The Merger – 32

 

"And another one…" Josh said with a brief smile.

Mike had other things on his mind than finishing the words to the song. Comstock had Stanton backed against the center row of boxes, his gun pressed to Stanton's chest as he muttered, "Say your prayers, bastard." The words had barely left his mouth when he howled in agony. It took Mike a second to realize that Stanton had kneed him in the groin. A shot rang out, followed by a second one. Comstock went down as blood flowed from a shoulder wound. Unfortunately, so did Stanton, his hand clasped to his side, blood seeping between his fingers.

"Damn, I can't leave you alone for a minute without you getting into trouble," Thad said, rushing into the room, his gun drawn. He dropped down beside Stanton, asking, "How bad?"

"I'll live," Stanton replied between gritted teeth. "Get their guns."

Mike did, dropping them into the open safety deposit box sitting on the floor. Thad was on the phone. Mike figured he was calling 9-1-1, since he asked for an ambulance and the police.

Osborne had come into the room by then. He took one look at the fallen men then said he'd be right back. He was, a minute later, carrying a first-aid box. Flipping it open, he took out several large gauze pads, handing some to Mike. "See what you can do to help Stanton," he said, while looking in disgust at Comstock. "I'd rather let this son of a bitch bleed out, but…" He shrugged then began ministering as best he could to Comstock's shoulder wound, grumbling, "You couldn't have hit a bit lower, George, and nicked a major artery instead of a minor one?"

At that point, Josh came over to the group, kneeling to help Mike. It took Mike a second before he noticed that Josh's shirtsleeve was damp with what he was certain was blood. "Hell, you were hit, too."

"A flesh wound is all, from the ricochet," Josh told him. "Like George, I'll live."

"Mr. Osborne, could you let the police in," Thad asked, as they heard the sounds of sirens coming from the alley. "I'll take over."

Osborne did as Thad asked while Thad replaced the blood-soaked gauze on Comstock's shoulder with a fresh pad. Moments later police officers and EMTs flooded into the room.

The EMTs immediately took over ministering to Stanton and Comstock while the police asked everyone else to move into the hallway. Three of the officers helped the Tasered men to their feet. Once they'd ascertained that they were employed by Comstock, they put cuffs on their wrists, then—after an EMT had checked them out—escorted the men to waiting squad cars. At Mike's insistence, Josh had allowed one of the EMTs to look at his wound. The EMT cleaned and bandaged it, telling Josh that he'd been correct. It was only a minor flesh wound. He suggested Josh visit his personal doctor if became sore or inflamed then let him go.

Thad took another officer into the tellers' work area and moments later, the officer led a dazed-looking Burt from the room in handcuffs, to join his companions in a squad car.

By then, the EMTs had, one at a time due to the small area they had to work in, put Stanton and Comstock on gurneys. After Osborne had unlocked the bank's front door, they were taken to waiting ambulances—Comstock under police guard.

A police detective had arrived by then. The first thing he did after introducing himself as Detective King was retrieve the safely deposit box from the vault. At Osborne's suggestion, they all moved into his office. The detective brought the box with him, putting on latex gloves before checking the contents. Although he didn't say so, from the look on his face, Mike was certain that what it contained would go a long way toward putting Comstock out of business for good.

Then King took statements from Osborne, Mike, Josh, and Thad about what had gone down—and why. The detective was less than happy that the police hadn't been brought in to handle the operation and let them know that in no uncertain terms.

"He—Mr. Nowell, that is—threatened my daughter's life after kidnapping her," Osborne replied acerbically. "I told you that. No police or they'd kill her. After Mr. Harte and Mr. Aston rescued Bethany last night, I received the call this morning in which Nowell—or perhaps it was Comstock—threatened my wife and daughter if I didn't follow through with his plans."

"The police know how to handle kidnapping situations," King retorted. "We're well trained to deal with them."

 

The Merger – 31

 

With the exception of two doors along the exterior wall—one for the bank's customers, the other for employees—the room they were in was lined with safety deposit boxes. Given that the vault was relatively small, that could have presented a problem for Mike and the others if it weren't for the fact that whoever had designed it had created a standing wall of boxes down the center, which divided the room in two. Since the wall faced the doors, it gave the men a place to hide where they wouldn't be seen by anyone entering. As Stanton had pointed out when Josh had asked, security cameras covered the room to make certain no one was inside who didn't belong there—cameras that had now been turned off by Osborne when he'd disarmed the bank's security system.

Mike and the others heard footsteps in the hallway, then, through their earbuds, voices from the tellers' work area.

"You just saved your wife and daughter from dying," a deep voice said. "Let's hope that continues. Hold out your arms."

Mike was certain whoever was speaking, or an accomplice, was checking Osborne for a wire. He knew he was correct when another voice said, "He's clean." There was a long moment of silence then the same man said, "So is the room."

Mike glanced at Stanton, who smiled smugly.

"Where first, boss?" a third voice asked.

"The safety deposit boxes," the original speaker replied. "I need to get into A-201. Burt, you keep our friend here company. And Osborne, the door had better be unlocked."

"It is," Osborne replied, he voice taut with tension.

There was the sound of footsteps as four people—Mike thought—approached the room. Then the employee's door opened, letting in light from the hallway.

"Where's the God damned light switch?" one of the men muttered. Seconds later, the lights came on. Mike would have been semi-blinded if he hadn't closed his eyes before that happened. As it was, it took a moment for them to adjust.

"A-190, 191…" One of the men was obviously walking down the aisle, checking the numbers. "There. Nowell, drill the lock."

Stanton held up his hand to keep Mike and the others from moving precipitously. They heard the sound of metal grinding metal.

"Done, boss," a man said two minutes later. "Here you go."

There was a long silence then the man the others called boss said, "If Walker wasn't a dumb fuck who thought he could shake me down, he'd be alive and the cops would have had this information." He let out a snort of laughter. "Then my ass would be sitting in a jail cell."

"It's going to be, real soon," Stanton said, stepping into view. "Put your hands behind your heads."

"Like hell!" the man spat out, shouting, "Osborne, you're dead. So is your family."

Mike, Josh, and Thad had followed right behind Stanton. Thad immediately dashed from the room. Mike knew he was going take care of the man who was with Osborne—and hoped he'd be in time.

That left Mike, Josh, and Stanton to deal with the man Mike recognized as Charles Comstock, as well as Nowell, and two others—all of whom were reaching for or had pulled weapons. One of the men screamed in pain when the Taser bolts from Josh's weapon hit him. Seconds later, he was on the floor of the vault.

"You gotta be the bastards who grabbed the girl!" Nowell aimed his gun at Josh. Mike fired his Taser and Nowell joined his companion on the floor.

That left Comstock and the fourth man. Stanton was wrestling with Comstock in an attempt to relieve him of his gun before he could shoot—not an easy feat in the small space. Mike pulled his second Taser but was afraid to use it for fear of hitting Stanton.

Meanwhile, Josh was backing slowly away from the last man as he lifted his Taser. The man grinned maliciously at Josh and, as his finger tightened on the trigger, asked "Do you think that will beat a bullet?"

Rather than reply, Josh dropped and rolled, firing as he did. The bullet from the man's gun ricocheted off one of the metal boxes at the same time that his body jerked from the electrical charge when the Taser projectiles struck him.

The Merger – 30

 

Josh and Mike entered the bank separately, both posing as customers, both carrying messenger bags over their shoulders. Josh arrived first. He filled out a deposit form, but before going to the teller window, he asked the security guard stationed unobtrusively by the customer service desks if there was a men's room. After the guard pointed him in the right direction, Josh went into it then into one of the two stalls. Five minutes later, looking nothing like he had when he'd entered, Josh left, strolling casually to the empty office that Osborne had set up for their use. Stanton was already there with another man he introduced as Thad.

Ten minutes later, Mike joined them, coming in through a door that connected to the employees' break room. He had shed the business attire he'd been wearing when he'd entered the bank, having exchanged it for jeans and a dark shirt comparable to what the other men were wearing. As with Josh, the clothes he'd had on were now in the bag he was carrying.

"I've already installed wireless listening devices in the tellers' work area and where we'll be waiting for Mr. Nowell and his associates," Stanton said, handing Mike and Josh tiny earbuds. "Since I know the access codes, there will be no problem with us getting in there after the last employee has left for the day. I trust you two are armed," he said to Josh and Mike.

With a small smile, Josh replied, "Define armed. We each have a pair of stun guns. I have the feeling Mike also has a pistol. I don't."

"That's right," Stanton replied. "I remember you telling me a while back that you never carry a gun."

"I don't," Josh replied succinctly, suppressing a laugh at the look of disbelief on Thad's face. "Don't worry," Josh told him. "We're well versed in how to use the Tasers effectively to take a person down for the count."

"If you say so," Thad said under his breath.

Since all four men were used to playing the waiting game until it was time to act, there was only the usual tension that came from anticipating the start of an operation. Stanton left once, just before closing time, returning to say that Osborne was doing well, all things considered, and would text him as soon as the last person was gone.

The fact that Stanton was running this part of the operation didn't bother Mike. "After all," he'd told Josh before they'd left the agency, "he does know the bank, since his company set up the security, and he knows Osborne better than we do because of that."

It was just after seven fifteen when Stanton checked his phone, nodded, and said, "Osborne's disarmed everything. Let's move."

The Merger – 29

 

The intercom buzzed, Mike answered then told the others, "Mr. Stanton is here," before asking Rosie to send him in.

"George," Osborne said, getting to his feet. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

George Stanton was a man in his late fifties with steel-gray hair and eyes to match. He crossed the office to shake Osborne's hand. He turned to Josh. "I'm glad to know you're involved in this. And you are?" he asked Mike.

"Mike Harte. Josh and I are partners in our agency," Mike replied.

Stanton nodded. "I've heard of you, although I wasn't aware the two of you had joined forces. Now, what are we dealing with and how can I and my people help?"

Mike shot Josh a relieved look as Osborne said, "For starters, would you please send some of your people to my house to protect my wife and daughter?"

Stanton immediately made a call, giving whoever answered instructions and the address, once he'd confirmed it with Osborne. "Get in touch with your wife to let her know they're on their way." He gave him their names and Osborne called  her.

"All right, fill me in on exactly what's happening," Stanton said, taking a seat in one of the two visitor chairs. He listened, nodding occasionally without interrupting, until Mike and Josh had finished.

"When you got here, we were trying to decide where the best place to wait would be," Mike said in conclusion.

Getting up, Stanton went to look at the bank's floor plan, which was still up on Mike's laptop. "I would suggest here."

Josh looked then glanced at Mike. "I told you he was good."

From there, the four men worked on finalizing their plans, but not until Mike had called the client who was due in at eleven, asking if he'd mind if Mike emailed him the information on the background checks he'd done, explaining that an emergency had come up that he had to handle immediately. The man agreed, so Mike took a few minutes to send him the file.

"He's one of those people who like to be hands-on, including coming in so I can go over them with him in person," Mike explained when he finished.

Stanton chuckled. "We have a couple of clients like that. If they don't meet with us face-to-face, they don't think they're getting their money's worth."

By the time they had covered all the details on how they would catch the men threatening Osborne, it was almost eleven thirty. Stanton left, telling the others he and one other man would be at the bank well before closing time to get in place. Osborne left, as well, to return to the bank and await everyone's arrival.

Mike had two early afternoon appointments, one to give a client a final report on surveillance he'd done, the other to tell a woman that he'd located her missing sixteen-year-old daughter who had, it turned out, run away to be with her older boyfriend. The woman was not happy about that but was relieved to know it wasn't something much worse.

Josh took off to set up a security system for a new client, promising to be back by three—which he was. Then, after making certain they had everything they needed, including four of Josh's charged Tasers, they left for the bank with stops at their apartments to pick up a change of clothes.

The Merger – 28

 

"He's running late," Mike said to Josh, just as Rosie let them know that Mr. Osborne had arrived. At that point it was nine twenty and Mike had begun to worry that something had happened to change Osborne's mind.

Osborne appeared agitated as he came into Mike's office. Without preamble, he said, "I received a call from someone who purported to be Bethany's kidnapper. He was extremely angry, threatening to kill her or my wife, if I didn't do as planned and meet him at the bank tonight. I immediately called Linda, telling her she was to keep Bethany at home, to turn on the house security, and not to let anyone in—period."

"Was it the same man as before? Mr. Nowell?" Mike asked. If it had been, then the police had arrived too late to catch him at the warehouse.

"It might have been, but I couldn't say for certain. He was talking rapidly and as I said, sounded very angry. And he kept the conversation short."

Josh frowned in thought, holding up one hand to forestall either of the others from saying anything more. Finally, he asked, "What security company does the bank use?" When Osborne told him, he smiled as he replied, "I know them. Please call now and ask whoever's in charge of your account to meet us here as soon as possible. If he, or she, demurs, remind them there are other companies that would be more than willing to take over in their place, given the chance."

With a sharp nod, Osborne made the call. He didn't have to make that threat, as the person he talked with agreed to be at the agency within the half-hour.

"What are you planning?" Mike asked after Osborne hung up.

"If he..." Josh turned to Osborne. "What's his name?"

"George Stanton."

"I know him personally. He's the owner of Stanton Security." When Osborne nodded, Josh said, "They're good. He's good. Anyway, as I was saying, we'll tell him what's going on and then ask that he send at least two of his people to keep your wife and Bethany safe—for starters."

"Then?" Mike asked.

"Hope he'll agree to work with us to catch whoever comes to the bank tonight."

"He'd better agree and not try to take over," Mike replied tightly.

"He seems to be very flexible," Osborne put in. "I'm sure he won't object."

"I agree," Josh said, before asking Osborne, "Do you have floor plans for the bank somewhere online?"

"Of course not. That would be asking for trouble," Osborne replied tartly before adding with a brief smile, "Actually, we do. They're just not accessible to anyone who doesn't have the authorization to look at them. If you'll allow me…" He pointed to Mike's laptop. Mike nodded, ceding his chair to Osborne. Whatever site Osborne accessed was obviously very secure, based on the time it took him to open it and get where he needed to be.

"Where are the vault and the safety deposit boxes?" Josh asked when Osborne brought up the plans.

"The main vault is to the left of the teller stations; the safety deposit vault is to the right, across the hallway leading from the back door into the main area of the bank. The tellers' work area is in this secured room behind the stations," Osborne replied, tapping each one on the floor plan as he named them. "The door to the main vault is directly off the work area. The employee's entrance to the safety deposit vault is…here"—he pointed—"right across the hallway."

"Very self-contained," Mike said. "I've seen some banks where they were much farther apart."

Osborne nodded. "We're a smaller bank with a physically smaller plant, so practicality factored into our decision."

"What we need," Josh said, "is a place to hide until Nowell and/or Comstock, and perhaps more of Comstock's men, arrive. We also have to be there well before the bank closes, if what Nowell told you during one of his earlier calls was the truth and they'll be watching to make certain all your employees have left."

"Would one of the offices work?" Osborne asked, pointing to the ones lining the right wall of the bank.

"That depends on whether—let's just say Nowell, for convenience's sake—makes you take him directly to the tellers' work area, which obviously will give him easy access to both vaults," Josh replied.

The Merger – 27

 

Josh took a quick look at Mike, mouthing, "Ready?" Mike nodded, pulling the ski mask down to cover his face. Josh did the same before gripping his Taser in one hand. Wrapping his other hand around the door handle, he turned it slowly and silently until the he felt the latch give. A swift kick sent the door slamming open, hitting the cinder-block wall.

Nowell and the second man in the room sprang to their feet.

"You even twitch and you'll regret it," Mike said, his stun gun pointed at one of them.

"Same goes for you," Josh told the other man. "Take out your weapons with two fingers, drop them on the floor then kick them away."

"Like hell!" the man Josh had a bead on replied, reaching behind his back.

"I knew they wouldn't listen," Mike said as he and Josh fired simultaneously. The Taser probes hit their targets, sending twelve-hundred volts of electricity into their bodies with the expected results. The men went down, incapacitated but not dead.

Mike tossed Josh his Taser then strode across the room to a bed in one corner. Bethany was curled up on it, unconscious, her hands and ankles bound with rope, duct tape covering her mouth. After carefully cutting the ropes then picking her up, Mike walked to the door. Josh followed after removing the probes from the men's bodies, rewinding the weapons' electrode wires as he did. When Mike stopped, just short of the door, nodding to it, Josh stepped around him, unclipping the second Taser from his waistband. He slid quickly into the hallway, pressing against the wall as he listened for any signs that there could be someone else in the warehouse who might, or might not, know they were there.

"All clear," Josh said, barely above a whisper, before returning to the door at end of the hallway then going into the room leading to the parking lot. When he got to the exit, he inched it open just enough to peer outside. He turned, giving Mike a thumbs-up.

Moments later, Mike had put Bethany into the back seat of Josh's car then eased in next to her. Josh slid into the driver's seat, turned the key in the ignition, then, after taking off his ski mask and the latex gloves, pulled out of the lot—without headlights. 

Now that they had Bethany, Mike decided it was safe to call 9-1-1—using the burner phone he always carried with him on a job for such emergencies—to report there had been a kidnapping and that the kidnappers could be found at the warehouse, along with evidence of the crime. Then he told Josh, "That's the best we can do, so let's hope the cops get there before the bastards wake up. We'll leave my car where it is and come back for it later." He got a nod of agreement from Josh.

Josh drove two blocks before turning on the headlights.

By that time, Mike had removed his ski mask and gloves, reaching over the seat to drop them on top of Josh's case. He carefully removed the duct tape covering Bethany's mouth. "She looks okay," he said. He took a penlight from his pocket, clicked it on then lifted one of the girl's eyelids. "Drugged, but her breathing is normal. No visible bruises."

"Of course not," Josh replied dryly. "When you ask for what Nowell did for her safe return, you don't want to damage the goods."

"At Comstock's orders," Mike stated. "You know Nowell is just the middle man."

They were halfway to their destination when a small moan alerted them that Bethany was regaining consciousness.

"It's okay, Bethany," Mike said, lifting her into his lap. "You're safe now."

She opened her eyes, looking up at him. "I want my Mommy."

"I know, sweetie. We're taking you home." He stroked her tangled hair.

"Promise?" she asked, her eyes closing again.

"I promise."

Ten minutes later Josh stopped the car across the street from a large house in an upscale neighborhood on the city's west side. Taking out his phone, he called Mr. Osborne. When it was answered, he said, "We have her. We're right outside."

An upstairs window in the house lit up seconds later. He could follow the progression of Osborne and his wife, he was certain, as more lights shown through the windows on their way down to the front door. By then, Mike had gathered up the little girl after getting out of the car. He carried her to the front door with Josh right behind him, arriving at the same time as her parents. When the door swung open, he put Bethany into the waiting arms of her mother.

"We can't thank you enough," Rupert Osborne said with heartfelt appreciation, his arm around his wife's shoulders.

"We were more than happy to help," Josh replied.

"We owe you a debt of gratitude we can't repay," Linda Osborne said, her arms wrapped protectively around Bethany, who was clinging tightly to her.

"Just keep her safe so this doesn't happen again."

"We will." Osborne paused. "The man responsible for kidnapping her?"

"May or may not be under arrest by now. We'll talk about that in the morning," Mike replied, "either at the bank or our agency."

"Now that it's safe to, I'll come by your office. Is nine too early?"

"No. I have a client coming in at eleven. I'm free until then," Mike said, glancing at Josh, who told him he'd be available as well.

"Then I'll see you in the morning. Again, thank you so much for rescuing Bethany."

With a nod, Mike returned to the car. "It's times like this I'm glad we do what we do," he said, getting into the passenger seat.

Josh leaned over to kiss him. "Me, too," he replied. "Now let's get your car so we can both go home. I, for one, could sleep for a year."

Mike grinned. "As long as you're at work by nine tomorrow morning, have at it."

 

The Merger – 26

 

"From what I could tell," Mike told Josh via his mic, "either he's a real heavy eater or he bought food for more than himself."

"If we're lucky," Josh replied, "he's heading to where they're keeping the girl."

Nowell made one more stop, at a liquor store, coming out with a six-pack of beer. After that, he drove halfway across the city to an area of older homes, small shops, and warehouses, some of them obviously abandoned. When Nowell entered an alley, Mike doused the lights on his car then drove slowly past it, just in time to see Nowell veer into what looked like a narrow parking lot behind a warehouse. Mike continued on, found a lot a block farther up and parked, telling Josh where he was. Moments later, Josh pulled up beside him.

"I come bearing food," Mike said, getting into Josh's car then handing him the bag. "Before you dig in, let's find a place to watch the warehouse where Nowell ended up."

"Which would be?"

"You drive. I'll show you. At this point we're better off using one car," Mike replied. He directed Josh back to the alley, suggesting they go down it in hopes there would be a place to set-up a stakeout. Luck was with them. What had appeared to be a small lot behind the warehouse turned out to be larger than Mike had thought. "Probably to accommodate delivery trucks," he said, gesturing to the loading dock.

Nowell's car was parked to the right of the dock, beside a door leading into the building. A second car was parked in the corner. Josh backed in beside it, leaving the car idling. He had already doused the headlights before entering the alley. Mike got out, walking around Nowell's car to the side next to the loading dock. Kneeling, he took a folding knife from his pocket, using it to slash the car's rear tire. Then he did the same to the other car before rejoining Josh.

"This makes me wonder if one of the men holding Bethany works here," Josh commented. "It doesn't look abandoned."

"Probably, although, obviously, they haven't let anyone else know they have her here, so the warehouse might belong to Comstock. Then they could tell people they had his permission to use the room where they're hiding her."

"Good point. Okay, now, can we eat?" Josh asked, getting a nod and an amused smile from Mike. They did, while keeping an eye on the warehouse.

"Back door or in through the front?" Mike asked when they finished.

"Back. That's the way he went in." Josh reached over the seat to retrieve his case. Opening it, he took out three Tasers, handing one to Mike. "We use these," he said adamantly. "This is not negotiable."

For a moment, Mike debated arguing with him. Then, he nodded. "As long as you realize I am carrying and will use my gun if it looks like things will go bad."

Mike expected Josh to protest.

Instead, he said, "The chances are, we'll be facing two, maybe three men, at the most. I don't see them having more than that to watch one little girl, who is probably bound and gagged to begin with. If I'm wrong, then I guess having your gun as backup is all right."

It was obvious from his expression that he didn't like the idea, but Mike had to give him points for accepting it might be necessary.

Josh took some tools from the case, putting them in his pockets. He clipped one of the Tasers to his belt, then, before getting out of the car, he took two ski masks and two pairs of latex gloves from the case, handing a set to Mike. They put on the gloves then the masks but didn't pull the masks down…yet. Going to the warehouse door, Josh used a jammer to disable any wireless security within fifty feet of it. Using an electric lock pick, he had the door unlocked moments later. Next, he checked to make certain the alarm box had been disabled, as there was a possibility it was connected to a phone line. It was off.

They found themselves in a small room that was obviously used by warehouse employees to accept deliveries. There were two doors. One was partially ajar. A quick check showed it led to the receiving area behind the loading dock. The second one was closed but not locked. It opened onto a short hallway with three doors along one side. Josh used an electronic eavesdropper to determine that there were people in the third room.

The Merger – 25

 

"Here's what we have so far," Mike said when Josh came into his office half an hour after they had returned to the office. "It's not good."

Josh studied the information Mike had found on Frank Nowell and the building from which he'd placed the call to Osborne. "Who is this Charles Comstock that he works for?"

"A reputed gangster with his fingers in a lot of pies—drugs, prostitution, you name it."

"Reputed?"

"Nothing has ever been proven against him, which doesn't mean a damned thing." Mike rapped his fingers on the desk. "Why the hell would he delve into tiger kidnapping?"

"Obviously to force Osborne to give him access to a great deal of cash, plus whatever's in the safety deposit boxes."

"Maybe…" Mike nodded. "Maybe there's something in one of the boxes that Comstock wants and the rest are just added goodies."

"Possible," Josh agreed. "Not that we'll find out. Our job is to rescue the girl."

"And that means finding Nowell and hoping he leads us to where they're hiding her."

"Finding him will be the easy part," Josh replied, tapping the laptop screen. "This is where he lives."

"Now all he has to do is go home while we're staking it out. Or we can track his movements via his phone."

"That's a no-go. I checked when we got back here. He must have shut it off right after calling Osborne, afraid it could be used to track him if Osborne had gone against his orders and brought in the police. He's probably already dumped it in a trash bin somewhere. The address he was at when he called turned out to be a vacant lot, so it's not where he's got Bethany."

"Well, shit. Okay, let's pay a visit to his apartment building and hope he shows up there." Mike printed out the mug shot he'd found for Nowell then they took off after Josh picked up the carrying case that held his tools from his office.

*****

"Got him," Mike said over the wireless microphone when he saw Frank Nowell leaving the apartment building. He was stationed at the back of the building while Josh watched the front. "He's driving a dark blue, two-door 2012 Honda with a dented rear fender."

"On it," Josh replied.

Mike waited until Nowell started down the driveway to the street before getting into his car, which was parked in the far corner of the lot. He took the alley to the side street, asking Josh which way the man had gone.

"He turned right, toward Parker Avenue. I'm two cars behind him. He's taking another right, onto Parker."

"I'll stay one street over," Mike replied. "We'll switch off in four blocks, unless he turns again before then."

Nowell stayed on Parker Avenue for ten blocks before pulling into a deli parking lot then going inside.

"Of course," Josh grumbled through their communication system. "I'm starving and he gets to eat."

"I'll go in and pick something up for us."

"Mike, don't. I was kidding."

"But I'm not," Mike replied. "I want to see if he's meeting someone. There's no reason for him to know me, but just in case, I've got the ubiquitous baseball cap." He put it on, pulling the bill down to shadow his eyes, then went inside.

The place was busy enough that it took him a moment to locate Nowell at the take-out counter. Mike waited until the man had placed his order and moved to the pick-up line. Then, Mike ordered two pastrami-on-rye sandwiches, figuring they wouldn't take long to make, before going over to one of the cases to study the selection of breads and rolls. He used the case as a mirror to keep his eye on Nowell. When Nowell paid and left, carrying a large bag of food, Mike said quietly into his mic, "Follow him. I'll catch up." His order came up a minute later. He paid then returned to his car in time to see Nowell's vehicle half a block away and Josh pulling out of the lot. 

The Merger – 24

 

Mike returned to the bank with Josh at three thirty, as promised. He had already called to ask Osborne to send his secretary on an errand before they arrived. "The less people who know we're going to be there and talking with you, the better." Osborne had agreed.

Josh set up what was needed to trace and record the kidnapper's call, which came exactly at four.

The kidnapper ordered that, the following night, Osborne was to stay after the bank had closed and all the employees had gone home, and he was not to arm the security. He cautioned Osborne that he knew exactly how many employees worked there and if "he and his friends"—as he put it—didn't see all of them leave, the deal was off. He also reiterated what he'd told Osborne at the beginning of the call—that Osborne was to disable the rest of the bank's security—adding that Osborne was to let him inside through the back door once that was done.

When Josh asked, after the call ended, if there were night security guards, Osborne told him that he preferred to rely on the excellent security system that was in place, as humans were both fallible and possibly open to bribery if the price were right. Nodding, Josh agreed with him.

"Something occurred to me after we talked earlier this afternoon, Mr. Harte," Osborne said. "I'll have to notify the security company that I'm going to turn everything off or they'll send someone to check it out. The problem is, I can't think of any excuse for doing that."

"We'll deal with the problem tomorrow, if necessary," Mike replied. "If things go the way we hope and Josh can trace the call, we should be able to get your daughter back tonight."

"Got it," Josh said, several minutes later. "Name and location, although the latter will change as the man moves around."

"Who is he?" Mike asked.

"One Frank Nowell. The call was made from an address on Juniper Street."

"I don't recognize the name. Do you think that's where he lives…or works?" Osborne asked, his expression lighting with hope. "Or even where he's holding Bethany?"

"That's what we intend to find out," Mike replied as Josh packed up. "I'll be in touch with you as soon as we know anything." He nodded when Josh made a writing sign with one finger. "One more thing, which I should have done the first time I was here, Mr. Osborne." He took a contract and an information form from his bag, setting them on Osborne's desk. Osborne read them over, filled in the pertinent information on both forms, then signed. Lastly, he wrote out a check for the retainer, handing it to Mike.

"We'll be in touch," Mike told Osborne, putting the forms and the check into his bag. "With any luck at all, we'll have your daughter back to you before the night is over."

The Merger – 23

 

"Mr. Harte," Rupert Osborne said, standing as soon as his secretary had ushered Mike into his office then retreated, closing the door behind her. He appeared to be both distraught and afraid.

Mike shook Osborne's proffered hand before taking a seat across the large oak desk from him. He set his bag on the floor by his feet, looking inquiringly at Osborne.

"Sometime between eight forty five and nine this morning, as my daughter was on her way to school, she was kidnapped," Osborne began without preamble. "At nine fifteen, my wife received a call from Bethany's school, asking if she was sick as she wasn't in class. My wife panicked, of course, and immediately called me. I was trying to calm her down when I received another call on my personal phone from an unlisted number. A man told me he had Bethany and would be in touch with me again to arrange the terms of her release. He warned me I was not to go to the police or to act any differently than normal if I didn't want her dead body dropped on my doorstep."

"I presume he got in touch again," Mike said.

Osborne nodded. "The first thing I did after telling my wife about the call was to convince her to let the school know that Bethany had shown up at home, just after the school had called her, saying she wasn't feeling well." Osborne clenched his hands together. "Twenty minutes later, I received a second call from the kidnapper."

"What does he want in exchange for her release?"

"Access to the bank's vault and the safety deposit boxes tomorrow night—after we're closed and I've disarmed all the security."

"A tiger kidnapping," Mike said. When Osborne asked what he meant, he explained it was a type of kidnapping where a family member is taken with the promise they'd be returned, unharmed, when the individual did something for the kidnapper—in Osborne's case giving him access to what the man wanted in the bank. "I presume, as the president, you can do that."

"I can," Osborne replied succinctly. "Of course, I have no way to open the safety deposit boxes themselves without the owners' keys. In the event an owner loses their key, the bank has to drill the lock in order for them to access the box."

"Which the kidnapper and his associates undoubtedly plan to do. Did he say why tomorrow night rather than tonight?" Mike asked. "It seems to me the less time he has to keep your daughter hidden somewhere, the better for him."

"He didn't say. I can only presume he knows, or suspects, that there will be a larger amount of cash in the vault than normal tomorrow night because Thursday is the middle of the month. That's when many companies pay their employees, who will then either cash their checks or deposit them but take some cash as well."

Mike nodded. "He also might have taken your daughter today to up your tension so that you will do exactly as he asks. I presume he wants you to disable all the security on the premises before he and his associates arrive and while they're here."

"He didn't say so, specifically. He only said he would be in touch again this afternoon at four with the details of what I'm to do."

"Obviously, you haven't contacted the police since I'm here. May I ask why you want to hire me, rather than using whoever handles security for the bank?"

"A friend of mine used your services about six months ago and had nothing but praise for your abilities. He said you took a very personal interest in solving his problem, which is what I want. Personal and, obviously, without letting anyone else know that you are working for me."

"I try my best to do that with all my clients," Mike replied with a brief smile. He checked the time then said. "It's two o'clock. He told you he'd call you at four and you said that his phone number showed up as unlisted."

"Actually, as Unknown."

"All right. Any number can be tracked with the right equipment, which my partner has. With your permission, I want to bring him in on this."

"That's fine with me."

"Thank you. We'll be back at three thirty so he can set up whatever he needs to locate where the call is coming from and who owns the phone. Once we know that, we're one step closer to finding your daughter."

The Merger – 22

 

"Mike," Rosie said from the doorway to his office. It was almost one, Tuesday afternoon and he'd just returned from lunch. "You have a call on line one. A Mr. Osborne."

"Did he say what he wanted?"

"No. Just that it was urgent."

"Okay. Thanks." He picked up the office phone, saying, "Michael Harte here. How may I help you?"

"Mr. Harte. My name is Rupert Osborne. I don't know if you've heard of me."

Mike thought for a moment then replied, "Unless I'm mistaken, you are the president and CEO of Osborne Bank and Trust."

"I am." Osborne went silent, then said rather stiffly, as if it pained him, "I need your help."

"With what?"

"I'd rather not say over the phone."

"I can have my secretary make an appointment for you, Mr. Osborne."

"I'd prefer not to come to your offices. Would it be possible for you to come to the bank?"

His interest piqued, Mike replied, "I'd be willing to do that. I can be there by one thirty, if that works for you."

"It does. I'll tell my secretary to let me know the moment you arrive. The address is twenty-three Wilcox."

"All right. I'll see you soon." Mike hung up and immediately ran a search on Rupert Osborne. The man was in his mid-forties and had married his wife Linda ten years previously. They had one child, a seven-year-old daughter named Bethany. He came from money, his father having owned a prestigious manufacturing firm prior to his untimely death from cancer. Rupert had inherited the firm and immediately sold it, adding to his already-large fortune. From all accounts—and there were more than a few news stories about him—Osborne was a loving husband and father and a supporter of several charities, with no breath of scandal attached to his name.

So what's going on that he needs my help? I'm hardly in his class, socially or in terms of the agency. God only knows there are several large, well-staffed ones he could have called to help solve whatever his problem is.

Mike checked the time then put his computer to sleep before going into the waiting room to tell Rosie he'd be back. "Hopefully by three, since I've got an appointment with Mr. Daniels at three fifteen. If I'm not here, Josh should have returned from the job he's doing. Ask him to handle it, please."

The Merger – 21

 

"Someday," Mike said, panting as he collapsed on one of the benches along the canal's bike path.

"You'll beat me?" Josh grinned, dropping down beside him.

"You bet. Maybe not next Sunday or the one after, but someday."

"Then we stop running?" Josh asked.

"Hell, no. I like doing this, even if you are better than me."

"Ah-ha. You admit it."

Mike laughed, giving him a sweaty hug. "I think you proved it." Leaning back, he watched a middle-aged couple jogging their way. "Now them I could beat hands down."

Josh arched an eyebrow. "Maybe in the short haul, but I happen to know they run half-marathons and do quite well."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. They have the stamina it takes to do them. You, my man, are more of a short-distance runner."

"If I keep hanging out with you, I'll improve."

"That's the plan."

Mike cocked his head. "You have a plan?"

"Of course. To develop your stamina. You're going to need it to keep up with me when the time comes." Josh winked, jumped to his feet and started down the path, heading back the way they'd come.

He didn't mean that the way it sounded. Mike chuckled to himself as he took off after Josh. Of course he did and I have no problem with that.

When they got back to their cars, Mike said, "I'm starving. Want to stop for lunch somewhere?"

"Nope. We're eating here." Josh popped the trunk of his car, taking out a picnic basket. "It's too beautiful outside to spend the rest of the morning in some crowded restaurant, so I planned ahead." He carried the basket to a nearby picnic table. Opening it, he said, "We have blueberry muffins, breakfast burritos with potatoes, scrambled eggs, and cheese"—he took out a thermos—"orange juice and coffee." He held up another thermos.

"You even remembered plates and cups," Mike commented, taking them out of the basket. "No silverware?"

Josh handed him a foil-wrapped burrito. "For what?"

"Okay, I rescind the question," Mike replied when he realized everything was finger-food. "This is good," he said after taking a bite of the burrito.

Josh grinned. "Of course. I made it. There's hot sauce if you want it," he added, liberally dousing his burrito with some before handing the bottle to Mike.

Mike put a couple of drops on what he was eating, took a bite, and quickly took a gulp of his juice before looking at the bottle's label. "Habanero? Damn. Warn a guy."

"Wuss," Josh replied. "I could have gotten some made with ghost chilies."

"Shit, no. I've heard about them. I like my lips and tongue the way they are, thanks. Not burned to a crisp."

Josh looked at him, smiling. "I like them the way they are, too."

"Mr. Aston, are you coming on to me in a public park?"

"Nope. Just stating a fact. If I was coming on to you, I'd do this." Josh glanced around then kissed Mike.

For a moment, Mike savored the kiss. Then he pulled back, sucking in a breath. "You forgot you've been eating hot sauce," he said, taking another drink of orange juice.

Josh grinned. "Maybe I'm just a hot kisser."

"That goes without saying, in both ways. However, next time—"

"I dispense with the hot sauce?"

"Please?"

They laughed then went back to eating their picnic breakfast. When they'd finished, Josh obviously realized they hadn't touched the coffee, so he poured them each a cup.

Mike leaned back against the table, a feeling of contentment washing over him as he sipped his. "I could get used to this," he said.

"Relaxing on a Sunday morning?"

"I'm not sure we did that much relaxing, given the fact we ran for a good half hour, but yeah…spending the morning outdoors with sun, a nice breeze, and great scenery." He looked at Josh and winked. "Very great scenery."

Josh rolled his eyes. "You did not just go there."

"Did," Mike replied, moving closer to put one arm around Josh's shoulders. "We need to make this a regular thing."

"Of course. At least until it starts snowing."

"Which, thank God, won't happen for another four months, if we're lucky." Mike thought about asking what Josh had planned for the afternoon then decided not to push his luck. This whole being together thing is new for both of us. If we overdo it too soon… He smiled to himself. It's sort of like a box of candy. Eat the whole thing in a day and you get sick of it. Eat just a couple of pieces a day and you look forward to the next day and the next—then the next box.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few more minutes before Josh said, "I suppose we'd better get moving. I've got clothes to wash. I'm sure you've got chores that need doing, as well."

"Unfortunately, yes."

They gathered everything up, Josh packing the basket while Mike took the trash to one of the refuse containers. When they got to Josh's car, Mike put his hands on Josh's shoulders. Kissing him, he said, "I had fun."

"Me, too. Right now I wish it was next Sunday—or Friday, if we want to do something again Friday night."

"We do," Mike said emphatically, earning a bright smile from Josh. "We'll figure out what sometime this week. For now, though, I'll see you in the morning."

"Bright and early," Josh replied with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah. At nine, when we open." Mike gave and got back a kiss before he walked to his car. He waved when Josh drove past him, got in then headed home.