Chapter 19 - Kidnapping

Sunday, November 2nd.

8 a.m.

I woke up to my phone buzzing and sliding across the wooden nightstand, delivering a wake up call I couldn’t ignore.

“Hello, Brother Pete.”

“Good morning, Master.”

“Wait for my text message and follow my instructions.”

“Faith in the Master!”

“Faith in the Master!” I yawned out.

“Faith in the Master!” We said, together.

I was taught our verbal ritual by the Master during my years of being a Believer.

Lily was sleeping when I leaned over to kiss her and wake her up. She moaned and kissed me as well. “Good morning, love! What time is it?”

“Eight o’clock,” I yawned. While I told my love that the Master just called, I received a text message. I read the text and told Lilybean to get dressed. “We have our orders, Lilybean. Let’s get this show on the road and bring it back here.”

“Really? It’s time? We get to—” Lily asked.

I nodded at her. “That’s right, baby!”

“Whew!! Yeah baby!” She shouted out happily as she hugged and kissed me.

We fell over into the middle of the bed in a playful embrace.

“Easy now, Lilybean. Let’s get ready. We gotta be quick here.”

“Yes, of course.” Lily hopped out of bed with a vigor she hadn’t had in years. She had a renewed sense of purpose and something to look forward to, even if it was a game to us. Lily put on a long-sleeved green sweater and black jeans.

I threw on my jeans and buttoned up my red western shirt.

Lily put my sunglasses on me. “You ready, love?”

“Let’s roll, darlin’.” I shut the door as Lily walked to the passenger side and got in the car.

“Where are we going, my love?”

“You’ll see in a few minutes,” I said, starting the car.

We drove to our destination and waited until it was time for work. “Just a waiting game now, Lilybean.” I took my seat belt off when I had a clear view of the parking lot. For the next few minutes, I talked with Lilybean about exactly how things would go when the moment came for us to spring into action.

8:45 a.m.

I took the full luggage cart down to the lobby before we checked out. I had the honor of being the luggage man on our trip.

Kate stayed behind to gather up our chargers and put Jester’s things in a plastic bag. She gathered up her dirties and put them in the small laundry bag and waited for me to return.

I got off the elevator and walked past the front desk, pulling the luggage cart with my right hand. “Good morning, Anne,” I said, looking at her name tag.

“Good morning, sir,” said Anne.

I pulled the cart out to the tailgate of my truck, which was parked a few spaces from the front door. The sun shined down through the trees, leaving a calm and peaceful vibe with me. I quickly pulled the tailgate down and moved around a few things that had shifted the day before. I turned around to face the luggage cart. I grabbed one suitcase after another and put it in certain places so they wouldn’t slosh around while going down the Interstate. I was the only guest in the parking lot, loading up to leave when I was suddenly approached by Al Dockson, who was as stealthy and quiet as a ghost. I admit he was good enough to get the drop of me but that was the only time he ever did so.

“Hey there, cowboy!” Dockson announced sharply.

Before I could turn around to see Mr. Dockson, I felt the metal barrel of a small, Ruger LCP Max handgun, near my right hip, towards my right kidney. I felt Dockson standing behind me. I tried to slowly reach for my sidearm.

“Don’t move now, Mr. Riley. I don’t want to hurt you but my Lilybean will.”

I slowly raised my hands in the air and froze them.

Dockson then moved my hands above my head.

I felt the sweat on his hands which told me he was an amateur at best in his gruesome hobbies. “What do you want Mr. Dockson?” I asked condescendingly. “You and your ragamuffin? Where the fuck is she? Is she too afraid to show herself? HUH!!” I shouted.

Dockson punched me on my left side. Not hard, just enough where I felt a little sting. “You hit like a bitch—which is what you are, Al. She’s got you out here doing her dirty work.”

“Now why did you make me do that, Mr. Riley? I wanted this to be a peaceful and calm kidnappin’ but you had to run your wicked mouth. You brought this on yourself, Mr. Sam,” Dockson said with a stern tone. I couldn’t help but laugh at his accent, trying to talk tough. He almost sounded like Kermit the Frog but as a gangster.

“Fuck the both of you!” I replied.

Dockson reached for my Glock 19 sidearm and told me to turn around. I slowly turned and stood in the middle of the tailgate, facing the back window. Dockson then grabbed my handcuffs and sat them on the tailgate and pointed to the back of the truck bed.

“Now, Mr. Riley, slowly put your wallet, truck keys and room keys in the

back of your truck there. Throw them all the way up in there where you can’t reach them. GO ON!! DO AS I SAY NOW!!!”

Shit! What choice did I have? Dockson would pull the trigger the second I made the slightest flinch or sudden wrong turn—putting me at the front of the line for a kidney transplant.

“Leave your cell phone right where it is, Mr. Riley. Don’t touch it. We’ll be taking that with us in a few seconds.” With all my belongings in a pile a foot from the back window, Dockson slid my gun towards the front of the truck bed. He grabbed the handcuffs, my cell phone and put them in his left pocket. “We’ll need these while you’re in our care.” Dockson shut the tailgate as I stood still with his gun pointed at my heart.

I knew that going along with Dockson’s demands was his best course of action to avoid escalating the situation. De-escalation was one of the things taught at the academy but I didn’t get any real sense of danger from them. I don’t know if I got my powers back or the fact Dockson was making this shit up as he went along, hoping I didn’t put a bullet in his ass cheeks.

Dockson waved Rhone over to where we were. “Come over here, Lilybean.”

“Great! Now she moves her ass and makes herself useful,” I remarked.

Dockson gave me a swift kick in the ass.

“Kicking me won’t solve your problems, dickhead!” I laughed.

“We’ll just see about that.”

“She’s your getaway driver. You two are a bunch of pros, aren’t you?”

Dockson spun me around to face him and shovel his face one inch from my beard. He shoved the gun barrel against the underside of my chin. He whispered softly, “You’re begging me to show you my bad side, Mr. Riley. Don’t do that! You won’t like what you find.”

I smirked and grunted as I breathed in. I had to catch myself from busting out in laughter again.

Rhone pulled up in their Focus and stopped, with squeaking brakes, right behind my truck. She put the car in park and got out of the car, the engine running. She opened the back passenger door and ran over to the truck. She slapped me in the face to say hello but my beard softened the blow. “Morning, asshole. Remember me, Detective Riley? This is how we play the game now.”

“You’re going to jail, Betsy. Mark my words. That is if I don’t kill you first.”

“You’ll have to catch me first.”

I had a confused look on my face.

Dockson laughed as Rhone spoke. “Yeah buddy! Game time! The note, Lilybean. The note!”

Rhone smiled at me as she walked past me. She walked up to the front of the truck to put a note on the windshield for Kate.

“Who the fuck are you leaving the note for? The cops? I’m alone on this trip.”

“Your ragamuffin, Mr. Riley. Your partner’s got you out here doing her dirty work.”

Rhone walked back and laughed at my question. “You didn’t think we’d buy that bullshit about you faking your partner’s death, do you?” She asked.

I stood with a solemn look on my face. “Yeah, I did because you two are fucking morons.”

Dockson handed Rhone the handcuffs. “Here Lilybean, do the honors.”

“About time! I’ve been wanting to do this for such a long time. She grabbed my left arm, then my right arm and handcuffed me. “Finally tamed that sucker!” Rhone smiled.

Dockson grabbed my left arm and moved me over to the open car door. He blindfolded me before throwing me in the back of the car.

I landed with a loud thud followed by a “THACK!” sound as I hit my head on the leather handle on the back drivers’ side door. I shook my head and tried to keep my cool as best I could, despite the stinging pain.

Rhone ran to get in the driver’s seat. “Hurry, Al. Let’s get out of here.”

I felt the door next to my feet, from how I landed when Dockson shoved me inside. I quickly kicked the door open as Dockson tried to close it. A loud bang sent Dockson flying back about five feet.

“FUCK!!” Dockson hit the concrete hard enough, on his back, that he took his time getting up. “FUCK! YOU SON OF A BITCH. YOU DONE DID IT NOW!” Dockson got to his feet and stumbled back to the car. He somehow managed to close the door. Blood from Docksons’ broken nose oozed down the back passenger window. Dockson held up his nose and crawled into the car.

“Are you okay Al?” Rhone said.

“I’ll be okay, Lilybean! That fucking cop got me good. Drive, darlin,’ drive!!”

Rhone sped off out of the parking lot, leaving the luggage cart behind my truck.

“You broke my nose, asshole! You’ll pay for that, Mr. Riley!” Dockson gave me an evil look.

“Fuck you!” I said calmly.

Dockson’s blood blended in with his red shirt. His face, not so much! He found a few napkins in the glove box and wiped off the blood as best he could. He wiped his bloody hands on his jeans. Dockson didn’t say another word to me until we arrived at where we were going.

I suspected he had a special payback waiting for me.

****

9:20 a.m.

I sat on the couch, scrolling vaguely through the news headlines. I admit I lost track of time when I looked at the door, expecting Sam to come in, and heard the door open across the hallway. Geez, Sam, did you get lost that easily? I said to myself as I hopped up and grabbed my room key. Where is my husband? I got off the elevator and saw the luggage cart by the front desk. I stopped by the check-in desk and waited my turn with the lady behind the desk. I overheard a male guest tell Anne that he found it by the truck parked out front. I looked around the lobby but didn’t see Sam anywhere.

“Where is the man that had this luggage cart?” I asked Anne.

“I don’t know, Ma’am. That’s what we were discussing. I haven’t seen him since he went outside thirty minutes ago,” Anne said, pointing to the door.

SAM!!! I screamed in my head. With my heart pounding and my adrenaline kicking in, I looked out the front doors and immediately power-walked over to the truck.

“What the fuck is this?” I grabbed the note off the windshield and read it. Hey Dead Cop! Welcome back to the living. Don’t worry Kate, Sam will be okay with us for a few hours. We’ll let him go unharmed when the Master is ready. That’s the way the game is played. No other cops or else Sam dies! Just be patient!! Check the tailgate for a surprise!

I ignored the one tear that fell from my eye for my partner. I didn’t have time to mourn. I had to get my partner back alive. I knew I was on my own, which was the least of my worries. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I was equipped to handle such situations. Sam would do the same for me if things were reversed. Be strong, Kate. Be strong. Do your job! You got this! I said to myself. Check the tailgate, Kate. I breathed again. “Check the tailgate!” The ten or so steps to the back of the truck were the longest steps I’ve ever taken. All I could think of was this moment was my horror movie moment. I didn’t know what the hell to expect to find when I opened the tailgate. Open the tailgate. The tailgate dropped with a loud bang. I stood at the rear of the truck and looked inside. I saw Sam’s wallet, side arm, and truck keys and room key.

I sighed in relief. I expected to see Sam tied up in the back of the truck or someone’s body parts. I crawled inside to retrieve Sam’s things and made sure our luggage was secure, before closing the tailgate. Sam and I discussed protocol if/when we ever were separated for any reason. I went back to the front desk and immediately booked another night at the hotel.

“Hi, how may I help you?” Anne asked.

“Anne, is it?”

Anne nodded. “Yes!”

“Great, Anne, listen. I’m Detective Kate Barker with the Bloomfield, Illinois Police Department,” I said, flushed with the motions of keeping things together, very well considering Sam had been kidnapped. I hoped Anne didn’t hear my voice cracking. At that point, I fought two wars it seems. One being the extreme failure and disappointment I felt in myself as Sam’s partner. I blamed myself so much. I should have had my ass with him when he checked out. The other being my partner was being held at gunpoint and his life in their hands. Press on, Kate. Don’t you fall apart on Sam now. He’s counting on you!

“I’d like to get my room for another night. It’s in my husbands’ name.” I handed Sam’s debit card over to Anne.

“Absolutely? What room are you staying in?”

“Uh…213, please!”

“Just one moment—”You’re all set. Anything else I can help you with?” Anne gave me the same room and Sam’s card back.

“Thank you so much. Yes, I need to see your security footage for the past forty-five minutes. Particularly the outside parking lot.”

“What happened? Is everything okay?”

I looked at Anne with desperation. I leaned forward to get her attention and spoke with clarity and sincerity. In my mind, the rage was building. “Anne, a pair of serial killers kidnapped my husband this morning.” I pointed in the truck’s direction. “Right out there! The guy that took the luggage rack but never came back.” I nodded my head. “Him! The same two criminals we’ve been looking for across America took him.” I declared, as I pointed towards the truck.

Anne cupped her hands and covered her mouth in shock. “Oh my God!! We have to call the police,” Anne stated, reaching for the phone.

“No, no, no. They’ll—you know!” I said, as I flung my hand over the phone. “Just like in the movies. I’m serious, Anne.”

Anne slowly took her hand off the phone. “Okay, no cops!”

“Yeah, Anne. This is now a kidnapping situation and we’re in it.”

“Oh my God! I did not sign up for this.”

“No one did.”

Anne asked how she could help me.

“I need to see that footage immediately,” I demanded.

“Sure. Just one moment,” she whispered. Anne went to tell her supervisor, Leo Wilson, of my request.

Mr. Wilson came to the front desk and invited me into his office to review the footage from his computer. Wilson told Anne to watch the front desk and pretend nothing happened for the time being.

I sat and watched the footage of Sam’s kidnapping.

“Leo, I greatly appreciate your help this morning. You have no idea.”

“You’re most welcome, Detective Barker. Anything to help our guests. I must say, this is a first for me and although corporate policy requires me to report such an incident, I will defer for now and follow your lead only because your husband’s life is in further danger if we get the cops involved.”

“Yeah, thanks, Mr. Wilson. It’s a first for me as well.”

“I hope it’s the first and last time.”

Wilson and I kept our eyes on the screen. He stopped the footage a little ways before we saw Rhone and Dockson kidnap Sam.

“Those motherfuckers,” I said quietly. Yeah, bitch. Game on! You want to kidnap my husband. You got another thing coming. You fucked with the wrong wife. I’m coming after you with all I got.

I turned to Wilson. “I’m going to need a copy of this footage as soon as possible.”

“Absolutely. It’ll take a while but I can bring it to your room later this morning.”

“That would be great. Room 213. Thank you so much!” I said with despair. I reminded Wilson not to get the local police involved for obvious reasons. “You can write your report to whoever you have to but make sure they know we didn’t report it to the APD for obvious reasons. BUT NO COPS!!!” I said sternly.

Wilson looked at me and nodded. “I understand, Detective Barker. If you need anything, we’ll be here most of the day.”

“Thank you!” I walked past Anne but stopped on the other side of the counter. “Has the guest in 405 checked out yet?”

“No ma’am. Not yet.”

I shook my head. “Good.” I tapped my hand on the counter twice before giving an angry look at Anne. “Good. He can follow orders. Don’t let him leave, Anne! He’s in big, big trouble.”

“Yes ma’am!” Anne said. “What if he—” Anne asked.

I thought of the first thing I could think of to get her help. “Anne, I am deputizing you in service into the kidnapping investigation of my husband, Detective Sam Riley. How’s that?”

“Girl, I know you love your husband if you’re out here deputizing folks,” Anne said with a hearty laugh.

I nodded, “Well, this is the wild west.”

“I’ll be your wing woman, Detective. Not much I can do behind a desk but I’ll try.” Anne laughed again.

“Don’t be nervous. Assert your authority, girl.”

Anne shook her head and smiled.

I nodded and made a quick dash for the elevator. Thank God I had someone on my side. Anne seemed like a reliable ally.