by R Weir
“How are you holding up” queried Hunter after finishing a leg, chased down with a Sprite.
“How do you think?” She appeared peeved by the question. “I’m miserable. Not knowing what is happening to my babies is killing me.”
“You need to eat. Have a seat and I’ll pull you out a piece of chicken. As I recall you only like white meat. I remember we used to joke about it.”
Paige gave a half-hearted smile. “I remember. Those days you could make me laugh. But now…”
Hunter pulled out a chicken breast and tossed it on a plate in front of her. “They’ll be fine, Paige. These people won’t get what they want by hurting them. Right now, I think they’re trying to make us sweat. The longer you wait the more likely you’ll give them what they want.”
“They aren’t wrong. If I must sign over my company to get them back, I will.”
Hunter understood, though he doubted it would come to that. He didn’t have any immediate family, or ever even thought about having a family. He’d been a lone wolf since his college days. Though he did think of the team of people he was working with, as being family. An emotion elicited by seeing Keoki seriously injured. He knew he’d do anything for them, even give up his life. Though not without a knockdown, drag out fight.
“We should have answers soon,” commented Hunter. “I wish I had an idea of what they wanted. This whole mess makes no sense.”
Hunter had been racking his brains, trying to reveal an answer. The ex-husband seemed like the best bet and he did have a couple of tough connected friends, at least in North Dakota. But it was hard to imagine a police chief being involved with a kidnapping. Even a small-town sheriff wouldn’t want the FBI digging into his business.
“Eat,” pleaded Hunter. “You need to keep up your strength.”
Paige reluctantly took a bite of meat, doing her best not to get the BBQ sauce on her face. She put down the chicken breast and went to get a bottle of Zinfandel red wine, pouring it into a glass. She cradled the wine with both hands and drank nearly half before topping off the glass again.
“How is Jose holding up?” wondered Hunter, as he watched her sit down once more.
Paige nibbled on the chicken as if worried she’d injure it. She’d always been a delicate eater.
“He is soldiering on like a man should,” she said with a spiteful tone. “Never shows weakness, even though he is hurting inside. That is one trait you two have in common.”
“Handed down by our fathers. Never show weakness or let them see you sweat. I can guess the qualities we don’t have in common.”
“Being faithful,” Paige blurted out without hesitation.
“I never cheated on you.”
“No, but you did cheat in your heart when you couldn’t commit. I’ve talked with Athena. She says the same thing about you. At least your consistent.”
It was an argument Hunter couldn’t win. He was a solo act when it came time to settle down with one woman. Maybe with therapy he’d understand why he was that way. It was the life he led. One he tried not to spend a lot of time dwelling on. He went back for another piece of chicken, knowing at this moment he was committed to eating and he was passionate about this delicious bird.
“If it matters any, you were as close as I ever got,” declared Hunter. “We both knew with the life I had as a US Marshal and your desire to run your own company; it was never going to work for us. And you found the right man in the long run.”
Paige nodded in agreement, again nibbling on the chicken breast, eating a small piece. At this rate it would take an hour to finish. But there wasn’t much else to do but wait and it kept her mind occupied.
The two remained quiet for a time, eating and drinking, when Shen walked in. He noticed the silence, heading to the fridge, finding a little of the Chinese food remaining, which he dug into with chopsticks after giving it a quick sniff.
“Sounds like dinner at my parents’ house when I brought a boyfriend over,” he said with a smile while digging in the carton.
“Uncomfortable silence was the norm at home?” wondered Hunter.
“Early on. But later they came to understand. My father for a long time wondered what he did wrong in raising me, when he learned I was gay. I told him it had nothing to do with any of that. I knew it early on, especially after puberty.”
“Glad to hear they came around in their thinking,” interjected Paige. “It’s no crime being gay or lesbian. Our company has a strict policy not to discriminate in any way. I felt enough of that being a black woman in the business world.”
“Maybe I should come and work for you,” joked Shen with a laugh. “Do you need anyone with martial arts training to whip your people into shape?”
Paige forced a weak smile, while shrugging. It was the closest she’d been to joy in many hours.
Jose came running into the room, holding a cordless phone. “I think it might be them. The number is blocked.”
Hunter reacted. “Answer and put it on speaker phone. Shen call Scanlon and see about a trace on the house’s main line.”
Shen pulled out his cellphone and stepped out of the room.
“Hello this is Jose,” he said, putting the phone on the center island.
“I’m assuming this is the Hawkins residence,” announced the digitally altered voice.
“Yes. May I ask who is calling?”
“You may but won’t get a response. Who is listening in?”
Jose looked at Hunter, and he nodded to answer, as Athena strolled in.
“Besides myself, my wife Paige, Hunter and Athena.”
“Where is the rest of your team?”
“They are occupied with other duties at the moment,” remarked Hunter.
“I guess this is Hunter talking?”
“You’re correct.”
“If by other duties, you mean tracing this call. It won’t do any good, since it’s a satellite phone. Completely encrypted and untraceable.”
Hunter had deduced this, but figured it was a worth a shot.
“Then I’m to assume you’re the man responsible for taking Olivia and Deion.”
“Bingo. You win the jackpot.” Even altered the voice sounded too jovial.
“How are they?” inquired Paige.
“I’m assuming this is the mother. They’re doing well. Safe in a warm room, with two beds, TV and food. Comfortable in their confinement.”
“I want to talk with them.” Paige was leaning forward, gazing at the phone.
“I figured as much. Just a minute.”
There was a pause, some noise in the background and soon they heard from Olivia.
“Mom, Dad,” she said, the voice altering having been stopped. “We’re here.”
“Both of us,” added Deion.
“Good to hear your voices. Are you both unharmed?”
“Nothing has happened to us,” replied Olivia. “We’re just scared, they’re treating us…well.”
“We’re going to do what we can to get you home,” declared Jose. “Both of you behave and listen to what they say.”
“We will,” responded Deion.
“We love you,” said Paige, but they didn’t hear her, as they were off the call, the voice scrambler back in play.
“As you can hear, they’re good and healthy. They will stay that way so long as you do as I ask.”
“We’ll hold you to it,” warned Jose, wanting to come across as threatening, but failing.
“I’m a man of my word. Shall we get down to business.”
“What are you wanting…money?” wondered Paige, a touch of panic in her voice.
There was a laugh through the speaker, which was spooky given the digital modification going on.
“I’m not in need of money. But if you have extra cash you don’t need, I’m more than willing to take it off your hands.” His laugh continued.
“Get on with it,” growled Hunter forcefully, losing his cool. He didn’t like the joyful nature of the man.
&
nbsp; “Patience Hunter,” retorted the voice and then pausing. “I must commend you on your skill. You made our work difficult and required me to bring in my All-Star to best you.”
“Valerie will get hers eventually,” chimed Athena.
“Athena speaks. I’m sure she would love to give you another shot at her. Though I believe you’re not quite in her league.”
“We’ll see. So long as it’s a fair fight. No guns or bombs next time.”
“My money is on Athena,” added Hunter. “But let’s cut this bullshit and get to what you want. You’ve put these poor folks and their kids through enough hell. They don’t need to listen to your boasting.” Hunter wanted to reach through the phone and grab the man by the throat.
“Fair enough Hunter. I’m willing to make a straight up trade for the kids. There’s another person I’m interested in.”
“Another person? And who would that be?”
“My boy, I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out. I want you Hunter Divine.”
The digital laugh started again, even more chilling than before. Each of the faces around the center island shocked at what they were hearing. A request no one was expecting.
“Why me?” wondered Hunter, thinking long and hard about who could be on the other side of the call, wanting him for some dastardly reason.
“In due time, my boy. In due time.”
More laughter rang out as the call ended, leaving Hunter to contemplate what danger lie ahead of him.
Chapter 45
The flight to Montana was quiet. No back and forth chatter between the two passengers. Hunter did his best to sleep, but found it difficult with all the recent events racing through his head. While Athena closed her eyes, sleep never came, trying to relax as best as she could to flush the thoughts of failure from her head about allowing the Hawkins children to be captured on her watch.
After the call from the kidnapper ended, another call came later with instructions. Only Hunter and Athena would be allowed to be involved or the deal would be called off. The exchange was taking place the next day, more instructions were to follow Monday morning, but they had to be prepared to fly on a moment’s notice.
At their disposal, the Green Revival Living corporate jet landed at L.M. Clayton Airport just outside Wolf Point, the late May crosswinds challenging the pilots landing skills. Once on the ground they taxied across the runway, shortly after Hunter and Athena disembarked, carrying nothing with them per the instructions. No computers, no phones, no weapons and no ID’s. Only the clothes on their backs, with this being limited to jeans, t-shirt, sneakers and a light jacket.
Walking in the tiny concourse, they found a man standing holding a sign reading “Divine”. Hunter introduced himself and Athena to the tall lanky white man, who sported long braided blonde hair, pockmarked face and crooked nose that looked to have been broken a few times. He waved for them to follow as they approached an older Ford Bronco that showed its age in peeling paint and rust, a Lyft emblem displayed on the dash.
“Not the lap of luxury,” commented Athena, looking inside seeing the seats worn and dirty.
“It will get us to where we’re going,” replied the driver. “I’ve had this car since I was a teenager. It’s never failed me.”
Hunter nodded, figuring the driver must be older than he looked. He went to climb in before he was stopped.
“I’m sorry, but I was told to make sure you don’t have any technology by those that hired me for this trip. If I show up and they find tech, I not only won’t get a tip, but they will also give me a bad review.”
“Or worse,” stated Athena, knowing those they were dealing with and the carnage they had caused.
The driver looked confused by her words. “Please pull out your pockets and let me pat you down. I promise to keep it clean.”
Hunter sighed and allowed the man to check him. Once done he carefully touched Athena making certain not to linger. When satisfied they all got into the car and headed north.
“Do you know where we’re going?” probed Hunter.
“I do. Though I’m not supposed to tell you. Another request they made. I can’t even have my cell phone on while driving. Told me to leave it off and remove the SIM.”
“How much are they paying you?”
“With the tip they mentioned, plenty. All in cash. Will make for a profitable week for me.”
The rest of the drive remained silent, neither Hunter nor Athena had ever been to Montana. They had studied maps to get an idea of possible places they might travel to. But the area was quite remote, and there was little they could fathom on where they might be heading after landing. Using the mid-morning sun’s position, they could tell they were going north, with road signs showing State Highway 2, followed by County Road 13. But this didn’t tell them much in the moment. Deducing distance travelled, they used time and speed from the dash leading them to believe they’d driven forty or so miles, before turning off onto a dirt road into farm and ranch land.
The dust kicked up behind the Ford, where two other turns and several more miles led them to an open field where the driver parked. About a hundred feet away you could see a paved straight section of what used to be a road. There were no markings of any kind around, only two sets of orange windsocks hanging on tall posts to signify wind direction. It was probably ten minutes when a small private jet could be seen, making a slow approach to land on the strip of concrete. It would seem this was a makeshift runway in the middle of nowhere.
The Cessna landed with little issue, braking and stopping at the end of the pavement, before turning and taxiing to a stop, the engines winding down. The door opened on the side, the steps folding down on their own. A man was at the top and waved for the Ford to come over, the driver moved into position per his instructions.
“You’re to get out here,” he ordered. “Once they confirm all is good, I get paid and leave.”
Though the instructions sounded odd, Hunter and Athena had little choice and stepped out, strolling to the jet. The man at the stairs waved for them to stop when they were about thirty feet away before walking down, gun at his side. Following him a few steps behind was a familiar face, at least to Athena.
“Nice to see you again,” grinned Valerie, strolling down in faded jeans, a blue blouse and tennis shoes, her long black hair flowing in the breeze.
“I wish I could say the same,” replied Athena.
“No hard feelings, I hope. It was just business.”
“Business that badly injured one of my friends,” remarked Athena with anger.
“I lost one of my men, as well. The cost of doing business.” Valerie showed no emotion at the death of her manipulated lover.
“It would appear you sacrificed him.”
Valerie shrugged. “What can I say? He was a weak man who would do anything for me. It was best he moved on to the afterlife.”
Athena was wanting to lash out. “Bitch!”
Travis raised his gun at her aggression.
“Best you mind your manners, lady,” stated Valerie, waving her finger. “Travis might shoot you. Not a lot of medical help nearby. Even a minor wound might be difficult to treat.”
“We’re here,” interrupted Hunter, trying to defuse the situation. “Let’s get on with it.”
“Ah yes, the almighty Hunter Divine. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Hunter frowned while shaking his head. “I doubt that is true. Where are the children?”
Valerie ignored his question. “I need to pat you down Athena, to make certain you followed the instructions.”
Athena frowned, crossing her arms. “We did. The driver already checked us.”
“Still it would be safest for me to make certain. I imagine the driver enjoyed himself. So will I.”
Valerie started the search, lingering in various private areas of Athena, a smile on her face.
“Enjoying yourself?” wondered Athena, wanting to knee her in the jaw when she bent down.
; “Absolutely. If you weren’t the enemy we could have a good time you and me. I’m liking what I’m feeling.”
Athena wasn’t enjoying the touch one bit. “The only good time I’ll have is punching your lights out.”
Valerie grinned, finishing her search. She walked over, handing the driver a wad of cash, which he quickly counted before driving away. She then walked back, standing before Hunter.
“Not as much fun for you Mister Divine. You need to remove all your clothes before leaving with us. Can’t take a chance you have a bug hidden on you.”
Hunter looked confused by the request.
“Now please. Or are you shy?”
“Hardly. But I don’t understand why?”
She reached over and grabbed the clothing and shoes Travis was holding.
“We don’t trust you not to have a hidden tracking device. You can put these on once you strip down to your birthday suit.”
Hunter sighed and removed his clothing. The wind was chilly to his exposed skin, countering the warm sunshine. Finishing he looked Valerie in the eye.
“Gee, no cavity search! Or would that give you too much pleasure.”
“Ha! I can’t imagine a macho man like yourself hiding anything there.”
Valerie looked over the strong dark muscles, enjoying the view. She took notice of several scars while circling him, including two new ones still healing from the knife wounds in North Dakota. It would seem his body had taken a lot of wear and tear through the years.
“You can get dressed now. I’m satisfied with what I’ve seen.” She said it with a slight shimmer in her tone.
Hunter slipped on the dark blue coveralls and shoes provided, finding both fitting properly. It shielded him from the wind, but he was still cold, though forced his will not to show it.
“You have what you want,” stated Hunter. “Now let’s see the children and get this exchange done.”
