The expressions were stern, the eyes cold, the jaws firmly set. They were all dressed in black. Black slacks, black polo shirts and black wool skullcaps. Kenneth turned around in his seat so that he could address Sean and Marshall at the same time in the dark.
‘Let’s go over the plan again.’
‘We’ve already gone over the plan a dozen times,’ Sean said.
‘Yes, I know. But this is my son. I don’t want any mistakes.’
‘Kenneth is right. I’ll start first,’ Marshall offered. They each talked about their role in the plan. As they concluded, Kenneth’s phone rang.
‘Hello.’
‘Mr. Johnson. I trust you have now calmed down.’
‘It’s him,’ Kenneth whispered. ‘I’m still angry, but I’ll talk with you now.’
‘Excellent. Let’s get down to business. I want what is mine, and then I can give you back your son.’
‘OK. How do we do this?’
‘I will pick up the package from your home and then will inform you where to pick up your son.’
‘No way! I don’t want you anywhere near my home. And how would I know my son will be safe after you get what you want?’
‘You don’t. And you don’t have a choice.’
‘I have an alternative plan.’
‘Oh? Why would I be interested in an alternative plan?’
‘Do you want your keys or not?’
There was silence on the line for a few moments. ‘OK. Tell me your plan.’
‘There is a baseball game taking place right now at Joe Robbie stadium. I can call and book tickets that can be left at the box office for you to pick up. When you get to your seat, you can call me and I’ll tell you where you can find the keys within the stadium. When you get the keys, I’ll go and pick up Kenny from the seat.’
Once again, there was silence on the line for a few moments.
‘OK. That’s sounds reasonable.’
‘Good. Call me when you are leaving so I can arrange for the tickets in good time.’
The line went dead.
‘Well?’ Sean peered at Kenneth.
‘He bought it.’
‘OK. Let’s get set up.’
Grim-faced, they opened the doors of the Navigator and got out in unison.
The phone vibrated. Kenneth looked up and touched his ear, looking back at the Navigator. Sean nodded his head. Kenneth reached up to a button on the headphones and pressed it. ‘Hello?’
‘I am leaving now Mr. Johnson.’
‘Hold on.’ Kenneth pressed the button again. ‘Sean, do you have him yet?’
‘It’s coming. The triangulation will take about thirty seconds. You have to find a way to keep him on the line for that long.’
‘This wasn’t part of the plan!’
‘I know. I know. The stadium is causing some interference with the signal.’
Exasperated, Kenneth turned and looked across the lot. ‘Marshall, do you see anything?’
‘No. I don’t see any movement in my direction.’
Kenneth’s heart sank. ‘I’ll try and hold him. Thirty seconds?’
‘Yes, I think so,’ Sean breathed.
‘You better be right.’ Kenneth fingered his phone. ‘Hello?’
‘What the hell is going on?’
‘I was checking on the tickets.’
‘This doesn’t feel right. Did you get the tickets?’
‘No. Not yet. Let me check again.’ Kenneth paused. ‘Is that OK?’
‘Go ahead. I’m waiting.’
Kenneth fingered his phone again. ‘Well, Sean?’
‘Not yet.’
‘How much longer?’ Kenneth almost shouted into the phone.
‘I don’t know. It’s not working the way I expected. Something is blocking one of the signals and stalling the triangulation.’
‘Oh my Lord!’
‘I’m sorry Kenneth. I’m trying everything.’
‘Try harder!’ There was silence on the line. Kenneth sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I know you are doing all that you can. How much longer do you need?’
‘Another thirty seconds?’
‘I’ll try.’
‘I’ll go and do some scouting around the grounds,’ Marshall chimed in.
‘No. Stick to the plan,’ Kenneth snapped.
‘I can help by looking around.’
‘Stick to the plan!’
‘He won’t see me. I’ll be back before you know it.’
‘Marshall!’ There was no response. ‘Marshall!’ Still no response. Kenneth sighed, ‘Sean, please! As fast as you can. Please!’
‘I’m trying.’
Kenneth fingered his phone. ‘Hello?’
‘I’m getting tired of this, Mr. Johnson.’
‘Not much longer now. They said they were having some trouble with the credit card authorization system, so there was a delay. I’m sorry. I’m working on this.’
‘Make it quick, Mr. Johnson.’
Kenneth switched lines again. ‘Sean. Tell me you have something.’
‘Yes. Only a few more seconds. Hold on! I got it! He is in the northwest corner of the lot, walking away from us!’
‘Marshall!’
‘I’m almost there already!’
‘Sean. Move the car around that side of the lot!’
‘On the way.’
Kenneth fingered the phone, while jogging north across the lot, around the large expanse of buildings. ‘Hello?’
‘Yes, Mr. Johnson.’
‘We are all set now. You can pick up your tickets at the ticket office. They will be there in my name. The password to get the tickets is STONES.’
‘You have a sense of humour, Mr. Johnson, despite the situation. I like that.’
‘Right. Well just make sure that …’
A large trumpet blared over the loud speakers on the top of the dog track. ‘Welcome ladies and gentlemen to tonight’s meet at the Flagler Dog Track!’
Kenneth fumbled with his phone, trying to engage the mute. He turned the corner of the building to see the South African standing looking down at his phone. Then he looked up at the top of the Dog Track building. For a moment he stood motionless.
‘Mr. Johnson!’ he screamed into the phone. ‘You think this is a game! You think this is the Hardy Boys?’ He held up his phone and shouted, ‘Where are you Mr. Johnson? No more games!’
Kenneth hesitated. He wasn’t sure what to do. ‘Marshall? Are you near them yet?’
‘Almost. I can see him now.’
‘Can you see Kenny?’
‘Not really. They are in the shadows. I can’t tell how many of them there are, or which one is Kenny. I’m going to try and get closer.’
‘Mr. Johnson!’ The South African’s voice was shrill.
Kenneth quickened his pace, weaving between the vehicles in the lot, while dropping the headphones and sticking an earpiece in his ear and connecting it to his phone.
‘Mr. Johnson!’
‘Here I am.’ Kenneth stepped out from behind a pickup truck about fifty yards away from the South African.
The South African spun around. His eyes were wide. ‘You think this is a game?’ He stretched his arm behind him and pulled Kenny from the darkness and pushed him to the ground before him. ‘You think you can outsmart me?’ The South African reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun and pointed it at Kenny.
‘No! No! Surely we can work something out!’ Kenny screamed as he ran forward.
‘The time for that is over now.’
Suddenly there was a sound behind the South African. A large heavy-set man stumbled out of the darkness holding the back of his head. Blood was running down his neck. Marshall burst out of the darkness holding a pipe over his head. Before he could lower the pipe, the South African sidestepped him. There were two flashes of light followed by loud explosions and Marshall was thrown to the ground. He did not move.
‘What is wrong with you amateurs? You don’t get it, do you?’ The South African strode forward and stood over Kenny, glaring at Kenneth. ‘This is not a game. I don’t play games.’ He looked down at Kenny who still lay on the ground, looking up in terror at the South African. ‘I tried to be reasonable, but I guess you have to feel pain before you do as you are told.’ He aimed the gun at Kenny and fired. Kenny’s head rocked back and hit the ground with a sickening thud. Blood quickly pooled under his head.
‘No!’ Kenneth screamed and sprinted across the fifty-yard distance and dropped beside Kenny. ‘No! No!’ He was having trouble seeing Kenny’s face as the tears welled up in his eyes.
‘No! No!’
‘Kenneth! Kenneth!’
‘No!’
‘Kenneth!’
Kenneth could feel himself being shaken. He opened his eyes to see Jenny’s sleep-veiled eyes staring at him, concern written across her face.
‘Kenneth? Are you OK?’
Kenneth raised his head from the desk and looked around the room, confused.
‘Sweetheart, are you OK? You were screaming on the top of your voice.’ Jenny stroked his face.
Kenneth pointed towards the blackboard with his chin. The blackboard had a diagram of the Flagler Dog Track on it, with notes and formulas scribbled around it.
‘The plan. Let’s call off the plan. We have to find another way.’