The Kidnapping Read online

  “You’ve got it, my friend. I promise to turn the intensity meter way down and just concentrate on mindless fun for the rest of the day. My mom, of all people, told me this great joke, it’s really stupid but it is funny…”

  With the air cleared, Jason and Daniel walked down to the kitchen, joking and laughing.

  CHAPTER 26

  WHAT WAS IN MR. HUNTER’S SAFE

  (Monday Evening)

  For the rest of the afternoon, things were back to normal for Jason and Daniel. The exercise outside was good for both of them and helped clear their heads of the deep thoughts that had been expressed earlier. After they finished playing basketball, they decided to check out the new prototype releases from Mr. Cassini’s USB drive. There was a squadron fighter game that they really liked and got into playing. In that game, both of them were competing together against an unknown aerial enemy.

  Around 5:00 p.m., Daniel had to go back home. As he was leaving he told Jason, “I’m sorry if I pushed you too hard or offended you with what I said earlier. Being honest with each other has worked for us in the past, even if the truth is unpleasant. Do talk to your dad about the ransom note and this whole situation. Talk to other friends if you need to. Then let me know what you think of my plan when you are ready. Goodbye for now.”

  “All, right, Daniel. I will talk to Dad tonight and I will do some soul-searching. Seems I’ve had to do an awful lot of that lately.”

  “Hang in there, Jason. You know you are strong inside. Now you and your friends need to draw on that strength so that we can move on with our lives.”

  * * *

  Later that evening, after dinner, while Edith was working in the kitchen and doing some menu planning, Jason asked his dad if they could talk in his study.

  “Sure thing, Jason,” his dad responded, “What’s on your mind?”

  “Daniel told me something today that was really disturbing. He said that the kidnappers only asked for a very small ransom and then went on to imply that the kidnapping was all a mistake. Is that true?”

  “Damn him! I forgot that he knew about the actual note, because we were both being debriefed together and I was acting for his parents. I was going to tell you about it sometime, but due to all of the things going on after your return, I never got a chance. I really didn’t want to do it right away, because I figured it would upset you, and the last thing you needed was more aggravation in your life.”

  “Dad, he didn’t put you down. He stood up for you, and said you would never try to lowball my worth and most likely would have paid any amount the kidnappers wanted.”

  “That is true, son. I was willing to do anything in my power to secure your release. We hadn’t heard anything for five days. Your mother and I were desperate and losing all hope of ever seeing you again. Then I get this package with your mitt, a kidnap photo, a manila envelope and this crazy ransom note. The instructions were relatively easy to follow and they said they wanted to release you, so I jumped at the opportunity, which was what I guess they expected me to do. Why it took them five days to decide to send that and then ask for only $50,000 is a mystery to me.”

  “So, Daniel was right. I was put through all that pain and isolation for basically nothing?”

  “It’s not quite that simple, Jason. I think the kidnapper’s plan was to avoid any police involvement in the ransom and to do that they had to choose an amount that I would be expected to have around in actual cash. What good is a million dollars if it is bait money with dyes on it and a lot of cops following it. Maybe the best thing to do is to show you the note.”

  “You still have the ransom note?”

  “No, I had to return it to the kidnappers, but before I did that, I made a copy of the note and the photo and put them in my secure safe at the office in case you weren’t released or this was a con. When you read the note, you can make your own conclusions about their motives. All I know is that I followed it to the letter, no matter how ridiculous some of it seemed. Then, a few hours later you were released into City Park.”

  “Dad, I would like to see that note. I think it might be a very important clue in my case. Can we go right now?”

  “Well, if you must. I’ll tell your mother that we are going for some ice cream.”

  In a few minutes the two were in the Explorer, driving downtown. “Dad, there’s more to this. Daniel thinks that I need to get involved in figuring out the case. He thinks that the only way I will be able to drive away the flashbacks and emotional surges I am starting to feel is to solve the case. He wants to help me because the case is not only hanging over him, but also all of our friends. No one has any freedom to do anything spontaneous any more. Every activity must now be checked and rechecked by our parents.”

  “I can sympathize with some of what he says, but how can he seriously ask you to go back to relive that horrible week. Plus, it seems a little far-fetched that a couple of teenagers could solve a mystery that even the police have no clues for.”

  Bill Hunter drove up to the back entrance of his business. He and Jason got out and Bill opened the door and undid the alarm. Once inside, his dad had Jason wait in the sales room while he went to get the things they had talked about.

  When Bill returned a few minutes later, he handed Jason the copy of the ransom note. “You can see, Jason, it doesn’t quite say what Daniel has implied. I have even talked to Lt. Garcia about it, and he still thinks there is a possibility that the kidnappers targeted the wrong person.”

  Jason read through and studied the note for a full minute. A brief chill went up his spine when he read the sentence, “Your son will be killed if you do not comply exactly and completely with these instructions.”

  He then said to his father, “I guess Daniel’s ‘godfather’ is actually ‘an important member of our organization,’ but the note does say that someone important intervened on my behalf. Maybe that would explain why I was treated better the latter part of the week. Dr. Cartwright thought that I was drugged with more than the tranquillizer dart after I was taken. He thought that I might have had a bad reaction to the drug, which is why it took so long for me to shake the effects, over a day and a half. That could have been another reason for the intervention. It still doesn’t explain why I was tied up so tightly even though drugged.”

  “Jason, I think you were tied up so that the picture sent along with the ransom note would look as frightening as possible.”

  “Are you going to show me the picture?”

  “I really don’t think that is a good idea, son. You said you already were having flashbacks and images appearing in your head. This could really give you nightmares.”

  “Dad, I lived the nightmare for five days. Maybe seeing the picture will help to push away the bad images or jolt my memory about something.”

  “This is against my better judgment...” but he handed him the copy of the photo.

  Jason cringed for a moment when he saw it. “This was taken after I had been left tied up, gagged and blindfolded for I’m guessing a day and a half. Finally one of the kidnappers was going to do something to meet my physical needs. They had come in, cut one of my ropes, and then dragged me to the chair. They then put something on my lap, a San Jose newspaper it looks like, and then removed my blindfold. That’s why I am squinting. That light seemed blinding at the time, and there were a couple of flashes, when this picture was taken. Later, I realized that it was a positive sign. They were getting ready to send a ransom note. They photographed me when I was feeling the most out of it and my body was sending me all kinds of danger signals.”

  “Imagine how shocking this was for me,” his dad said. “But at least it showed that you were alive on Tuesday. That was better than seeing a photo of a corpse.”

  “All of that brutal treatment, then all they wanted was $50,000 and to get out of town fast. I am beginning to get just as angry as Daniel. Can you blame me?”

  “No, I can’t, Jason. But you can see they are opponents you shouldn’t take lightly o
r without fear of further retaliation. Remember what they said in their closing statement: ‘Do not ruin this golden opportunity to make your family whole again by trying to involve the authorities or pursuing us.’ ”

  As Jason handed the photo back to his dad he said, “Dad, can you promise me that we will one day burn this picture.”

  “With a blowtorch, son!” Bill continued, “You know I have been mentally going through everyone we know, and everyone I have done business with, and even the thought of strangers being involved. There has to be an inside connection somewhere. How else would the kidnappers know so much about our family and my business that they could construct your kidnapping around our personal information? How did they know you would walk through the park at noon on Monday and how did they know I would have $50,000 in small bills in my safe deposit box?”

  Jason said, “I think that is where we will have to focus to get started.”

  “So, you are actually thinking about going through with this investigation idea?” his dad asked.

  “I don’t know yet, Dad. I told Daniel he was asking me to go back into the hell I just came out of. I don’t know if I am ready to handle the emotional side of it. On the other hand, I don’t think I will ever be free of this experience if I don’t find out what it really was about.”

  “Let’s get some ice cream now, Jason. I think that is one decision we are ready to make! Oh, and don’t forget your baseball mitt.”

  Bill put both documents away, locked up the office and they drove off to the ice cream store.

  CHAPTER 27

  THE POOL PARTY

  (Tuesday Evening)

  Tuesday was almost a normal day. Lost in all of the excitement and drama of the past week was the fact that Jason had a long-scheduled dental appointment in the morning. Edith stayed home in the morning, again telecommuting, but had decided Monday to go into work in the afternoon. She took Jason to his appointment and then told him to just stay at home during the afternoon. “I want you to clean up your room and do some reading.” There were a lot of magazines and books that Jason hadn’t had a chance to look at, so this was a good day to catch up.

  Jason was actually grateful for the isolation. Talking with Daniel had been very intense lately. Although he thought about Daniel’s proposal, he still wasn’t ready to commit to it—yet. It was natural that he wondered to himself: Will I ever regain the simple kind of existence I had before that fateful Monday? Leaning back on his bed, Jason decided to relax for a few minutes. Suddenly, fatigue set in and he ended up taking about a two hour nap.

  * * *

  The big event of the day was Laura’s pool party for Jason that evening. Laura, along with her friend, Diana, had had her eye on Jason for a while and was hoping that maybe their friendship could develop into something more. But the pool party met another need. Since Jason’s kidnapping, her parents and all the others in their circle of friends had really tightened the leash on their activities. She was able to pull off the pool party because her parents had known Jason’s parents socially and they were invited to stay with her parents during the party.

  There were other parents that felt the same way as the Hunters and Friesens, so while the kids were enjoying the pool, all their parents were socializing inside the Friesen house.

  Besides Diana and Jason, Laura had invited some of Jason’s oldest friends. There was Gloria Berger and Cecily Chin, who had played on a coed badminton team with Jason when they were in fifth grade. They had hit it off and managed to stay in touch ever since. Bob Harker, another homeroom buddy who shared Jason’s interest in drawing and was turning into a talented cartoonist, was there also. Then, of course, Chauncey and finally Daniel, who was the only newcomer in the group, but Laura figured Jason would enjoy having his best friend at the party too.

  Donald Friesen had made a lot of money in investment banking. During one of his best years, he had purchased this house with its Olympic-sized pool and hot tub, and over 3,500 square feet of living space. Both Laura and her mother, Dorothy, were excellent swimmers so they were living in paradise. The Friesen’s had put out a nice barbeque dinner, with chicken pieces, foil wrapped baked yam and potato halves, and quick-barbequed vegetables. There were also bowls of fruit salad, coleslaw, chips with dips and cookies and ice cream for later.

  The kids all changed into their bathing suits, and soon were whooping it up in the pool. With all of the tension and drama of Jason’s kidnapping, and then the tighter controls on their whereabouts, the kids were ready for some simple release. After about ninety minutes of pool play and some underwater games like Marco Polo, they quieted down and had large helpings of food. After eating, they sat outside by the pool on the chaise lounges and pool chairs. Chauncey and Cecily went into the hot tub, while Bob decided to draw a few caricatures of Jason and the other kids. Diana and Daniel started talking about music while Laura snuggled up to Jason on the lounge chair where he was resting.

  “Laura, having this pool party was a great idea. I’ve been so filled with tension and having to deal with all of the fall-out from last week. Playing in the water was a good way to work out some of that tension.”

  “It was tough on us, too,” Laura said as she stroked his hand and lower arm. “It is so much nicer seeing you here in my back yard than on the news.”

  “I feel like I’ve spoiled everyone’s summer and I didn’t really mean to.”

  “Don’t be silly, Jason. It’s not your fault. Eventually our parents will get over it and then we can get back to our normal way of living.”

  “You can’t imagine how intense my life has been lately...like there is a life-and-death struggle to deal with every day.”

  “Don’t think about that right now, Jason. Snuggle with me for a while. It feels nice to have you right next to me.”

  Jason put his arm around her shoulder and held her tightly. “Thanks for thinking about me, Laura. The thought of friends like you is what got me through my ordeal.”

  Impulsively, Laura turned and gave him a kiss. “I couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to you, Jason. Those people that hurt you should be shot!”

  About ten minutes later, Laura’s mom, Dorothy came out and said, “Laura, dear, can you help serve the ice cream now? Who’s up for some ice cream and cookies?”

  When it was getting dark outside, the kids started to gravitate back inside and get changed into their regular clothes. Everyone had some dessert, and socialized inside for another forty-five minutes or so. This gave Jason a chance to get caught up on things with Cecily, Gloria and Bob.

  Although Daniel was there, they hardly said more than a few words to each other. It wasn’t as if there was any tension in the air. Daniel just knew that Jason needed some space right now to make up his mind. He realized that he had pushed Jason pretty hard on Monday and there was nothing more he could say to advocate his position. That was why Daniel spent a lot of time talking with Diana about music, a subject about which he felt equally passionate.

  Then the party began to wind down as the parents gathered their offspring to leave.

  After his parents had said their goodbyes, Jason lingered for a moment and thanked Mr. and Mrs. Friesen for having the party. “This was a real morale booster for me. I feel I am starting to get back to normal.”

  “You’re very welcome, Jason, Mrs. Friesen said. “We were all devastated when we heard you were missing, especially Laura here. She moped around the house all week, so we are delighted to have you back!”

  “It is so good to see you again, Jason,” Laura added with her most engaging smile. “I hope I can see a lot more of you this summer.”

  As they were walking out to the car, Chauncey came by with a big grin on his face. “It looks like that young lady has plans for you, my man! Better watch out!”

  Jason looked at Chauncey and shrugged his shoulders and with a big grin retorted, “What’s a young man to do?”

  Chauncey just laughed again. “I think you’ll figure it out!”
r />   “Hey, Chauncey, remember how you said you wanted to play some hoops?”

  “You know I’m always up for it. Let me call my A-list guys and we’ll line up a game.”

  “No, I didn’t mean a full game,” Jason said, shaking his head. “I would like to do some one-on-one with you, preferably tomorrow morning if you can work it out.”

  “Looking for some shooting tips from the master?” Chauncey ribbed.

  “Well, not exactly.”

  “Maybe some fabulous advice on how to live your life and save the world?”

  “More along those lines.”

  “Well, I am flattered that you are asking me for advice.”

  “What’s a good time for you?”

  “Let’s say around ten. Since it’s your dime, I’ll pick you up at your house. Knuckles please.”

  After they went through their routine, Jason hurried to catch up to his parents who were waiting by the car.

  “What was that all about?” asked Edith.

  “Oh, Chauncey and I are going to shoot some baskets tomorrow morning. You know a little exercise and some sports talk.”

  “That’s great, Jason. It looks like you are reconnecting with your friends and getting back to some normal living. Tomorrow I’m back to work full-time, so I’m glad you will have something to do.”

  CHAPTER 28

  HOOPS WITH CHAUNCEY

  (Wednesday Morning)

  A few minutes past 10:00 a.m. the next day, Jason heard his doorbell ring. On the porch stood Chauncey with basketball in hand and dressed like a page from a sports catalogue. He was wearing a complete Los Angeles Lakers “Kobe Bryant” yellow jersey and shorts, with his school team baseball cap worn backwards. On his feet was a nearly brand new pair of Air Jordans. Jason had on his usual summer fare of tee-shirt, print shorts and, of course, his red high-top chucks.