My Kidnapper's brother

Chapter 5

“What are you going to do, dad?” Bianca asked with a concerned look as Bob walked down the stairway to join her in the living room. She was seated on one of the settees.

Bob walked to the settee opposite Bianca and made himself comfortable. His expression was that of worry and desperation. “Right now I have only managed to organize half of the amount they are asking for,” he explained. His voice was shaky and echoed hopelessness.

“Is there anything I can do to help? I can sell my car. And maybe Nora can sell her car, too. Whatever we can do to help.”

“I appreciate that you care for your sister, but that will take long. We need to raise the rest of the money in the next one hour, and selling property will take long.”

Bob still had a few properties he could sell, but selling property would take him months before he could raise even half of the amount that was being demanded for. He just didn’t have that time.

“Don’t you have anyone you can call? What about your business associates?” Bianca asked desperately.

“I have called everyone I could think of.” He paused. “But they are all just promising, and I am running out of time.” The tone of his voice echoed hopelessness. He looked at his Rolex watch and he was fast running out of time. And…

It had been two hours since he received a call from his daughter’s kidnapper. This meant in the next hour, the kidnapper would call to give further instructions on how the exchange will be done. “Where is your mother?” He was almost running out of breath.

“I thought you were together in the bedroom,” Bianca answered.

“Yeah, but she had left the bedroom when I was making calls.”

While Bob was busy calling people he thought could help him, Nora had received her own call and had walked out of the room to go and take the call. It was the same call she had been avoiding to answer in the presence of Bob and Bianca.

“Ok, let me check if she is still upstairs.” Bianca sprung up and took to the stairs.

***

Closed in the guest room, Nora stood by the only large window imbedded in the wall which faced the door. She had lowered her voice as she spoke.

“I know but you can’t keep calling me while I am at home with my family. In fact, stop calling me, I will be calling you,” she said and cut the call. She turned and she felt her heart jump out of her chest when she saw Bianca standing at the open door, and staring at her. She quickly corrected her features, wondering how much Bianca had heard. “Hey, Bianca. How long have you been standing there? I didn’t hear you come in.” She tried to sound as calm as she could.

Bianca studied her for a moment and then spoke, “Not long. I have just come. Who where you talking to?”

“Oh, that, huh, that was Lisa. She slammed into someone’s car and she wants me to send her some money to pay for the damage, but I think I have had enough of her trouble,” she answered hopping Bianca would buy her lies.

Lisa was Nora’s only daughter from her first Marriage. When the thirty five year old Nora divorced her first husband, and one year later married Bob banks, her seventeen year old daughter, Lisa, opted to remain with her father.

Bianca studied her for a moment and then said, “Dad is asking for you.” She turned and walked away.

Nora released the breath she had been holding. She wasn’t sure if Bianca believed her fabricated story, but she was grateful Bianca didn’t ask further questions. And anyway, not everything in her story was lie. Lisa was indeed a trouble maker, and it was the reason she had failed to live in Bob’s house.

***

Bianca walked down the stairway into the living room, followed by Nora. Bianca went back to her seat, while Nora went to sit next to Bob. Bob was busy sliding his finger across the screen of his phone.

Nora looked apprehensive but she tried to be as calm as possible. She stole a glance at the screen of Bob’s phone and saw that Bob was busy scrolling up and down through his phonebook. “Honey, is everything ok?” she asked calmly. Bob didn’t answer, he was glued to his phone.

Though Bianca seemed busy on her phone as well, she kept cutting her gaze between Nora and Bob. She also seemed impatient with whatever Bob was doing on his cellphone. This made Nora even more nervous.

“Honey, is everything ok?” she repeated, this time with a pinch of irritation.

“Not really,” Bob answered. He was still scrolling through his phone contact list, looking for Josh Williams, the man he thought could be handy in the situation he was in.

Josh Williams was Bob’s old time friend and dirt cop. Whenever Bob wanted to deal with someone getting into his way of doing business or anything that needed police intervention, Josh was the man he approached.

When paid handsomely, Josh was willing to kill any victim of a crime and save the wrongdoer. And Bob usually found his services worth paying for.

And now that he so much needed Josh’s services, he couldn’t find his name in his phonebook. He wasn’t shocked though to have not saved Josh in his phone. Bob had a rule of not saving names of people who did his dirty jobs. He preferred keeping business cards or just scribble the number somewhere.

“I have decided to involve the police,” he continued.

“What!” Bianca and Nora shouted at the same time. Their faces were painted with shock. They looked at Bob as if he had gone mad.

“Dad, I thought the kidnapper warned against involving the police,” Bianca reminded.

“Honey, I don’t think involving the police at this stage is a good idea. That would be putting Emily’s life in danger,” Nora advised him.

“But her life is already in danger. The mere fact that my daughter is in a*******n, that puts her life in danger,” Bob retaliated.

“Dad, are you trying to get Emily killed? If the kidnapper warned against involving the police, then do exactly what he wants. Just organize the money and pay them.”

“I am not involving the entire police force. I have one friend in mind that I think can turn tables round during the exchange.’ He paused and narrowed his dark eyes. “The bastard won’t know where the bullet will come from.” Bob said calmly and confidently.

“Are you planning to ambush him?” Bianca asked.

“Something like that.” he replied. His plan was to set up an ambush at the site the kidnapper would suggest they do the exchange. He was careful not to involve the police because he didn’t know what connections the kidnapper had. He knew that if the kidnapper had any connection with the police, then he might get the information about the ambush.

The only cop he could trust and work with was Josh. Josh was a highly trained and talented snipper under the special police unit. Bob was sure Josh was the right man for the job.

“Dad, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Things may go wrong and you may just get Emily killed.” Her voice was concern with worry.

“Honey, I agree with Bianca. That is too risky. I think just do exactly what the kidnapper tells you,” she was holding his hand as she advised.

Bob took a deep breath and stared at the coffee table in front of him. His expression slowly changed from confident to confused. He understood how risky his plan was. Things could indeed go wrong and his daughter could be killed. But again, I have no option. The kidnapper wants the whole amount, and I only have half. I know this plan will work.