KIDNAPPED

CHAPTER 2

PROMISES KEPT

I went into town the next day about midmorning to visit with some friends before sticking my nose into a hornets nest. I had known the local cops ever since grade school. They were good guys as well as competent officers. They also knew the work I did and were glad to see me when I walked into their downtown office.

" Hey Amigo, How's married life?", Ricky couldn't help envying my redheaded wife and her redheaded cousin from out west. He knew they weren't really cousins, but accepted the lame excuse because it kept the local bible thumpers from expecting him to be the moral police. Being Sheriff and keeping the peace was enough to keep him busy.

" It's great. You should try it.", I said as I sat across from him. " The reason I came by today is to ask if you guys would mind if I snoop around a little and see what I can come up with on the kidnapping yesterday."

" If you let me try it, I'll let you snoop around.", Ricky didn't bother to hide his lust for my women.

" I'm not a pimp. It's a free country and we can all make choices."

" The feds will be here by lunch. They won't share that opinion. The Mayor's plenty pissed. He has called everybody from the governor on down. He's been pushing every agency in the area to crack down on the local upsurge in criminal activity and I suspect this is a result of that effort. I don't mind you snooping , but share what you find. You may not give a shit about your career but I don't mind telling you I could use the kudos when I apply to the FBI this fall."

" I'll be in touch. I want to go over the crime scene before it gets any older."

" It's been gone over. The only descriptions of the men were vague. The van was plain white without markings and the plates had been removed." Ricky tipped an imaginary hat as I waved over my shoulder and left the building. There wasn't much time to investigate the scene before Uncle Sam got involved.

I arrived at the park only to find the place crawling with kids who had disregarded the bright yellow police line tape and were having a blast destroying any evidence that may have remained.

I sat on a bench in the shade and imagined the events of the kidnapping. There was nothing high tech about it. A simple snatch and run. It was executed very well though. That suggested that the suspects had planned well, and worked together before.

It was to smooth in fact. During the relating of their tale neither Connie or Tera had said that they had heard any of the men saying anything at all. None of the men had talked. They went to work, got the job done and left. They sounded like pros.

There was something bigger going on here. The rise in crime, the influx of gangs, and now a kidnapping to tell the police to stay out of it. This sounded like organized crime to me. But why here in the middle of nowhere?

My train of thought was broken by a little girl sitting down next to me. I looked at her and she must have guessed from my worried look what was on my mind.

" Are you going to find Nick? He was my friend.", her blue eyes were sadder than a child's should ever be.

" Yes.", I said it with certainty. I didn't know how, but I was confidant about my abilities. She seemed glad someone was going to help.

" I saw what they did to Nick's mom when then they took Nick.", the little angel said.

I was wasting time here. If there had been any evidence it was gone by now. I stood to leave when little miss blue eyes said a mouthful. " They must go to school here. They had the same sticker that my brother has on his car. The one that let's him park at school. Will you look for them there?"

From the mouth of babes. I could find out who owned the van and if it had been reported stolen, or not. It was somewhere to start. Ricky hadn't mentioned anything about stickers or vans being stolen. It was movement, and any movement is better than sitting on your ass without a clue.

I talked to the other kids and determined they hadn't been there the day before. I excused myself from little angel eyes and headed back to the sheriff's office to share my lead. I needed to enlist Ricky's help in approaching school security. We needed to know the owners of any white nondescript vans parking at the highschool. He could at least have a list of possible suspects ready for the Feds, and the Mayor.

" He's gonna owe me, big.", I said as I began the short drive to his office.

It hit me along the way that Nick's kidnappers hadn't covered their faces. That meant they had no intention of releasing him, or they weren't going to be around long enough to be identified by him or anyone else. It was a good indication that they were not local, but instead probably called in as unknown enforcers. The fact that several people had seen them told me the latter was closer to the truth. Nick was most likely alive.

I was feeling pretty good when I strode into the S.O. ready to make Ricky's day and maybe his career. He on the other hand looked like someone had just shot his dog.

" The Mayor is on his way. The Feds are ten minutes away and they are all looking to me for preliminary answers. I'm going to look like a hick to these guys.", he said sitting rubbing his face in his hands.

Time being brief I didn't waste any time enjoying his discomfort. " Get on the phone with school security and get a list of names of anyone with a permit to park a white van on campus.", I said smiling.

Ricky looked into my face and smiled as he picked up the phone. He knew me well enough to know I had something to give him. He didn't need to know what just yet. It was enough for now that he was doing something. He spoke to security for a only moment before he hung up and moved to his fax machine to wait for the list to arrive.

" Now, tell me what put you on the trail of the van.", he asked.

I ran it down for him before the fax machine spit out it's short list. He looked it over then showed me the three names and addresses.

" It's a start. That's more than I had a few minutes ago.", he managed to say before the one federal agent came in, followed by a distressed looking Mayor.

The Mayor began by asking, " Any word yet?"

" We have three possibles on the van.", Ricky said and handing him the list. " I just received this from my cousin in school security. I haven't had a chance to investigate yet, but it's promising."

" My name is Agent Webber. I'm with the FBI, stationed in Dallas. I've been assigned to this case per request to our office by your Mayor. Any information on this case is to be kept to ourselves until I decide what's to be released. Is that understood?" He took the list from the Mayor and didn't bother to look at it until he was confidant nobody was going to question his authority.

I already didn't like this guy. He was a prick. My first impression is usually right on the money, and this guy was definitely a prick.

Special Agent Webber looked in my direction and must have felt the same way about me. " And just who are you?"

" Just a concerned citizen here to help."

" Your concern is appreciated, but you're no longer needed here.", he dismissed me, without knowing anything about the case, or me.

" I prefer to keep a tight lid on information in my cases. Until further notice you clear all questions about this case by outsiders through me. Until then you have no comment on anything", the talking dick said, only to the Mayor and Ricky.

" If you'll excuse us we have work to do.", again, I was being dismissed.

Ricky started to speak, but I held up my hand to silence him and said," I'll see you later Sheriff. If you have any more questions for me, you know where to find me."

My work here was done, I thought. I had been told to butt-out in no uncertain terms. That was fine with me. I could go home and get laid and be happy again. The only prick in my house belonged to me and I could do whatever I wanted with it. I didn't need the aggravation of some Fed dick-head on a power trip causing ripples in my little pond.

The air seemed cleaner outside. I felt eyes on me as I left and knew that questions were being asked. I was glad to be rid of the whole affair. My girls would like the fact that I had helped and done all I could before I was sent away. Maybe they would show me how much when I got home. It was still early, and the evening held promise.