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Chapte 16
The kidnapper looked out of the window, staring off into the dark filled night. The anticipation was killing him. It was now, only a matter of time before the prized pretender would make his appearance. All of his dreams and hard work were finally about to be realized. He couldn’t fight the excitement that was building within him. He could only imagine the look on Jarod’s face once he realized who he was. “Jarod, if you only knew how close I was,” he said as he chuckled to himself.
His silent reverie was broken, when he heard the SUV doors being slammed. He watched intently as his men opened up the back, dragging Miss Parker out. He couldn’t help but be amused with Miss Parker as she fought her captors. He almost felt bad for Kevin and the other two men. Almost. Once his men and Miss Parker were in the barn, he sat back, enjoying the calm before the storm.
He looked up into the sky and could already see the clouds rolling back in again, soon to bring with them another soaking rain. Smiling up at the ominous sky, he reluctantly turned his attention back towards the barn.
The barn was the perfect setting for his plans. On the outside it looked like any other regular barn. One that you wouldn’t even think twice about if you passed by it, however, inside was a different story. Underneath it were elaborate rooms and tunnels that were used for storage. The green, dilapidated building used to be an old warehouse that stored files for the Centre. Eventually the building became useless, once the technological era boomed. No one knew the property still belonged to the Centre. Hell, even he didn’t find out about until a few months ago, but once he did, he spent all his free time making sure the building would be adequate for his plan.
The plan. He couldn’t help but grin at how truly brilliant it was. Why he never thought of it before still amazed him. It figures the simplest solution to all of his problems has been right there in front of him the whole time.
The plan was simple enough. Having Broots murder Miss Parker was something no one could fathom. Weak, pathetic Broots would fly right under everyone’s radar. It was too damn perfect. Even if Miss Parker were prepared to defend herself against the killer, she would’ve never expected Broots. Of course, he knew Broots needed motivation to go through with the order, and that’s where Debbie came in.
The teenage girl was too easy. He could still remember watching her, as she was at the library studying with her friends. When she decided to take a little break, she went outside to sit on one of the vacant benches. Seeing his chance at the opportunity, he pretended to be a distraught father looking for his lost child. He went up to her, asking if she would help him. Without a second thought, the girl instantly got up and followed him out into the dark parking lot.
When they got by his van, two of his men instantly came out, pushing the frightened girl inside. Satisfied that everything was okay, he straightened his jacket and went back inside the building. He walked over to the table where her friends were still studying. Giving them a piece of paper, he told them that their friend asked him to give them this. They read the letter, saying that the girl had to leave due to a family emergency. He waited a few seconds to make sure they didn’t become suspicious. Once they told him thank you, he smiled back and said no problem before he went out the doors.
Once they had Debbie, the plan was put into motion. He sent Willie over with the cell phone, using him as a decoy. Willie didn’t question the kidnapper’s motives, just did as he was told. That was one good thing about the sweeper; he was loyal to the Centre. He never questioned the orders given to him. He just did them. Once Broots found out about his missing daughter, he would instantly suspect Raines, since Willie worked for him. And this was what the kidnapper wanted, to divert attention from himself onto Raines.
Raines. The man was the devil incarnate himself. The kidnapper had to give credit where credit was due. If it weren’t for Raines, none of this would be happening right now.
One late night, about a couple months ago, he decided to hack into Raines’ email account, snooping around for anything that kept him out of the loop. Sure enough, he found an “eyes only” memo addressed to Raines from the Triumverate. Raines had the audacity to ask for the permanent removal of the kidnapper and Miss Parker. The letter said they would consider Raines’ request about having the kidnapper permantely removed from the Centre. However, nothing was supposed to happen to Miss Parker under any circumstances.
Deciding he needed to take matters into his own hands, he decided it was time to send Raines back to Hell where he belonged. The kidnapper knew if the Triumverate ever found out that he was the one who killed Miss Parker, he would never live to see another day. Deciding he needed someone else to do his dirty work, he decided to have Broots do it. That way, if the Triumverate did find the killer, it would all lead back to Broots and Mr. Raines. And Debbie, well, she would just be another innocent life lost to the Centre. But, if for some reason the Centre ever found out that the kidnapper was behind the whole thing, then that’s where Jarod would come in.
If he were the one who caught the pretender, they would welcome him back with open arms. No questions asked. Then, once he was in power, he would finally get rid of the Triumverate, and then he would have complete control. No one watching his every move, he would finally be his own man.
The kidnapper was broken from his pleasant thoughts when someone sat down beside him. Turing towards the person, he saw that it was Kevin. “You’re late,” he stated.
“I know, I’m sorry. Man, that Parker woman sure is a fighter. When we took the tape off her mouth, she lunged after Jackson, biting his hand. You wouldn’t believe all the blood that came running out,” replied Kevin.
“The one thing I’ve learned from Miss Parker is to never underestimate her. Hopefully, you’ve learned your lesson,” he paused. “Do you know that you were followed?”
Kevin looked back at him with disbelief in his eyes. “I...I...no I didn’t,” he said, stumbling over his words. Kevin scanned the area around him. “Where are they?”
“Lucky for you, they’re not here yet.” The kidnapper looked down at his watch. “I say we have about twenty minutes before they get here.”
Trying to change the subject, Kevin asked, “So, what did you think of our performance at Raines’ house?”
The kidnapper smiled to himself as he replayed the scene in his head. “It was very good. What I would like to know is what happened to Neil?”
Kevin turned away from the kidnapper, looking straight ahead. “Unfortunately, Neil became a casualty of war,” he stated evenly.
The kidnapper gave him an amused look. “A casualty? Are you sure you want that to be your final answer?”
“Sir, I was only thinking of what you would do in that situation. We almost made it to the woods, but then the dark headed stranger shot him in the leg. I knew if we dragged him back he would be putting all of us in danger. I couldn’t risk it, so I shot him,” answered Kevin, trying to plead his case.
The kidnapper didn’t say anything. He wanted to see Kevin sweat this out a bit. “Kevin, you did the right thing. There comes a time when you have to cut your losses. You did good, but from now on, always make sure to watch your back when you leave a scene.”
Kevin nodded his head. Turning back to the kidnapper he asked, “If Mr. Broots and the stranger didn’t follow us, then who did?” Since being in the car, he just now noticed how his boss was cradling his arm to himself.
“Lucky for you, it was me.”
“Do you think we threw Broots and Miss Parker off your trail?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
Kevin grinned at the answer. “How much damage did we cause with the bullet?” He asked, nodding his head towards his boss’ arm.
“Not much. All it did was graze it. Next time I see Jackson, I’m going to make sure he gets a little something extra for his work. He’s truly a gifted marksmen.” Looking out through the windshield he commented, “Well, you better get out of here. The last thing I need is for Jarod and Broots to come driving up, finding me in the car with you.”
“Yes sir.” Kevin quickly opened the car door. Before running back towards the barn, he bent down and asked, “What should we do about your sister and Debbie, Mr. Lyle? Should we keep them in the same room?”
“No, keep them as far away as possible,” Lyle replied back. Once Kevin was gone, Lyle sat back in his seat and closed his eyes, letting his thoughts fall back a couple of hours ago.
When Lyle and his men got back from the lake, they had a lot of work to do. Before they left to meet with Kevin, Lyle sent the video of him dressed as Raines to Broots’ email account. When they were driving back to the barn, Lyle received a call from one of his technicians. The technician told him that when Lyle made the video, he forgot to take off his leather glove. Becoming furious with himself, Lyle smashed his cell phone on the dashboard, shattering it into little pieces. He needed a plan, and quick.
Lyle needed the Blue Cove police to help him. At first, the police chief was adamantly against it; unfortunately he didn’t have a choice in the matter as Lyle reminded him with smugness. Blackmail was such a powerful tool. Lyle had to remind the chief about the racy little photos he had of the chief and a high school senior. It would be a shame if his wife and family ever found out about them.
Once he got the full cooperation of the Blue Cove police force, he then decided to go back home and get a few things. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect Broots to be there. He would’ve killed Broots if it hadn’t been for his sister. When they cornered him in his house, he knew he needed help. To get that help, he asked if he could go to the restroom to clean the cut on his head.
After Jarod frisked him and checked the bathroom, he closed the door. Jarod demanded the door stay open, so he could keep a watchful eye on him. Lyle told him bluntly that he had to take a dump, but he was more than welcomed to watch. Even now, he couldn’t help but grin at the look on Jarod’s face. It was disgust and horror all mixed together. Once he got the door closed, he opened up the toilet, pulling out one of his emergency cell phones. When one worked for the Centre, you could never be too careful.
Knowing he couldn’t talk out loud, he whispered a few words then text messaged the rest of his plans to Kevin. Lyle knew Jarod, Miss Parker, and Broots didn’t trust him as far as they could throw him. Knowing that, he knew he had to put himself in the line of fire.
When Raines whispered to him that he knew it was him that was behind this whole charade, he had to bite down on his lip to keep himself from laughing. When he pulled away from Raines, he pretended to be shocked and frightened at what he just heard. It worked like a charm.
When Miss Parker demanded the truth from Raines, he slowly reached into his pocket, clicking his pen. The pen had a remote control sensor, which alerted Kevin and his men, letting them know that now was the time to act. While everyone else’s backs was facing the windows, Lyle slowly inched himself over, as he watched the red laser dancing on the panes of glass. He could still remember closing his eyes, as he prepared himself for the bullet that was meant to graze him, which it did.
Once the shooting was done, he pretended that he was out of it. He could hear the three imbeciles chatting to themselves. He couldn’t help but laugh at the concern Jarod showed for his sister. The man was truly pathetic. Here they thought Miss Parker was the target, when in reality, it was Raines. He couldn’t let the old man start telling them everything he had in store for them.
Lyle could’ve killed Miss Parker at Raines’ house, but what would be the fun in that. He still wanted her dead, but he also wanted to have a little fun to. Lyle wanted to humiliate his sister, watch her plead for her life, or for that matter Jarod’s life. This was his Christmas morning.
Opening up his eyes, he looked at his watch again. ‘They should be here shortly,’ he thought to himself. A couple of minutes later he got his wish, when he saw a pair of headlights coming down the road. Looking in the rearview mirror, he straightened his tie and smoothed back his hair. Satisfied with his appearance, he winked to himself and said, “And so it begins.”
To Be Continued...
Chapte 16
The kidnapper looked out of the window, staring off into the dark filled night. The anticipation was killing him. It was now, only a matter of time before the prized pretender would make his appearance. All of his dreams and hard work were finally about to be realized. He couldn’t fight the excitement that was building within him. He could only imagine the look on Jarod’s face once he realized who he was. “Jarod, if you only knew how close I was,” he said as he chuckled to himself.
His silent reverie was broken, when he heard the SUV doors being slammed. He watched intently as his men opened up the back, dragging Miss Parker out. He couldn’t help but be amused with Miss Parker as she fought her captors. He almost felt bad for Kevin and the other two men. Almost. Once his men and Miss Parker were in the barn, he sat back, enjoying the calm before the storm.
He looked up into the sky and could already see the clouds rolling back in again, soon to bring with them another soaking rain. Smiling up at the ominous sky, he reluctantly turned his attention back towards the barn.
The barn was the perfect setting for his plans. On the outside it looked like any other regular barn. One that you wouldn’t even think twice about if you passed by it, however, inside was a different story. Underneath it were elaborate rooms and tunnels that were used for storage. The green, dilapidated building used to be an old warehouse that stored files for the Centre. Eventually the building became useless, once the technological era boomed. No one knew the property still belonged to the Centre. Hell, even he didn’t find out about until a few months ago, but once he did, he spent all his free time making sure the building would be adequate for his plan.
The plan. He couldn’t help but grin at how truly brilliant it was. Why he never thought of it before still amazed him. It figures the simplest solution to all of his problems has been right there in front of him the whole time.
The plan was simple enough. Having Broots murder Miss Parker was something no one could fathom. Weak, pathetic Broots would fly right under everyone’s radar. It was too damn perfect. Even if Miss Parker were prepared to defend herself against the killer, she would’ve never expected Broots. Of course, he knew Broots needed motivation to go through with the order, and that’s where Debbie came in.
The teenage girl was too easy. He could still remember watching her, as she was at the library studying with her friends. When she decided to take a little break, she went outside to sit on one of the vacant benches. Seeing his chance at the opportunity, he pretended to be a distraught father looking for his lost child. He went up to her, asking if she would help him. Without a second thought, the girl instantly got up and followed him out into the dark parking lot.
When they got by his van, two of his men instantly came out, pushing the frightened girl inside. Satisfied that everything was okay, he straightened his jacket and went back inside the building. He walked over to the table where her friends were still studying. Giving them a piece of paper, he told them that their friend asked him to give them this. They read the letter, saying that the girl had to leave due to a family emergency. He waited a few seconds to make sure they didn’t become suspicious. Once they told him thank you, he smiled back and said no problem before he went out the doors.
Once they had Debbie, the plan was put into motion. He sent Willie over with the cell phone, using him as a decoy. Willie didn’t question the kidnapper’s motives, just did as he was told. That was one good thing about the sweeper; he was loyal to the Centre. He never questioned the orders given to him. He just did them. Once Broots found out about his missing daughter, he would instantly suspect Raines, since Willie worked for him. And this was what the kidnapper wanted, to divert attention from himself onto Raines.
Raines. The man was the devil incarnate himself. The kidnapper had to give credit where credit was due. If it weren’t for Raines, none of this would be happening right now.
One late night, about a couple months ago, he decided to hack into Raines’ email account, snooping around for anything that kept him out of the loop. Sure enough, he found an “eyes only” memo addressed to Raines from the Triumverate. Raines had the audacity to ask for the permanent removal of the kidnapper and Miss Parker. The letter said they would consider Raines’ request about having the kidnapper permantely removed from the Centre. However, nothing was supposed to happen to Miss Parker under any circumstances.
Deciding he needed to take matters into his own hands, he decided it was time to send Raines back to Hell where he belonged. The kidnapper knew if the Triumverate ever found out that he was the one who killed Miss Parker, he would never live to see another day. Deciding he needed someone else to do his dirty work, he decided to have Broots do it. That way, if the Triumverate did find the killer, it would all lead back to Broots and Mr. Raines. And Debbie, well, she would just be another innocent life lost to the Centre. But, if for some reason the Centre ever found out that the kidnapper was behind the whole thing, then that’s where Jarod would come in.
If he were the one who caught the pretender, they would welcome him back with open arms. No questions asked. Then, once he was in power, he would finally get rid of the Triumverate, and then he would have complete control. No one watching his every move, he would finally be his own man.
The kidnapper was broken from his pleasant thoughts when someone sat down beside him. Turing towards the person, he saw that it was Kevin. “You’re late,” he stated.
“I know, I’m sorry. Man, that Parker woman sure is a fighter. When we took the tape off her mouth, she lunged after Jackson, biting his hand. You wouldn’t believe all the blood that came running out,” replied Kevin.
“The one thing I’ve learned from Miss Parker is to never underestimate her. Hopefully, you’ve learned your lesson,” he paused. “Do you know that you were followed?”
Kevin looked back at him with disbelief in his eyes. “I...I...no I didn’t,” he said, stumbling over his words. Kevin scanned the area around him. “Where are they?”
“Lucky for you, they’re not here yet.” The kidnapper looked down at his watch. “I say we have about twenty minutes before they get here.”
Trying to change the subject, Kevin asked, “So, what did you think of our performance at Raines’ house?”
The kidnapper smiled to himself as he replayed the scene in his head. “It was very good. What I would like to know is what happened to Neil?”
Kevin turned away from the kidnapper, looking straight ahead. “Unfortunately, Neil became a casualty of war,” he stated evenly.
The kidnapper gave him an amused look. “A casualty? Are you sure you want that to be your final answer?”
“Sir, I was only thinking of what you would do in that situation. We almost made it to the woods, but then the dark headed stranger shot him in the leg. I knew if we dragged him back he would be putting all of us in danger. I couldn’t risk it, so I shot him,” answered Kevin, trying to plead his case.
The kidnapper didn’t say anything. He wanted to see Kevin sweat this out a bit. “Kevin, you did the right thing. There comes a time when you have to cut your losses. You did good, but from now on, always make sure to watch your back when you leave a scene.”
Kevin nodded his head. Turning back to the kidnapper he asked, “If Mr. Broots and the stranger didn’t follow us, then who did?” Since being in the car, he just now noticed how his boss was cradling his arm to himself.
“Lucky for you, it was me.”
“Do you think we threw Broots and Miss Parker off your trail?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
Kevin grinned at the answer. “How much damage did we cause with the bullet?” He asked, nodding his head towards his boss’ arm.
“Not much. All it did was graze it. Next time I see Jackson, I’m going to make sure he gets a little something extra for his work. He’s truly a gifted marksmen.” Looking out through the windshield he commented, “Well, you better get out of here. The last thing I need is for Jarod and Broots to come driving up, finding me in the car with you.”
“Yes sir.” Kevin quickly opened the car door. Before running back towards the barn, he bent down and asked, “What should we do about your sister and Debbie, Mr. Lyle? Should we keep them in the same room?”
“No, keep them as far away as possible,” Lyle replied back. Once Kevin was gone, Lyle sat back in his seat and closed his eyes, letting his thoughts fall back a couple of hours ago.
When Lyle and his men got back from the lake, they had a lot of work to do. Before they left to meet with Kevin, Lyle sent the video of him dressed as Raines to Broots’ email account. When they were driving back to the barn, Lyle received a call from one of his technicians. The technician told him that when Lyle made the video, he forgot to take off his leather glove. Becoming furious with himself, Lyle smashed his cell phone on the dashboard, shattering it into little pieces. He needed a plan, and quick.
Lyle needed the Blue Cove police to help him. At first, the police chief was adamantly against it; unfortunately he didn’t have a choice in the matter as Lyle reminded him with smugness. Blackmail was such a powerful tool. Lyle had to remind the chief about the racy little photos he had of the chief and a high school senior. It would be a shame if his wife and family ever found out about them.
Once he got the full cooperation of the Blue Cove police force, he then decided to go back home and get a few things. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect Broots to be there. He would’ve killed Broots if it hadn’t been for his sister. When they cornered him in his house, he knew he needed help. To get that help, he asked if he could go to the restroom to clean the cut on his head.
After Jarod frisked him and checked the bathroom, he closed the door. Jarod demanded the door stay open, so he could keep a watchful eye on him. Lyle told him bluntly that he had to take a dump, but he was more than welcomed to watch. Even now, he couldn’t help but grin at the look on Jarod’s face. It was disgust and horror all mixed together. Once he got the door closed, he opened up the toilet, pulling out one of his emergency cell phones. When one worked for the Centre, you could never be too careful.
Knowing he couldn’t talk out loud, he whispered a few words then text messaged the rest of his plans to Kevin. Lyle knew Jarod, Miss Parker, and Broots didn’t trust him as far as they could throw him. Knowing that, he knew he had to put himself in the line of fire.
When Raines whispered to him that he knew it was him that was behind this whole charade, he had to bite down on his lip to keep himself from laughing. When he pulled away from Raines, he pretended to be shocked and frightened at what he just heard. It worked like a charm.
When Miss Parker demanded the truth from Raines, he slowly reached into his pocket, clicking his pen. The pen had a remote control sensor, which alerted Kevin and his men, letting them know that now was the time to act. While everyone else’s backs was facing the windows, Lyle slowly inched himself over, as he watched the red laser dancing on the panes of glass. He could still remember closing his eyes, as he prepared himself for the bullet that was meant to graze him, which it did.
Once the shooting was done, he pretended that he was out of it. He could hear the three imbeciles chatting to themselves. He couldn’t help but laugh at the concern Jarod showed for his sister. The man was truly pathetic. Here they thought Miss Parker was the target, when in reality, it was Raines. He couldn’t let the old man start telling them everything he had in store for them.
Lyle could’ve killed Miss Parker at Raines’ house, but what would be the fun in that. He still wanted her dead, but he also wanted to have a little fun to. Lyle wanted to humiliate his sister, watch her plead for her life, or for that matter Jarod’s life. This was his Christmas morning.
Opening up his eyes, he looked at his watch again. ‘They should be here shortly,’ he thought to himself. A couple of minutes later he got his wish, when he saw a pair of headlights coming down the road. Looking in the rearview mirror, he straightened his tie and smoothed back his hair. Satisfied with his appearance, he winked to himself and said, “And so it begins.”
To Be Continued...
