“You’ve been watching us?” Chris demanded, visibly stiffening and clenching his fists.
“Don’t get excited, buddy,” Butch warned. “I just like to get a feel for who I’m dealing with.”
“That was you on the boat yesterday,” said Chris, recognizing the intruder.
“Yep, and you were mighty nice to wave at us like you did,” said Butch, his revolver still steadily trained on Chris’ face. “Now, answer my question. Where’s the wife?”
Thinking fast, Chris glanced at his watch then replied, “She should be in Los Angeles by now.”
“Los Angeles?” Butch repeated, a little surprised. “She was here just yesterday.”
“She flew out this morning,” said Chris with a head gesture toward Dave and Jonathan, “Gone for a few weeks with their wives. Girls’ vacation while the boys stay home to play some golf and drink some beer.”
Butch shrugged. “A boys’ party isn’t what I had in mind but you’ve got a nice place and, since we’re here, me and my crew will hang around for a while. Hell, we may just stick it out until your ladies come back cuz I sure would like to meet them.”
At that moment, the one named Rat returned and confirmed the house was indeed free of other occupants.
“Well, that’s good. I’d hate to think of what would happen if our friend here lied to me,” said Butch before turning back to Chris. “Are you expecting anyone else?”
Chris shook his head. “No, it’s just the three of us.”
Butch addressed Rat. “Have a couple of guys stay out front to keep an eye on things, just in case any unexpected visitors do show up. Tell the rest of the crew to join us in the kitchen cuz I think Mister Barry here was just about to offer us a beer. Lead the way, gents.”
Chapter 4 – Saturday - 2:21 p.m.
Neither being huge fans of shopping, Sandy and Josée had let the other three go on with their browsing after an hour, agreeing to meet at three-thirty at the Merry Club Marina where they had docked the plane.
“I really love these smaller towns,” said Josée as they strolled in the park along Magog Bay. “They’re so much more relaxing than the hustle and bustle of the city.”
“Chris and I have never regretted moving to Knowlton,” Sandy replied. “Montreal’s not that far away when we need it and there’s nothing like trotting across your yard to dive into the lake or hitting the slopes minutes after you leave home.”
“We’re actually thinking of getting a place down here,” Josée admitted. “Our visits with you guys have spoiled us and Jon dreams of coasting up to our dock now that we have this plane.”
“Josée, that would be wonderful,” Sandy exclaimed. “How serious are you about this?”
Josée smiled as she replied, “Serious enough that Jonathan is planning to pick your husband’s brain over the weekend about the local real estate market, recommended locations, reliable developers and agents in the area, that kind of thing.”
“Oh, Chris will have tons of information to share with you two,” said Sandy. “And as far as an agent goes, Linda Shapiro was marvelous. She found us the lot we built on and the perfect location for my gallery, neither of which were even listed for sale at the time. She really has her ear to the ground for real estate in the Townships and she’s great to deal with.”
Josée nodded in approval. “Sounds like we may have already found an agent.”
“You’ll love her,” Sandy replied then paused. “You know what? Now that I think about it, Linda has an office right here in Magog. We have over an hour before we meet up with the girls. Do you want to go check it out?”
“Will it be open?” asked Josée with interest. “It’s Saturday.”
“No doubt about it,” said Sandy. “Linda’s agency also manages property rentals. I can call Chris for the address if you want to have a first look at what the market has to offer.”
“That sounds like fun,” Josée agreed. “Let’s do it.”
Sandy pulled out her phone and called their home number but frowned after a moment as she cut the connection.
“That’s strange,” she said. “There’s no answer.”
“They must be outside,” Josée replied. “They were talking about tennis when we left and you know how they love to get out on the lake.”
“But voicemail should have picked up,” Sandy explained. “It just kept on ringing. There must be a problem with the landline. I’ll try Chris’ mobile.”
* * * *
“Hey, guys,” Butch announced as they entered the kitchen. “This is Mister Barry, our host, and two of his friends. I’m sorry to tell ya, their ladies are off on vacation but I figured, since we’re here, we’ll hang out for a bit, make the best of it and try to have some fun.”
Chris gazed at the assortment of hoodlums occupying his kitchen and counted ten in addition to their leader, bringing their total to thirteen if two were in fact keeping an eye on things outside. He was certain both Jonathan and Dave had just performed the same headcount.
“Now, since we’ll be spending some time together,” said Butch, addressing his three captives, “I think we should introduce each other more proper-like and then I’ll explain how things work. I’m Butch and this is my crew. I’m not gonna call you Mister forever so, what’s your names?”
“Chris.”
“Dave.”
“Jonathan.”
“Okay, Chris, Dave and Jonathan,” Butch continued, “Now we know each other. The way things work is simple. You do what we tell you to do, you don’t try anything stupid and we’ll go easy on you. Let’s start with phones. Give me yours.”
Chris removed the phone case clipped to his belt and set it on the kitchen island while Dave and Jonathan, both in swimming trunks, remained motionless.
“What about you two?” Butch demanded.
“I don’t have it on me,” Jon replied.
Butch smiled at him and nodded to one of his crew, a big, bulky ox of a man standing behind Jonathan. The man smiled back then punched Jonathan in the kidney. Jonathan grunted in pain as his knees somewhat buckled but, to their captors’ surprise, he remained standing.
“Are you losing your touch, Ape?” Butch asked with a smirk before gazing back at Jonathan. “I’m impressed, Jon. Most guys pass out when Ape hits them. You’re pretty solid for an old guy. Now, let’s try that again. Where is your phone?”
“On the nightstand in the second bedroom to the right,” Jonathan rasped.
“Smart man,” said Butch then looked at Dave, “And yours?”
Dave pointed. “On the counter behind you.”
“You see how it’s better to cooperate with us?” said Butch, retrieving Dave’s phone and placing it next to Chris’, “And now that I have your phones, I won’t have to worry about any of you sneaking off a call for help. If you did, that would screw up my weekend and then you’d get hurt. I’ll let you in on something else. Don’t bother thinking about the landline cuz we cut that when we got here.”
At that moment, Chris’ phone began vibrating on the granite top where it lay.
Butch picked it up, glanced at the screen and asked, “Who’s Sandy?”
“My wife,” Chris replied.
“Quiet, everyone,” Butch ordered as he stared at Chris. “You answer on speakerphone and all is fine. Fuck up and you’re dead. Got it?”
Chris nodded then took the phone and opened the line. “Hi, Sandra. You girls made it to Los Angeles without any problems?”
A couple of seconds of silence ensued before Sandy replied. “Yes, the flight was fine and on time. How’s everything back home? I tried calling on the landline but got no answer.”
“Must be a problem with the line because the phone didn’t ring,” said Chris. “I’ll look into it. I can’t stay on too long because Dave’s waiting for me on the tennis court for a few sets.”
“No problem, sweetheart,” Sandy replied. “The shuttle is just pulling up so I’ll have to get going too.”
“You an
d the girls have a great time over there, sweetie, and take lots of videos,” said Chris. “Keep me posted on how the trip’s going and I’ll pick you up at the airport on the thirteenth.”
“Sounds good, honey,” said Sandy. “You go crush Dave on the court. Love you.”
“Love you too,” Chris replied before cutting the connection and gazing at Butch. “I trust that was okay?”
“You did good, Chris,” Butch replied. “I think you and me will get along just fine. Now, how about you getting me and my crew them beers you offered. It’s party time.”
* * * *
“What was that all about?” asked a puzzled Josée. “What shuttle?”
“Something’s wrong,” Sandy announced with a dazed expression. “To start, Chris called me Sandra. He’s never called me Sandra in my life. Nobody has. Then he asked if we made it to Los Angeles okay and said he was going to play tennis with Dave. Dave hates tennis. He then told me to take a lot of videos and said he’d pick me up at the airport on the thirteenth.”
“What the hell?” said Josée with concern. “Why didn’t you ask him what he was talking about? Are you sure he wasn’t just joking since we used the plane?”
Sandy shook her head. “I’ve been with Chris long enough to know when he’s joking. He was trying to tell me something, like in code, as if someone was there monitoring what he was saying.”
“As if he’d been kidnapped or something?” Josée suggested as she reached into her purse. “Maybe I should call Jon.”
“Don’t,” said Sandy. “Whatever it is, I doubt that only Chris is in trouble. If he was, Jon or Dave would have contacted us.”
“You’ve got a point,” Josée replied. “Call the girls and tell them to get back to the plane. We have to get back there and see what’s going on.”
Chapter 5 – Saturday - 3:02 p.m.
“Look, there are a couple of guys on the dock by the Sea-Doos,” exclaimed Sandy in dismay as they approached the property from a couple of hundred feet up above the lake. “They look like damned bikers and they’re certainly not Chris’ friends. They’ve invaded our home.”
“Don’t worry, Sandy,” said Leslie. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“Should I get us down closer?” asked Josée.
“No, we can see well enough from this height,” Leslie replied, “And we don’t want to attract their attention or give the impression we’re scoping out the place.”
“Alright,” Josée agreed. “I’ll veer off some to the right so we can get a view from the south side then double back to see from the north. We’ll catch the front and back both ways.”
“Do it,” said Leslie. “Keep your eyes open, ladies.”
As they moved closer, they noted two more men seated at the patio table and one in the pool. The tennis court and golfing area were deserted but as the front of the lot came into view, another two men were spotted by the garage with its doors all open, beer bottles in hand as they examined the cars and recreational vehicles parked within. A passenger van and a large SUV, both unfamiliar, were parked on the lawn near the garage and a motorcycle could be seen on the walkway near the main entrance to the house.
A minute or so past the property, Josée looped back north then west and the Barry home soon came back into view from the opposite side though their second pass revealed no further information.
“Who are those bastards?” Sandy muttered as she stared down at her home.
“And where are our husbands?” added Cathy, the anger and fear audible in her tone. “They can’t be gone. The boats and cars are still there.”
“We’re going to work this out, ladies,” said Leslie, “And let’s keep in mind that Chris, Jon and Dave all know how to handle themselves.”
“Yes, they do, Les,” replied Josée, “But from what we just saw, they’re outnumbered by more than two to one.”
“Mon Dieu!” Dominique suddenly exclaimed. “I think there are thirteen of them.”
“What makes you think that?” asked Cathy.
Leslie smiled fondly at her French girlfriend then explained. “Chris told Sandy he’d pick her up at the airport on the thirteenth. He was telling her how many guys invaded the place.”
“I don’t know,” said Cathy. “It seems like a bit of a stretch from a date to a number of people who crashed the place.”
“Think about it, Cathy,” Sandy countered. “I call and Chris has been threatened if he says anything to tip me off. Saying that we’re in L.A. tells me something is wrong and tells everybody that we’re not expected back soon. He’s not really picking me up at the airport so saying the thirteenth could very well mean the number of intruders. They certainly have enough transportation parked out front for a group that size.”
“True enough,” Cathy conceded.
“It makes sense to me,” Josée agreed, “But it certainly doesn’t make me feel any better about our husbands’ situation.”
“Should we call the police?” asked Dominique.
“Of course we should,” Cathy replied.
“I disagree,” said Leslie.
“Why?” asked a puzzled Dominique.
“If we call the police, they’ll come in with a SWAT team,” Leslie explained, “And the whole thing will likely turn into a standoff and shootout with Chris, Jon and Dave inside as hostages.”
“I’m with Leslie,” said Sandy.
“Same goes for me,” said Josée. “Our guys are likely to end up dead if the police storm the place.”
“You’ve got a point,” Cathy admitted, “But what’s the alternative?”
“I deal with assholes like these guys for a living,” Leslie replied.
“Oh, come on, Les,” said Josée. “You can’t expect us to let you go in against more than dozen men by yourself. That’s ridiculous.”
“Who said she’d go in by herself?” asked Sandy.
“What are you suggesting, Sandy?” urged Cathy.
“I’ve been with Chris long enough to have learned a few things, not to mention the self-defence training I’ve been doing for years,” Sandy replied, “And my father taught me how to shoot a gun before I was ten. I had no qualms with shooting at my dad’s killers when I was sixteen. Now, our husbands are in there, in danger, and I plan to do whatever is needed to get them out.”
“All this scares me to death but I’m also angry and revolted that animals like this think they can terrorize others,” said Josée, her voice tremulous. “Jon’s shown me the ropes and I’m in great shape. Count me in.”
Cathy let out a deep breath and said, “With a husband who’s been a cop for twenty-five years and all the time I’ve spent at the shooting range, I can do my share.”
“I don’t have the knowledge or expertise you all have,” said Dominique, “But Leslie’s been showing me how to look after myself and I’ll certainly do anything I can to help. My sister and I might be dead if it weren’t for Jonathan and Chris.”
“We need some place where we can settle down to think this through and start planning,” said Leslie. “Any suggestions, Sandy?”
“Head to the marina,” Sandy replied, pointing south. “I know Alexandre, the owner. He’ll let us moor the plane and find us a private spot where we can sit and get our heads around this. He might even come in handy if we need anything.”
“Well, then, let’s get busy,” said Josée as she headed south.
Chapter 6 – Saturday - 3:33 p.m.
“I have to tell you, Chris,” said Butch as he entered the dining room following a tour of the property, “You really know how to live. This is one hell of a place you’ve got here.”
The crew had moved their captives into the dining room where they had secured them to the heavy armed chairs with duct tape. A couple of them, including Ape, had been assigned to keep an eye on the three while the rest milled about, inside and out, familiarizing themselves with the Barry residence and its contents.
“I’ve done okay over the years,” Chris replied.
>
Butch laughed. “You’ve done better than okay, my friend. Boats, Sea-doos, fancy cars. That garage of yours is chock full of toys with your snow-mobiles and ATMs and this house is huge. How many bedrooms you got here?”
“Five,” said Chris.
“And they each have their own private bathroom,” added Butch. “What do you do for a living?”
“Management and consulting,” Chris replied. “How about you?”
“We’re into acquisitions and sales,” Butch replied, grinning at his joke. “What about you two? What do you do, Jonathan?”
“I work for the government,” Jon replied.
“Fucking paper pusher,” muttered Ape as he glared at Jonathan.
Butch chuckled and said, “You should have gone down when Ape hit you. You got on his wrong side by staying up.”
Jonathan looked at Butch and replied with a smile. “It’s not my fault the big chimp hits like a girl.”
Butch exploded with laughter as Ape jumped out of his chair in rage and headed toward Jonathan.
“Sit back down and relax,” Butch ordered good-naturedly as he waved the big man back. “I’ll make sure you get your chance along the way. We just got here so you’ll have lots of time to even the score. Let’s see how much he can piss you off before I let you have a go at him.”
Cursing under his breath, Ape went back to his seat and continued to glare at Jonathan who ignored him in return.
“And what about you, Dave?” Butch picked up from where he had left off. “What kind of fancy job do you have? Doctor? Lawyer?”
“Yeah, lawyer,” Dave replied. “Good guess.”
Butch’s easy gaze upon Dave turned into a cold stare as his smile morphed into a frown. Rising to his feet, he walked over to Dave as he pulled a wallet from his back pocket.
“Do you recognize this?” he demanded as he slapped Dave’s face with the wallet several times. “Answer me. What is this?”
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