“Carl, I know you are worried sick about your daughter. But you must keep calm. We don’t know yet if anything has happened. We might be overreacting, and nothing serious has happened,” Agent Morris consoled Carl while driving to the city. Carl sat on the backseat, while Agent Ramon sat next to Morris.
Looking distraught, Carl stared outside through the window, the passing cars as they sped along the highway-
“Maybe Sam is with Ursula and left her phone in her apartment. Let me try her number,” Carl replied and dialed Ursula’s number.
“No answer.”
“Keep trying. She might answer.”
“And if she doesn’t…”
“Then it is possible that Harley has managed to capture her, too.”
“What will he do to them?” Carl turned to Agent Morris and his eyes were filled with despair.
“I can assure you he will keep Samantha alive as long as he believes he will get his ransom money. It’s always been the money first. He has not tortured anyone if the money has been delivered in time and just as he had asked. If we don’t deviate from his plan, and if we obey his orders, then I’m sure we’ll get Samantha back alive and well.”
“And Ursula?”
“If she doesn’t have any money, she has no worth for him, unless he thinks she will get him more money from you because she’s Samantha’s friend.”
“I hope they both are well.” But Carl didn’t sound relieved.
“But if something goes wrong, Ursula will be killed first.”
“Samantha would be devastated. She is her best friend. Her only friend. She is a strange friend, but she is loyal, and she loves Samantha.”
“Would you pay ransom for her, too?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. It depends on the terms. I have to think about that.”
A deep silence came over. It was an uncomfortable silence because Carl was thinking how unreal and unthinkable situation it was: how do you put a price tag on friendship? How much would she be worth to him or to Samantha?
Agent Morris’s thoughts were also somber. Harley was again one step ahead of the law enforcement if he had succeeded capturing Samantha and Ursula. However, this time was different because he might have two women imprisoned. This was also the end game because Samantha was the one that got away and the one, he had tried to marry once.
His partner, Agent Ramon, was on the phone with the local law enforcement and informed where they were going, and the possibility Harley might be there with two hostages.