Chapter 17
Brad sat hunched over on the couch, his hands gripping his hair is despair, it pained him to know that all this time she was the one who was in trouble and not him, that he was accusing her when he really should have given her a chance to explain. What was worst was that it was now he remembered that time she was almost going to tell him but she’d changed her mind, she’d seemed so scared.
Anna returned from the kitchen with two cups and placed one on the coffee table, then she sat down next to him and touched his shoulder reassuringly.
“Drink something, it’ll calm your nerves,” she said.
Brad shook his head, then obediently picked up the cup and took a sip, more to please her than anything. He replaced the cup on the coaster and went back to his moping posture, gripping his thick dark curls and staring at a spot on the table.
Derek came into the house, balancing his laptop and a bag of groceries. Anna got up and went to assist him.
“Did you get through to the police?” she asked when she met him at the entrance away from Brad’s hearing range.
Derek handed her the computer and went into the kitchen, Anna followed. After he’d released himself of his burdens he turned toward her.
“He said he didn’t want the police…”
“What? But….” Anna interrupted.
He lifted his hand to stop her, “just hear me out, we should at least know what we’re dealing with and get our heads together before we do anything rash. We know there’s been some kind of plotting going on in the background. Brad might’ve been a little over the top but he’s not crazy and I don’t believe he was wrong when he thought Mara was harboring that man here. It could all be a set up.”
“Or not. Either way, for Brad’s sake we need to get Mara back, let her tell us the story then.”
“What makes you think she will?” Derek asked, growing annoyed at Anna’s persistence.
Anna shrugged, “let’s just say, I got a vibes from Mara. That night when she came here and found us, I didn’t get the impression that she hated Brad. She was just hurt, she acted like a typical wife would who knew her marriage was falling apart and she was helpless to save it. She loves him Derek, and I’ve been praying about this for a long time, and I just know that she needs him now and he needs us.”
Derek looked at her thoughtfully, “you’re sure about this?”
She shrugged, “There’s only one way to find out.”
They joined Brad in the living room with Derek’s computer. Derek sat down on the chair opposite Brad’s and opened the laptop.
“Alright, I’ve got some juice in this for at least two hours, let’s see what’s on this CD.”
Brad nodded, “I’m guessing it’s the real ransom note,” he picked up the slip of paper that had come in the envelope and waved it at them, “this isn’t much of a ransom note, if this was all there was I would really worry.”
“Well let’s see,” said Derek as he slipped the CD into the drive.
As they were waiting Anna picked up Derek’s cell phone, “hey can I have that phone call now, I promised Casey I would call her today.”
“Yeah sure,” replied Derek as he switched seats to sit next to Brad with the computer.
Anna went over to the window next to the fireplace and dialed the number, as it rung out she she heard a scrunching sound under her shoe. She looked down to find that she had stepped onto bits of broken ceramic. One of the ornaments must’ve fallen last night, she thought as she stooped to pick up what looked like a broken swan, but that wasn’t all that was there. Turning to look at the guys she called out.
“I think you guys might want to take a look at this.”
Derek looked up at her, “what’s that?”
She lifted the broken ornament toward him, so that he could see the wires peaking out from beneath it, “I don’t think these come with internal organs.”
Derek’s eyes grew wide and he jumped to his feet, lifting a finger to his lips, he made his way toward Anna. Brad looked up. He still hadn’t realized what was happening.
“What are you doing?” Brad asked, a tad impatient.
Derek took the ceramic swan from Anna and turned it over in his hand. He carefully pried the object from inside the ornament and lifted it up to the rest of them, his expression somber.
“Looks like we’ve got our first clue,” he said.
Brad got up and went to him, the three of them watched the array of wires and a tiny speaker sitting in the palm of Derek’s hand.
“Is that a…” Anna started but Derek cut her off with a finger against his lips again.
He took his finger and yanked out one of the wires, “it’s some kind of transmitter,” he whispered.
Brad took a step backward; “I’ve been bugged?” his eyes were wide with disbelief.
“shhh,” replied Derek, “don’t know how many more there are,” he was still almost inaudible.
Brad turned away, “that’s why she’d been acting so weird lately, it was like she wanted to tell me but she just couldn’t, all this time she’d been hinting me,” he too was whispering now.
He turned to look at Derek and Anna, an odd smile on his face, “that morning she cooked me breakfast, I should’ve known, Mara never cooks, the paper; she put it there, she might’ve even told me when she was going to see him.”
He shook his head and sat down, “you were right Anna, I just never pay attention to the important things and that’s why I’m here now, I’m so stupid.”
Derek pursed his lips and looked over at Anna, “we still have to get her back,” he said loudly, but lowered his voice to say “there could be more of these. Let’s go back to my place; it’s safer there I don’t even think Mara knows where I live.”
Brad looked up at him and nodded, “I haven’t eaten all morning,” he said loudly, “there’s a little diner not far from here. We’ll go there to have some breakfast.”
The three of them looked silently at the screen, their eyes wide with unbelief. It was one thing to know something had happened or was happening but nothing prepared them for what they saw. Brad watched in horror; growing paler with each second that elapsed, and Anna sat next to an angry faced Derek, gripping his arm as she looked upon the screen, pained and shocked.
The video showed Mara in the most deplorable condition, at first it was just a stream of photos of Mara in several positions, none of which she appeared conscious, she was badly beaten, still wearing the outfit they’d last seen her in, now wrinkled, soiled and torn. Then the kidnapper made his appearance, a wool mask over his face, his steel blue eyes bright with mischief and humor, peering through two jagged holes in the mask.
“Hello Mr. Mason,” he greeted, in a hauntingly distorted voice.
“By now I’ve got your full attention, by now you know that this is not a prank,” there was a dramatic pause, where the kidnapper just stared at them, then he spoke again, “I’ve got your wife, yes you know the one that’s been missing for over four days now…”
Derek and Anna turned to looked at Brad, who shrunk from their accusing gazes. So he should have been more assertive, but how could he have imagined she was kidnapped!
“… that’s the slim, pompous blond chick with the attitude? Well I’ve got her and I’m willing to give her back to you… of course in consideration of a 10 million dollar agreement and if you throw in five I can make sure she’s back in the same shape she left, or as close as possible,” he snorted maliciously, “any way, be at the docks at six pm tomorrow and we’ll close the deal, if you’re late… or absent I’ll consider it a sign of your declination and your wife will be shark food.”
His image faded and a cloudy video came on. Brad sat forward in his seat and stared with bright eyes at Mara, she was shaking with anger, her eyes wide and her teeth bared threateningly.
“You bastard, you won’t get away with this!” she cried.
And the video faded back to the evil vill
ain, “and one more thing Bradley, no cops or I’ll take out you and all your little friends!”
The screen went blank, the trio stared.
“Ten million dollars!” Derek exclaimed, “where the hell are you going to get that?”
Brad looked dazed, “fifteen actually. I need a drink,” he muttered, looking up just in time to see Anna’s disapproval, “of water,” he quickly added.
“Brad we all know that guy will not play fair, we have to come up with a plan, or he’s gonna take your money and kill both you and Mara on that dock. This is serious, we mess this up and your wife is dead, we’re all dead.”
“No,” said Anna matter-of-factly, “the only person with the right to give life is the one that can take it, he’s the same one that preserves it. This guy has no idea who he’s messing with.”
Both Derek and Brad stared at her in shock, the determination and anger on her face made her look like a modern day Zena. They were sure that in this state she might actually have the guts to take on a ten man gang with her fists alone and maybe a boomerang.
“What do you suggest we do?” Derek asked.
“First we pray about it, then we plan according to the guidance we receive,” she said with certainty.
Brad rolled his eyes and got up from the chair, “are you serious, not this again. My wife is kidnapped, she alone and hurt in God knows where and you want to pray! Get over this crap!”
Surprisingly Anna was smirking at him.
“What’s so darn funny?” he asked in annoyance.
“You said, ‘God knows where’, y’all that are so quick to down play the power of God are always the ones with the appropriate ways to turn it into a curse. Why don’t you use that same passion and turn it into a blessing on your life and on your wife’s life. God knows Brad, God knows; now let’s act like we actually believe that. Whether we like it or not it makes a lot more sense than blind fury, the result of which is a pointless life and sudden avoidable death.”
Brad swallowed hard, his angry expression now soured into resignation, “fine,” he muttered and dropped back onto the chair heavily.
Derek looked over at Anna and smiled proudly, “let’s do it then, battle plan ‘God knows’ phase one, in progress.”
Brad sulked while Derek went to get a bible but he perked up when Anna started to read from the book of psalms chapter twenty seven, it was weird how certain things from his past just kept popping up these past weeks.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord…”
Anna’s voice faded into a low drone and Brad found himself immersed in a scene from the past, and to his surprise and to the others in the room, it was his voice that continued the psalm, they both looked up at him in surprise and pleasant confusion.
“…Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
Silence masked the room with the last of the passage, there was a sense of thoughtfulness and a lost look on all their faces except for Brad, now he looked guilty and remorseful, his lips tight and drawn bitterly.
“Whenever my father would find me and mock me and degrade me in the street about my mother not wanting me, me not being his, I would come home in a rage, feeling unwanted and abandoned. My Grandmother used to read that for me every night, it used to calm me down,” he said with a faraway smile and a dreamy tone in voice, “I guess there are some things that you never really forget.”
He lifted clear eyes toward Anna, “That was a good choice,” he said reaching out to take their hands.
“Let’s do this thing,” he said.
Anna looked over at him and smiled, “sure, Derek you want to start?”
“Yeah why not,” he said with a wide grin.