and I say but, I'm too old to wait around for the smoke to clear. We need to come up with another plan. Besides we have that new guy with a pocket full of money to exploit."

  "What do you have in mind A?"

  "I don't know for sure, but as the young ones say these days, 'We need to think outside the box.'"

  "Let's give them Benny. We can certainly distance ourselves from him. Also we still have Hollis in our corner," said B.

  A was getting stronger by the minute. His confidence was returning. He'd call in some favors and up the security with beefy low tech folks. He said, "Okay B, let's give up Benny and milk our new man Mike. While you're at it, pull the plug on the VP."

  Back at the Hilton Hotel, Brad was talking to Mike, Wade, Agent Jones and Billy at an all male meeting. Brad said, "Mike, Wade, with Billy providing the information, locate and bring to a safe house, either a grandkid or daughter of either Mr. A or Mr. B. We are going to perform an Oscar winning show for these guys. Agent Jones will play a deranged street person who loves kids. I prefer the female team members are not privy to this action. Anyone not willing to play this game can't be excused." Brad gave a chuckle.

  "No one will be hurt. But we'll scare the hell out of these guys."

  Mike said, "When does the performance take place and where?"

  "Tomorrow at International Country Club. I will exert my influence to make this happen. Tonight, I'll revisit Mr. A and break his other thumb. He'll fortify his house with body guards. Me and Sandy will not let them stand in our way."

  Agent Jones said, "Before we do that Brad, Ray and I are going to bust Benny Starks for murder. We've a warrant and when we finish here I must go."

  "I haven't forgotten Jones. I hope we can all play a winning performance."

  -XII-

  True to his word, Mr. A had six guards at his house. There were four inside and two outside. The four inside would arrive at 10 pm. Needless to say his wife Hazel wondered why they suddenly needed protection. She wouldn't need any help figuring it out a few weeks later.

  Brad and Sandy, same dress as the last time, parked a half mile away. Brad had Sandy on a leash in case someone passed by. At one am he was a half block away. He took off Sandy's leash and both went into stealth mode. Brad really didn't want to kill anyone if he didn't have to. He was hoping that he could nerve pinch and then administer a sleeping agent.

  As he approached the house, he detected one guard front and one guard at the side door that led to the kitchen. Brad decided to take out the side guard first and then use Sandy to distract the front man.

  The side guard was very alert and doing his job. However, he was no match for Brad. Brad had moved within about ten feet from him. Every time the guard turned his head, Brad would move a foot or two. Brad waited for a big turn of the head or a look at the ground; or a look at the sky and then he would make his move.

  The guard arched his back to stretch and doing so looked up. Brad was on him in a flash. With one hand he covered the guy's mouth and the other hand squeezed his neck in a place the Master had taught him. The guy went down slowly. Brad withdrew an injection needle and put the guy out for a good eight hours.

  Sandy was sitting behind a bush and she saw Brad wave his arm. She walked out and stood in front of the house looking at the guard. The guard drew his pistol and stood there starring. While he stood there starring, Brad moved up behind him and he too was laid down for an eight hour count.

  That left four guys in the house. Earlier he'd had the FBI watch and count how many went inside the house that night. Four was the count and he went to the kitchen door. He was sure one guy was in the kitchen and another in the living room near the front door. Brad quietly opened the screen door, thankful that he'd oiled it, and then he scraped the door with his fingernail. The guard would wonder what the noise was and slowly open the door.

  True to form, the guard opened the door to see Sandy starring at him. The guard held his pistol out in front of him for protection. Brad, from the side, reached out with his hand and sunk a finger into a nerve in the guard's wrist. That made him drop the gun and with a pull on the arm, the guard came forth to lay with his co-worker on the sidewalk.

  All was still quiet. Brad had Sandy stay out due to the fact her toe nails would make scratching sounds on the linoleum. Brad, like a cat moved into the hall way and down to the living room area. The guard was sitting in a chair by the window. The street light gave him away. Brad did the scratching noise on the wall near the entry way to the living room area. The guard was curious enough to check it out. He woke up the next day wondering what the hell happened.

  Up the stairs Brad went. At this point Brad got a little lucky as he could hear one guy taking a leak in the hallway toilet. The light was poor, but for Brad it was light enough for him to do his work. When the guard came out he went for a long nap too. Five down and one to go, he thought. The last guard was sitting outside the bedroom door.

  Brad thought a 'pisst' would get the guard to come see what the other guard wanted. Brad gave him a double 'pisst' and indeed here came the guard on full alert. Brad did the wrist nerve pinch and with the neck nerve, stung the guard and he fell in a heap at his feet. Brad injected him an eight hour dose of drugs.

  Now it was time to visit Mr. A. Like before he was sleeping on his back slightly snoring. His left hand in a cast rested on his belly with a sling. Brad smiled looking down at him. Brad dropped to his knees.

  Once again he covered the old man's mouth and whispered in his ear. "I told you old man that you couldn't stop me. What does it take to get you morons to listen? Now do you know how hard it i
s to wipe your ass without a thumb? I tell you what old man; I'll give you one more chance to give this game up. You fail me again and the lights go out."

  Brad stuck him again with the sleeping agent and with his hand still on the old man's mouth, reached down and broke his right thumb. The old man tried to scream, but his wife continued her dream of spring flowers. Finally the drug took hold and he slept the night away until ten am the next day.

  Benny Storks had his feet up in his recliner when a knock at the door occurred. He was relaxing reading the Sunday paper. The sun was beating through the window making the room rather warm. When he heard the knock, he gave a sigh and closed the paper. He reset the chair to its sit down position and walked to the front door.

  The door open he saw a black man with a Mike Hammer look alike. Benny loved that old TV program with a hair-lip playing a PI. The PI said, "Mr. Storks, my name is Ray Small. Here is my card. Agent Jones and I would like a word with you please."

  Benny looked at the card and saw he was a detective with the DC police department. The black man's ID showed Benny he was an FBI agent. Benny said, "Come in please."

  Both Jones and Small sat on an old sofa that when they sat down, dust flew through the sun's rays coming in the window. Benny stood in front of the cold fireplace and said, "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

  "Well sir," said Ray, "we have a search warrant to see if you have a weapon that may or may not have been used in a murder case. Do you Mr. Storks own a hand gun?"

  Benny realized he was had big time. There was no reason to deny it that he indeed had a pistol. His life flashed before his eyes. Someone sold him out or someone got damn lucky. He said, "In my closet up stairs in a shoebox you'll find a hand gun."

  Ray sat still as Jones went upstairs to fetch the pistol. Benny asked Ray, "How did you get on to me?"

  Ray stood up and said, "Your shoes Mr. Storks and a few other things." Ray read him his rights and put the cuffs on the shook up senator from Iowa. Outside were two policemen waiting to escort Benny Storks to the police station? Two first degree murder charges were filed against him without the benefit of bail.

  Walking out the door and down the cement walkway, a clip clop was heard. Ray said, "Hear that Storks, you sound like a horse walking."

  *******

  That Sunday morning when Hazel Snark made her exit of her bedroom, past her still sleeping husband, she saw the two guards lying on the floor at the head of the stairs. She raised an aged hand to her mouth and delicately stepped over the men. Now she was a little scared cautiously making her way down the stairs. In the hall way she found another guard either dead of sleeping; she didn't know which. Peeking around the doorway into the kitchen she found another guard on the floor. Now she was really scared and went up the stairs as fast as her old legs would take her. Watching her steps, she passed by the two men and into the bedroom to wake up her husband. She gently shook him saying his name over and over. Finally she lost it and started pounding on his chest. He did moan a little, but slept on.

  Hazel went around to the middle of the two beds where the phone was. She dialed 911. After she gave the lady her information, Hazel sat on her bed crying.

  When the police came, they immediately saw one man lying on the ground with a pistol in his hand. The two policemen called for backup and a swat team after discovering the second man on the ground with a pistol in his hand. The two policemen took cover behind their car and waited.

  The airwaves were full of transmissions from Owen Snarks house to the police station. Meanwhile Hazel sat there in a daze while her husband slept on as if it was a normal Sunday.

  Because Sunday is normally a slow day for news, two local TV station picked up the transmissions and sent teams to the address. Mr. B was watching TV when the station broke in with 'breaking news'. He put his paper down and watched with interest. In two minutes he was on the phone to Mr. C, D and the rest of the alphabet.

  When Mr. A finally woke up he was in the hospital. It took him awhile to determine where he was and then he found the why looking at his right hand. His wife was sitting in a chair starring at nothing. Like before he was thirsty and had a bad headache. He tried to get his wife's attention but to no avail.

  Somebody must have been thinking as he saw a stand with a glass of water and straw. He grunted and groaned, but managed to sit up without using his hands much. After the life giving water it suddenly hit him what happened. He wondered, how the hell did that man get into his house?

  A man walked through the door dressed in a frumpy suit. He told him he was with the DC police and had a few questions for him. He said, Mr. Snark when we entered your home we found four guys inside with pistols and two outside with pistols. All had been drugged with a tranquilizer; as you were. I ask you sir, what is going on that we need to know about?"

  "I'm not positive mind you, but I've been getting strange phone calls threatening my life. Well, let me tell you the truth. I'm being blackmailed and they sent a man or men to make it real that they meant business. You can see by my broken hands here. There're asking five million in gold. If I told the police they would kill my wife Hazel over there."

  "Would you be willing to come to the police station and make a formal statement?"

  "I don't think that's a good idea at this point in time. I need to keep this quiet or my wife might be killed."

  "I'll be back sir. I need to call my captain." He stepped out the door and walked down the hall. He called Ray Small and told him what Owen Snark told him. Ray said, "He's a lying bastard Jake. Press him for a formal statement and we'll keep it confidential. If nothing else we can nail his ass for obstruction of justice."

  ********

  Sunday should be a day of rest, according to the good book. However, Brad and his team were all gathered around the conference table at their office. Earlier they had watched the news replay of Owen Snark's house. Billy cracked up and Sandy gave off a woof. All of the team was smiling. Things were coming together. Senator Storks booked on two counts of murder; the top man of the notorious group, better known now as the 'Alpha Gang' was fighting for his life with two broken thumbs.

  If the Batt Team knew that the other members of the Alpha Gang were about to hang Mr. A out to dry. Nobody was in a panic just yet. They still had on their team Speaker Hollis and the Deputy CIA Director. Both of those men were powerful allies. One thing for certain, Brad Pratt realized the exact situation. His father was working on the CIA end of things.

  Tomorrow they should have their own hostages to perform the 'Beltway' play. The FBI was helping out their cause. First they had Owen Snark's fourteen year old granddaughter and also Mr. B's wife, who was a high social lady with a phobia of being fit. Additionally a well hung gay man was going to play an important part.

  -XIII-

  Secretary of the Navy, Phillip Pratt sat on that same Sunday at the International Country Club with CIA Director Phil Addie. They'd just finished brunch and were chatting outside sitting in the sun. Pratt said, "Addie, we go back a long ways. I hate to be the one to bring forth bad tidings but you have a political traitor on your staff. He/she has been using your secure computer system to send blackmail threats to the President Samuel Bates."

  "That's quite a charge Secretary. However, we are not without our own checks and balances. Where were they or it sent."

  Two I believe to Oregon on the southern coast and one to the Presidents Secretary."

  "That person is either very stupid or things they can escape detection. We have in place systems that I'm the only one that knows about it. Upon my death or such things, that information is passed on to my successor. Give me a couple days Phil and I'll contact you."

  "As you know we charged Benny Storks with two counts of murder. He's or was part of the 'Alpha Gang' that kidnapped the daughter and granddaughter of Samuel Bates. We currently have them in a safe house in Oregon. Now we're after Speaker Hollis as we believe he is part of the gang."

  "Let's have a highball and tell me abo
ut your new granddaughter Phil."

  *******

  Speaker Dean Hollis just got off the phone with Mr. C. He was at home relaxing on a Sunday with his wife. She was his life partner and best friend. She knew everything about what was going on. She was a full partner in a prestigious law firm in DC. She did corporate work. That dovetailed well with the group's investment program. He said, "Honey the shit hit the fan. Owen is in big trouble and so are we. Tomorrow we have a three o'clock meeting at the International. At that time we are going to retire Owen. Also, Benny is in jail on two counts of murder. If he sings were all dead meat. Lastly, if Bert Uptown caves in over at the CIA, let's ditch this town. I'm serious honey. Tomorrow clean out our accounts and book us to Bulgaria."

  Nancy and Wendy were working with Billy to find the mole in the CIA. Also they were doing a deep back ground on Speaker Hollis. Wendy had turned up the information that his wife, Constance, was a full partner in a law firm that did corporate work. She was speculating that Constance maybe feeding private and confidential corporate information to her husband and his group. Both Wendy and Nancy felt that their house of cards would fall soon.

  Over at the White House, Brad, his father and Steve were in a huddle. Phillip Pratt was going over his meeting with the CIA director. President Bates said, "I've full confidence in Phil Addie. What I'm a little scared of is Speaker Hollis. Also, the VP is being closely watched. If something were to happen to him and me both, we're in big trouble."

  "I'm hoping to wrap this up in the next few days Mr. President. We're about to play our hole card that should make the opponents fold their hands.