Nick paused. Rachel stayed where she was, her fingers curling and uncurling nervously.
“I’ll be upstairs in my bedroom.” Suzan glanced at Joe before nearly running to the stairs.
Nick bent toward Joe, putting a foot on the horizontal brace attached to the two front chair legs. He fired off an arc into the man’s exposed testicles. Rachel looked away as the chair jumped and Joe passed out. Nick went into the kitchen. He returned with a towel and glass of water. Placing the towel over Joe’s groin area, Nick slowly dripped the cold water over the man’s contorted face and head. Joe woke up screaming, a high pitched keening from his throat, muffled by the tape.
“Joe… you see, there are things worse than death. Once you calm down, I’ll take the duct tape off your mouth. Then you’re going to answer some questions, and we’ll start working together to get the children home safe and sound, right?”
Joe’s head bobbed up and down violently in agreement.
“That’s the spirit.” Nick pulled the tape off.
For a moment, Joe mouthed words without sound. Nick held up a hand in a stopping gesture in front of Joe’s face. He allowed Rachel to move closer. He could tell thoughts of Jean in the hands of some guy like Joe were eating her up from the inside out.
“Wait for it, Joe, wait for it. I don’t want you wasting your breath on what you think I might want to know. Tell me how this plan started.”
“Suzan…Suzan recognized…Hunter and her kid. Christ…give me something for the pain!”
“Concentrate, Joe, or you’ll be nostalgic for the pain level you’re at now.”
“Her husband…had the photo. She only knew someone was…looking for them. Carl knew the story already.” Joe closed his eyes, mouth clamping shut, his head rolling in an attempt to control the pain. Nick slapped Joe’s face lightly, bringing him out of it. “When…Suzan told him she saw them at the pool, Carl brought us the photo.”
“You knew about the safety deposit box. Do you know where it is?”
“We…we heard Florida.”
“Give me the plan you guys hatched, short and sweet.”
“Ta…take Hunter down to Florida and get the stuff…sell it to the highest bidder.”
“And the rest of us?”
Joe hesitated, but after a glance into Nick’s eyes, he went on. “Dead…the moment I… had Hunter on the way to Florida.”
“Suzan and her kids too?”
Joe nodded.
“Did you contact anyone else about Rachel or your plan…maybe some investors?”
Joe shook his head in the negative, grimacing as waves of excruciating pain continued to rip through him.
“Good, now what were you to do next with your partner?”
“Tell him when…when I had you two wrapped up…and found out about Carl. He…he was to drive the kids back over in our van…and -”
“Stay here while you and Rachel headed for Florida?”
Joe nodded. “Then he would…drive out in the desert…with the rest of you.”
“Your partner must be a real piece of work. Okay, so you call your partner, tell him we’re all bound up and ready. Have him drive the van into the garage when he gets here, and come in through the kitchen. Rachel, see if you can find a pen and paper.”
Rachel checked the kitchen first. She returned with pen and paper, handing them to Nick.
“Give me the address where your buddy’s holding the kids, Joe.”
Joe gave him the address.
“I…I can hardly talk…he’ll know something’s wrong.”
“I’m going to find something to help you deal with the pain.” Nick grabbed Joe’s ears, his face inches away. “If you mess up, Joe, I’ll still get those kids back, but when I’m done with your partner, I’ll take you out in the desert and keep you alive for four days. When the four days are done, you’ll embrace hell with open arms. Are we clear?”
“I…I’ll do it… Just give me something to take the edge off,” Joe promised fearfully.
“You have chosen wisely. Rachel, go see if Suzan has any heavy duty pain killers.”
Rachel ran to the stairs, hope driving her with energy and purpose. She found Suzan huddled up on the bed, fists pressed against her mouth. When Suzan heard Rachel, she leaped quickly from the bed, her face a mask of misery and concern.
“We need pain killers. Do you have anything that won’t knock somebody out, but might take the edge off the pain?”
Suzan looked at Rachel blankly for a moment, and then hurried into the master bathroom. She pulled a bottle of pills off the top shelf and handed them to Rachel.
“They’re OxyContin. Two will take the edge off, and then it would be guess work.”
“Thanks,” Rachel turned to go. Suzan grabbed her arm.
“I…I’m sorry, Rachel. If I’d had any idea what -”
“Forget it. Joe told us you didn’t know.”
“Is there any chance we can get the kids back?”
“Oh yeah.” Rachel patted Suzan’s shoulder. “If it can be done, that cold-blooded bastard downstairs will do it. You can come down if you want. Joe’s helping.”
Suzan followed Rachel downstairs. Nick was binding Joe’s wounded knees with towels from Suzan’s kitchen, using duct tape to hold them tightly in place, staunching the blood flow. He had already cleaned up the mess from his interrogation of Joe, stuffing the refuse into another black plastic bag. Joe suffered in silence, enduring anything so as not to draw Nick’s attention. Rachel handed Nick the bottle.
“OxyContin,” Rachel told him. “Suzan says two will take the edge off, but it gets flaky from there.”
Nick emptied two from the bottle. He picked up the water glass he had used to wake Joe up. He stuck the tablets into Joe’s mouth, and held the water glass to his lips until Joe sipped enough to get the tablets swallowed.
“Is the garage empty, Suzan?”
“Yes…Joe had me park my car along the street.”
“What kind of vehicle did they come in?”
“A van…ah…dark blue,” Suzan answered. “It was one of those old beat up Dodge Tradesman vans. They checked to see if it would fit in my garage before Joe’s partner took the kids. What can you do about his partner without getting the kids hurt?”
“Let me worry that through, Suzan.” Nick looked closely at Joe’s face. Some of the pain lines were fading and Joe had relaxed his jaw somewhat. “Talk to me, Joe. Time’s running out.”
“I can do it!” he cried out, as Nick picked up the stun gun again when Joe was slow answering. “Bring me my cellphone. It’s on the stand near the couch. The number’s on speed dial under Craig.”
Rachel picked up the cell-phone and handed it to Nick. After finding and entering the number, Nick held the cellphone for Joe.
“Craig…we’re all set. Drive the van into the garage. Come in through the kitchen,” Joe said, and then listened for Craig’s acknowledgment. “Okay, see ya.”
Nick closed the cell phone and pocketed it. He went to his gym bag. Nick motioned for Rachel to follow him over. Nick removed an odd shaped gun from the bag. He held it up for her to see.
“Here’s what we do. Suzan, you trigger the garage door open, but leave the connecting door to the kitchen closed. When Craig comes in the kitchen this Taser gun will stop him. Rachel, after Craig’s down, I’ll give you the gun while I duct tape him. Zap him any time he moves.”
“You’re like the Inspector Gadget of Assassins,” Rachel joked, when Suzan went into the garage through the kitchen to open the door.
Nick smiled. Damn, good recovery lady. You’ll do. “Just hold the gun in your hand, and hit the trigger if Craig has any life in him after the initial zapping. I need Craig alive though.”
Nick turned to Joe, who looked noticeably better. “If you have anything to add in addition to what you’ve already said, now’s the time, Joe. If your partner’s story doesn’t match yours, it’ll go badly for you.”