Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Hurricane Rescue
That afternoon, at a motel on Mulberry Street, Brian held the phone with a tone of concern: "Kim, we agreed you'd call me once you arrived."
"Um... Dad, I just forgot, um..."
"Have you all arrived safely?"
"Yes, we're staying at Cynthia's place now."
"How was the journey?"
"Great, it was a nice trip, just that the taxis here are too expensive..."
"That's France for you. Okay, Kim, are Cynthia's parents there? Can I talk to them?"
"Uh..."
"Seems like there's something you're not telling me. Can you share now?"
"Dad, um... I'm sorry, Cynthia's parents went to Spain. I swear, Amanda and I didn't know about this until we arrived. Cynthia wanted to surprise us," Kim stammered.
"You mean the three of you, just barely adults, are alone in Paris? Kim, this is not what we agreed upon. Kim? Kim?"
The line went silent. Brian, puzzled by the sudden silence while the signal was strong, heard Kim's voice spike with tension: "Wait... Dad, someone's broken in. Who are these people? Oh my God, they've taken Amanda."
Kim let out a suppressed cry of alarm.
"What? Kim, what are you saying? Who came in?" Brian urgently asked.
"Oh, Dad, it's terrifying... Ah... they... they've also taken Cynthia... Ah... they're hitting Cynthia, oh my God... they've taken her away..."
Kim's voice broke into a sob, painting a picture of utter despair for Brian. His daughter was in danger, and he felt powerless but knew he had to act.
"Listen, Kim, try to stay calm. Remember what I taught you... deep breaths... good... now, I'm going to ask you a few questions."
While comforting his daughter, Brian quickly set up a recording device connected to his phone and switched to speakerphone.
"Okay, Dad, I... I'm ready," Kim managed, though still sobbing.
Brian asked swiftly, "Did you meet anyone on the plane?"
"No."
"What about the airport?"
"No, wait, yes, Pete~~ Pete."
"Pete? Who's Pete?"
"I don't know." Kim's voice wavered again.
"An American?"
"No."
"Does he know where you're staying?"
"Yes... yes, he took the taxi with us. Oh, Dad, they're coming for me. What do I do? I'm scared, Dad, save me, I'm afraid..." Kim's voice rose in panic.
"Don't be scared, focus. Tell me, how many of them are there?"
"Um, um~~, four... four or five, I can't remember."
"Where are you now?"
"In the bathroom."
"Find the nearest bedroom, hide under the bed, and let me know once you're hidden."
"Okay, Dad."
Kim hurried to the adjacent bedroom and crawled under the bed, trusting her father, a secret agent, though she didn't know his exact role, to guide her correctly.
"I'm hidden, Dad," Kim's voice came through the phone.
"Good, Kim, my darling, don't be afraid. Remember what I said... soon... you... will be captured."
Kim's last sliver of hope seemed to vanish with her father's words, nearly breaking her.
"Child, focus on my voice. You have 5 seconds, maybe 10, to do as I say. Put the phone down on the floor and describe everything you see. Their skin color, ethnicity, height, scars, everything. Loudly. Got it?"
"Okay."
Kim's muffled response came through, along with approaching footsteps, clear evidence she placed the phone as instructed.
Brian then heard several voices, not in English or French, and he couldn't understand the language. The intruders searched the room and seemed to leave momentarily.
"Dad... they seem to have left, I—ah~~~"
Kim's hysterical scream pierced through, and Brian could only imagine her terror upon being discovered. She cried out, "Goatee... six feet tall. Right hand has a tattoo of the moon and stars... male..."
Kim shouted every detail she could see amidst chaos until her voice abruptly stopped, followed by sounds of her being dragged away.
Brian listened silently, knowing the phone was picked up by someone else. His gaze sharpened, aware that his daughter's assailants were on the line.
"I don't know who you are...
I don't know what you want...
If it's ransom you're after...
I can tell you I don't have it.
But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a long career...
Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you...
If you let my daughter go now...
That'll be the end of it...
I will not look for you, I will not pursue you... but if you don't...
I will look for you...
I will find you...
And I will kill you."
Brian's words were calm, perhaps too calm for a father whose daughter was in danger, but his confidence and determination were clear. Unfortunately, the person on the other end didn't take him seriously.
"Good luck."
A mocking reply ended the call, and Brian set the phone down, his outward calm belying the storm within.
At the corner of Luke Street, Owen was just leaving a convenience store with a steaming cup of coffee when his phone rang.
Fumbling to place the coffee on the dashboard, Owen checked the caller ID, puzzled: "Mr. Mills, it's unexpected to hear from you. What's the matter?"
It was Brian calling, his voice tense and urgent: "Mr. Owen, I need to ask if your family, or you, have any enemies?"
Owen paused, sensing something was terribly wrong.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just answer me, please."
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