As it turned out, getting five million dollars in cash on short notice was more of a problem than any of them had anticipated. Nick had the funds but not in liquid assets. Converting it to cash would incur time that they didn’t have.
Finally, it had been Langston who’d arranged the transaction through the business account of Collingsworth Oil. Becky wasn’t sure how Langston had explained his need for so much money in small denominations, but apparently he had, or else the bank didn’t ask questions of their larger business accounts.
Becky and Nick were on their way into Houston to pick up the money from one of the main branches now. Nick was still in obvious pain from Sunday’s injury, so Becky was at the wheel and fighting the noonday traffic. Nick was holding his head at a weird angle and massaging the back of his neck.
“Do you have something to take for the pain?” she asked.
“Back at the ranch, but I’m not taking anything that affects my judgment.”
Becky took the freeway exit to the downtown area. The city was decorated for the holidays with huge wreaths on the fronts of buildings and storefronts and holiday displays in all the shop windows. The light changed to red, and she stopped near the corner where a Salvation Army worker was standing by her kettle and ringing a large red bell.
The spirit of the season came crashing down on Becky like blankets of gloom. Ever since the boys were old enough to tear wrapping paper from a present, Christmas had been her favorite time of year. She loved the carols and decorations, the boys’ excitement and the traditions.
They always decorated the tree before dinner on Christmas Eve. The entire family took part, but David and Derrick had more fun than anyone even though they spent as much time sneaking fudge from the kitchen as they did hanging ornaments.
Then, as far back as Becky could remember, they’d had hot tamales and Texas chili on Christmas Eve before leaving for the community Christmas pageant at their church. It was the highlight of the evening with even the eggnog, hot chocolate and desserts that followed taking a backseat.
“Derrick has a speaking part in the Christmas pageant, and David plays his drum.” She didn’t know why she’d blurted that out except that the thought of Christmas without them was unbearable.
“They’ll be there for it,” Nick said. “The boys will be back with us by tonight.”
She wanted desperately to believe that, but the cold, hard knots of doubt wouldn’t let go. The light changed again, and she sped through the intersection, eager to get the money in hand.
“I’d like to be here for the pageant,” Nick said. “And for Christmas morning, too.”
The old resentment surged. “Don’t you have a big game in Chicago on Saturday?” Even when he hadn’t been cleared to dress out, he’d always traveled with the team.
“I’ll miss the game,” he said.
“Are you feeling guilty, Nick?”
“I just think it’s important that I be here for Christmas this year. Can we just leave it at that?”
She spotted the bank ahead and determinedly forced her bitterness aside. She parked the car in a lot across the street from the bank. Nick paid the attendant while she grabbed the large valises they’d bought for the money and locked the car door. When they left the bank, an armed guard in street clothes would walk them to the car.
“I’ll take those,” Nick said, joining her and slipping the bags from her arm.
He slung the strap over his left shoulder and linked his right arm with hers. An incredible feeling of déjà vu swept over her. Walking arm in arm with Nick, the valise over his shoulder, a feeling of urgency burned inside both of them.
Like the night they’d rushed to the hospital for the twins to be born. Her water had broken and she’d been propelled into labor with strong contractions that came much faster than normal. Nick had flown into action, trying to be tough but clearly as frightened as she was. But he’d stayed with her every second.
The image of him holding both the boys in his arms minutes after they were born pushed its way into her mind. His smile. His wet eyes. The tenderness when he’d kissed her and thanked her for giving him the world. She shivered as the memories took hold.
Nick let his hand slip down to encase hers. “It’s going to be okay, baby. This is all going to be okay.”
But who was Nick to promise a happy ending?
* * *
DAVID WAS CURLED UP in a smelly old chair with stains all over it. He looked like he was asleep, but Derrick saw his eyes move every now and then and figured he was just faking it, probably thinking about Derrick’s stupid plan.
It had sounded great in the dark. The kidnapper couldn’t watch them every second. He had to go to the bathroom and when he did, they’d raise one of the windows, kick out the screen and make a run for it.
They were fast. Derrick had won the relay race at school field day last year, and David had come in second. The kidnapper wouldn’t have a chance to catch them if they had a head start. Sure, they might get lost in the woods, but Derrick wasn’t worried about that. Uncle Matt had taken them camping lots of times and taught them all about survival. They’d find their way back to the road and wave down a passing car. Super easy.
Problem was that while they were locked in the bedroom last night, the kidnapper had nailed wood over the rest of the windows. That had made Derrick really mad, but he wasn’t giving up. He just needed a better plan. He’d seen all the Home Alone movies a bunch of times. If that kid could take care of himself, so could Derrick and David.
In fact he and David could do it better. There were two of them and only one jerky kidnapper. That’s why he wasn’t really all that afraid. He’d let them out of the bedroom this morning, but the house was sealed tight. The kidnapper had the key to the front door and the back door was nailed shut.
The guy was lying on the lumpy old sofa now, whistling that same weird tune he was always whistling and watching a movie on the old TV that kept fading in and out. It looked like it could be a hundred years old, except their neighbor Billy Mack had told him they didn’t have television back then.
Derrick waited for the commercial. The guy always hollered for him to shut up if he talked during the show. An advertisement for Dodge trucks popped up on the screen.
“How come you live out here all by yourself?”
“’Cause I’m not filthy rich like your parents.”
“You could get a job and make some money.”
“Don’t get smart with me, kid.”
“I wasn’t.”
The picture on the screen started rolling, and the man went over to fiddle with the knobs again. When that didn’t work, he took the screwdriver from his back pocket and made a few adjustments on the back of the set. The picture steadied. He went back to the sofa and dropped the screwdriver onto the table next to him, beneath a heavy lamp that had scratch marks all over it.
Derrick walked over and propped on the edge of the sofa. He picked up the screwdriver and ran his fingers along the tapered tip. “Did you kidnap us ’cause our daddy’s a superstar?”
“Who told you he was a superstar?”
“Nobody, but he is. He’s been to the Pro Bowl three times.”
“Is that what it takes these days for a kid to like his old man? You gotta be a superstar?”
“No,” Derrick said. “You just have to love your kids like you’re supposed to. Didn’t your daddy love you?”
“Yeah. So much he beat me every time he got drunk and yelled at me when he was sober. Now, shut up. My show’s back on.”
“What about your mom?” Derrick asked, ignoring the man’s comments to shut up.
“What about her?”
“Did she take care of you?”
“Yeah, sure, sometimes. When she was around. Enough with the questions. I didn’t need nobody when I was a kid and don’t need nobody now.”
“Then why don’t you just let us go?”
The guy didn’t answer. But Derrick knew he wasn’t going to let them go until he had the money from their parents, and he didn’t see how Momma and Daddy would get five million dollars.
Derrick got up and walked to the kitchen though there was nothing in there to eat. They’d finished off the last two burgers for breakfast this morning. That had been hours ago. He wondered what Juanita was cooking for lunch.
He opened the refrigerator and looked at the empty shelves. That’s when he heard the yell, a high-pitched shriek that sounded as if someone had their arm torn off at the shoulder. Derrick took off for the living room and then stopped in the doorway staring at the blood pooling on the floor by the couch.
Now he was scared.
“Quick, grab the door key out of his pocket, and get your jacket. We gotta get out of here,” David yelled.
Derrick didn’t move. He just stared at the kidnapper. The man was sprawled out on the floor behind the television set, blood pouring from a cut on the back of his head. The lamp was lying on the floor next to him, its shade at a cockeyed angle. “What happened?”
“He was tinkering with the TV, and I snuck up on him and hit him with the lamp.”
“Do you think he’s dead?”
“I don’t know. C’mon. We have to get out of here now.”
Derrick leaned over the man. He’d seen a dead cow before, but he’d never seen a dead man. It creeped him out, but he reached into the front pocket of the man’s trousers and retrieved his key ring.
Derrick wasn’t sure which one opened the door, so he tossed the key ring to David. He still wasn’t sure if the man was breathing, but he could hear his own heart. It sounded like a banging drum.
David had found the right key and had the door open when Derrick saw the man’s hand move. He wasn’t dead, just knocked out. And when he came to, he was going to be roaring mad. Time to haul it.
Derrick picked up the screwdriver and grabbed his jacket from the back of a chair. He didn’t know why he needed the tool, but it seemed like a good idea to have it. He took off running as fast as he could, finally catching up with David at the edge of the woods. They kept running, tripping over roots and getting hung up in branches and vines.
Derrick’s legs started to ache. His chest hurt, too. And he was thirsty. He was glad when David stopped and leaned against a tree trunk.
“Do you think he’s chasing us?” Derrick asked when he’d caught his breath enough to talk.
“He thinks he’s getting five million dollars for us,” David said. “What do you think?”
“Yeah, but you hurt him bad.”
“Nah. I knocked him out, but his legs will still work when he comes to. We have to keep moving and try to find a road.”
“We should have stolen his cell phone,” Derrick said. “Then we could have called Momma or Daddy or 911.”
“Yeah, but we didn’t. So we gotta keep on the move. I don’t want to spend the night in the woods.”
“We can do it if we have to.” Derrick tried to sound brave since he hadn’t done much toward helping them escape. “We’ve slept under the stars before when we were camping with Uncle Matt.”
“We had food then,” David said. “And lanterns.”
And Uncle Matt, though neither of them mentioned that now. Derrick jumped at a sound like cracking twigs in the distance. And then they heard the man’s voice calling their names.
“Keep up with me,” David called, and he was off again with Derrick right behind him. “I don’t want to have to really hurt that man.”