Eyewitness News Read online

  The ChucksConnection Presents

  Eyewitness News

  by Aiden Vaughan

  Cover Art and Graphics by Kurt Eberhardt

  Illustrations by Ricardo Carmona

  A Hunter & Holmes Mystery

  Hal Peterson Media Services, San Jose

  © 2010 Hal Peterson Media Services

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance between the characters in this book and actual persons or events is purely coincidence. Locations and institutions are used fictitiously.

  This story is meant for readers 13 years old and up. If it were a film, it would be rated PG-13 or a television show Mature-14, due to some descriptions of violent acts including attacks on children and teenagers by predatory criminals, kidnappings, beatings, and the impact of captivity on young victims.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  First online edition June, 2010.

  ISBN 978-0-9821014-5-2

  For more information about Hunter & Holmes Mysteries, go to our website at http://hunterandholmes.com

  Other Books in the Hunter & Holmes Series:

  1. The Kidnapping

  2. Double Fugue

  3. When The Chips Are Down

  4. Family Matters

  6. Days of Destiny

  Table of Contents

  The Morning News

  Chapter 1. Interview with Jason Hunter, Part 1 (Television Feature)

  Chapter 2. A Fabulous Audition (Monday)

  Chapter 3. A New Neighbor (Tuesday)

  Chapter 4. Eric and Ben (Wednesday)

  Chapter 5. The Bike Ride (Thursday)

  Chapter 6. Sweet Sixteen (Friday Evening)

  The Noon News

  Chapter 7. Broadcast Story About Ben Kessler (Television Feature)

  Chapter 8. Nick and Jason (Saturday)

  Chapter 9. Jonathan’s Troubles (Monday Afternoon)

  Chapter 10. The A List Guys Get Together (Tuesday)

  Chapter 11. Daniel and Jason Talk Strategy (Wednesday Evening)

  Chapter 12. A Party for Arthur Vincenzo (Sunday Afternoon)

  The Five O’clock News

  Chapter 13. Interview with Jason Hunter, Part 2 (Television Feature)

  Chapter 14. Caterina’s Concern (Monday Morning)

  Chapter 15. Scott Moves In (Tuesday)

  Chapter 16. Arthur and the Home Boys (Wednesday)

  Chapter 17. Captain Garcia Intervenes (Thursday)

  Chapter 18. Whose Territory Is This? (Friday)

  Broadcast Network News

  Chapter 19. Interview with Jason Hunter, Part 3 (Television Feature)

  Chapter 20. A Musical Setback (Monday)

  Chapter 21. The Band Rallies (Tuesday)

  Chapter 22. The Confrontation (Wednesday Evening)

  Chapter 23. An Important Basketball Game (Thursday)

  Chapter 24. The Unwanted High (Thursday)

  The Six O’clock News

  Chapter 25. Jonathan Is Missing (Thursday and Friday Morning)

  Chapter 26. Searching for a Friend. (Friday)

  Chapter 27. A Daring Rescue (Friday)

  Chapter 28. Report on the Arrest of Scott Brewster (Breaking News)

  Chapter 29. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished (Friday Evening)

  Chapter 30. Rebuilding a Life (Saturday and Beyond)

  The Eleven O’clock News

  Chapter 31. Nick’s Masterpiece (Monday, Six Weeks Later)

  Chapter 32. A Reunited Family (That Weekend)

  Chapter 33. Requiem, Part 1 (Tuesday, late October)

  Chapter 34. Requiem, Part 2 (Tuesday Evening)

  Chapter 35. Broadcast Interview after the performance (Tuesday Evening)

  Chapter 36. Epilogue: Justice is Served (Six Months Later)

  Chapter 1

  Interview with Jason Hunter, Part 1

  (Television Feature)

  Jason Hunter and Jaime Orlando were seated in chairs on a set at the KHHT studios in the Silicon Valley. Jaime was about to interview Jason who had just received an award from the town of San Matthias for his bravery and undercover work in catching two dangerous predators who had been terrorizing children in the community for several years. Technicians and camera operators were setting their shots and getting the lighting correct. When everything was set, the director cued Jaime to start.

  JO: Good evening, and welcome to In Depth, an interview show about people making the news in the Silicon Valley. My special guest this evening is Jason Hunter. Looking at Jason you see on the surface a normal, energetic and happy teenager, the kind of kid that you would like your own sons and daughters to be friends with or play on a sports team together. But Jason has made quite a stir around here lately due to his work as a detective. He started out his career by going out and solving his own kidnapping, an amazing feat in itself that made national headlines. Since then he and his detective partner, Daniel Holmes, have solved several mysteries. Last spring he and Daniel completed a daring rescue of two other teens who were being seriously abused at a boot camp near Yosemite.

  His latest accomplishment is the most stunning yet. Jason worked with the Silicon Valley Police and went undercover to rescue a young teenager who had been kidnapped by two serial predators and murderers in the San Matthias area. His bravery ended up in the capture of both criminals, the rescue of two teen victims who were about to be murdered, and putting closure to a reign of terror that involved over a dozen young victims. For his courage and service to the community, the town of San Matthias has recently presented Jason with a special commendation from the town council. Parents throughout that entire area are thankful that their children are no longer in danger from those two predators.

  Jason, it wasn’t that long ago that you were a victim yourself. That experience had to be very difficult for you to deal with. What motivates you to continually put yourself back in danger like you did in your latest undercover operation?

  JH: Like you said, it starts with the fact that I was a victim myself. There is no experience in the world that is worse than being a crime victim. Especially with a predatory crime like being kidnapped! You are grabbed away from your family and friends, and the life you have known to find yourself at the mercy of strangers who see you as a commodity to be bought and sold or as a victim used to exact revenge on your family. Worse yet are the predators who prey on kids for their perverse desires! Trust me, I hate those people with a passion and want to do everything in my power to fight back against them!

  JO: Knowing what a horrible experience it is to be a crime victim, why would you choose to revisit those kinds of situations again?

  JH: Part of the reason is I feel a debt to society as a way of thanking those people who helped me. But I also learned that you have to confront your own fears and do something about it. That was the way I was able to regain my inner strength after I was kidnapped. I was extremely fortunate that my family and friends were there for me, and helped me to recover when I was starting to drown in a sea of self-doubt. Your mind can play all kinds of tricks on you in the aftermath of a traumatic crime. Luckily I had a best friend who instinctively understood what I was going through. Daniel put our whole friendship on the line and challenged me to fight back and discover why I was kidnapped. After thinking about it and talking it over with different people, I realized that Daniel was absolutely right. I had to discover the truth about what happened to me, and I had to get back at my kidnappers for what they did to me and my family!

  JO: Doing that alone was quite an accomplishment, Jason! But what motivates you to continue being a detective and trying to solve other crimes? Wouldn’t it be easier to just let the police handle that?

  JH: Unfortunately the polic
e cannot handle this type of case alone. They need a lot of assistance from the outside when one of these crimes happens, and they need it fast. When an innocent kid is captured there isn’t much time until something horrible happens! That is why I felt I had to act in the San Matthias cases. Plus it became very personal! Those predators grabbed a friend of mine. One of them had broken into his house several times to threaten, terrorize and physically hurt him. Those predators had particularly evil plans for my friend, stuff you don’t even want to think about!

  JO: As I understand it, you actually put yourself out as bait for these predators! Wasn’t that a very risky thing to do?

  JH: Yes, it was, and foolhardy, too. But it was the only way I could think of that would get us into the kidnapper’s hideout before it was too late! Until the undercover operation, the police had no success in finding any substantial leads. I was pretty sure in my mind that their hideout had to be somewhere local, because these kids kept vanishing without a trace. The longer they would be on the road, the more likely it would be that someone would see something. I learned that from my own kidnapping case, where the kidnappers made it seem like I had been taken to some faraway place, when in reality I was held prisoner within a mile from where I had been grabbed at City Park.

  JO: What was it like being taken to the kidnappers’ hideout?

  JH: If there was such a place as hell on earth, this was it! It was an abandoned mine that had been converted into a torture chamber and burial ground for their victims. I was very fortunate to escape, and I feel for those poor kids who were not able to get free. Angelo Ciurro, the predator who picked me up and later overpowered me described what he did down there as his training program for kids! This guy was not right in the head! What he did down there was unforgivable! The most frightening image I remember from down there was not all of his torture devices but a simple cardboard box filled with the shoes of his victims. I will never forget that sight as long as I live!

  JO: That is a very troubling image you have described! Luckily, you were able to escape, Jason. How did you manage to do that?

  JH: Before I went undercover, a friend helped to sew two tiny bottles of pepper spray in the frayed lining of my pants. Finally Angelo let me down from where he had been keeping me strung up so I could use the bathroom, which was a decrepit old outhouse. For a couple of minutes I actually had the use of my hands and some privacy. I knew that this was probably my only chance to escape so I had to be prepared. Luckily Angelo demanded that I come out with my hands up and out in front of me so he could tie them up again. Instead he got a full blast of pepper spray right in the face. Once I had the upper hand, I used a metal bar to beat him down and then I tied his hands and feet with his own duct tape. That made me feel real good after all I had been put through and for all of the cruel things he did to the other kids! Next I was able to find and release my friend, and we high-tailed it out of there as fast as we could!

  JO: Was that the end of things? Were the police then able to pick you up?

  JH: No, there were still a few twists and turns to come when we ran into the other predator, Sal Butera, at Angelo’s house, but this was the beginning of the end. Once we were back on the surface, the tracking devices I had for myself and the one I brought for my friend began to broadcast our location and it was just a matter of time before everything was resolved. [Editor’s Note: A complete description of Jason’s adventure is contained in the fourth Hunter & Holmes mystery Family Matters.]

  JO: How did you discover the other boy who was rescued that day, Ben Kessler?

  JH: Finding Ben was the icing on the cake that Friday! The police had tracked down my friend to another hiding place that Sal used to abuse the victims that they kidnapped. Eventually he and I were reunited along with Daniel and my friend’s mother. That was a very emotional moment! Then one of the police officers who was looking throughout the house and garage for additional evidence mentioned that my friend’s bicycle was there in the garage if he wanted to take it home. I knew that he didn’t have a bike when he was kidnapped, but I remembered that Ben Kessler was riding his bike when he was grabbed. On hearing that I ran into the garage, started pounding on the walls, and shouting Ben’s name. Others came to assist me.

  Shortly we heard a weak muffled response! Eventually we found the door to a little subbasement hidden behind a large tool cabinet on wheels. We found Ben chained to a cot inside there and gagged with a bandana. Again we were extremely fortunate. When he was captured, Sal was outside digging a grave to bury Ben in after he killed him later that day! His plan was to leave the area and take my friend with him to torture and kill him at his leisure. Sal was another real sick individual! Now Ben is starting to recover from his ordeal. He was put through a horrible captivity of abuse and neglect. You talk about me being brave! That kid is a true hero to survive what he had to endure! I am so happy for him and his family that they are back together again.

  JO: This is a most remarkable story, Jason. Is your life like this all the time?

  JH: (laughing) Certainly not, Jaime. Most of the time I am just a regular teenaged boy who likes to play sports, hang out with his friends, chase after girls, and play games.

  JO: When you are not chasing down predators, rescuing other kids in peril, or helping crime victims! What do your parents and friends have to say about all of these daring things that you have accomplished?

  JH: My parents are the best! They have been so supportive of me, even when I go off and do risky things, like the latest undercover operation. We had a long talk about responsibility after that, and I feel that we are now communicating better than ever. I really got to see their love for me at the time of my kidnapping. My father especially took it hard when he discovered that I had been kidnapped as a way to get to him. Of course they worry about me whenever I am working on a case, but being able to come home to my parents is like having a security blanket to hang onto. Just knowing that they are always there for me is one of my greatest motivations to succeed.

  My best friend and detective partner Daniel is one of the main reasons for my success. Sometimes he doesn’t get enough credit for what he does to keep me honest and down to earth. Not only is he a true friend, but he is a very talented singer and musician. Yet he is willing to put his career aspirations aside at a moment’s notice and come help me with a case. I couldn’t do what I have to do without his help. Another great thing about the nature of our cases is that we have rescued other teens who have not only become successful and contributing members of our society once the blight of abuse was removed from their lives, but they also have become lifelong friends. I am so proud of guys like Eric, Tim, and Cody for what they have accomplished already!

  Right now the love of my life is a fabulous girl named Laura, who I absolutely adore. We had always been attracted to each other since our middle school years. In the past year, I have felt our love growing by leaps and bounds. Now we are at a point where we can openly declare it and have decided to go steady. I know that she has worries about the cases that Daniel and I go on, but just like my parents, Laura is a motivation for me to be successful and come back home so that I can spend time with her.

  JO: It sounds like you have a very rich life with a lot of quality friends.

  JH: They are my support team. Having that kind of backing and encouragement is one reason why I am interested in providing the same type of assistance to teenaged crime victims who might not have the same level of support. I truly believe that fighting crime is a community effort!

  JO: What was it like to receive the award from the San Matthias town council?

  JH: It was a big honor to be recognized for the fight against predators that I am trying to wage whenever possible. It was also very humbling. But for a few twists and turns of fate, I could have been another victim. At the same time, I believe that those people who fight for right will eventually conquer those with evil intentions. I told the council that the main thing to celebrate was not that I did something brave, but
that two fine young citizens of San Matthias were returned to their families. Two people who are at the start of their lives and have incredible potential were saved from a horrible fate. I told them that the wonderful and positive feeling I got from helping to save those two young lives was all the reward I would ever need. Then I smiled at them at said, “But it was nice to receive this beautiful plaque to place on my wall!”

  JO: Well said, Jason! I think you have some very good political instincts inside you! Tell us what is in the immediate future for Jason Hunter?

  JH: Rest, relaxation and fun in the sun are my immediate priorities. I want to go back to being the kick-back Jason I used to be.

  JO: There is no question that you have earned it!

  Chapter 2

  A Fabulous Audition

  (Monday)

  Daniel Holmes was feeling energized and very happy about the way the summer had turned out. After the dramatic events of Nick’s kidnapping and rescue, things had settled down, and the summer was now filled with fun activities, dates with Diana, good times with Jason and his other friends, and rehearsals with his band. With Nick a committed and permanent addition to the band, their music continued to develop. Although they still worked on covers of popular songs so that they could take gigs for parties and other social events, they were now starting to work on original music. Nick was really good at suggesting ideas that each band member would take home and work out for their own instrument. Then at rehearsals they would jam on these ideas and see how they would sound in performance. They would record parts of the rehearsals and then listen to the results to hear how they were progressing as a group. As they learned new covers, they would make recordings of each song so that they would have something for people interested in hiring the band to listen to.