TOM REED
STAFF WRITER
THE SAN FRANCISCO STAR
415-555-7571
It was his dad’s direct line.
Zach pressed the buttons for the number, shaking sobadly he misdialed. Please, he sniffed and redialed. There. He put the phone tohis ear, the line clicked, and began ringing.
Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.
Keller sat before the TV news coverage of Zach Reed’sabduction, his finger unconsciously caressing the body of Christ on the silvercrucifix around his neck.
They have not died. I can bring them back.
“…it is unbelievable what has happened…”
Skip Lopez, a green reporter for Channel 19’s ActionNews team gripped his microphone.
“Zach Reed, the nine-year-old son of Tom Reed, areporter with The San Francisco Star, was abducted this afternoon fromthis hobby store in Berkeley. Reed had been covering the earlier kidnappings oftwo other San Francisco children, Danny Becker and Gabrielle Nunn, when thislatest abduction occurred…”
Squeak-creak.
W-what was — Keller heard little voices. Water? Thebathroom?
“Mr. Jenkins, sir.” Gabriel was calling.
Keller left the living room and found Daniel andGabriel in the bathroom, fearful. “What is it?” Water cascaded from the toilet,puddling on the floor. Obviously it was backed up. He found a plunger under thesink.
“Step away,” he told them. A few solid churns clearedthe blockage. “Use the towels,” he pointed to the spilled water. Returning tothe news, he stopped in his tracks.
Michael?
He hurried back to the bathroom.
No sign of Michael.
SEVENTY-ONE
Sydowski shouted Reed’s name again.
Why was he yelling his name, holding up his phone?
“Tom! Tom, it’s Zach!”
Zach?
But Zach’s kidnapped, how could he be calling? … Zach!
The impact of the call hit Reed like a bullet, nearlyshort-circuiting his brain. He flew across the newsroom, seizing the phone fromSydowski.
“Zach!”
“Dad?” He was crying.
Reed lost his breath. Had to think clearly.
“Zach, where are you?”
“I don’t know. I think we crossed the Bay Bridge.”
“Are you hurt?
“No, but I think he wants to do something bad to us.”
“Us?”
“GET A NUMBER, ADDRESS, AREA CODE,” Sydowski scrawledon the note he thrust into Reed’s face.
“Zach, is there a number — ”
“The other kids are here too, Dad. Gabrielle andDanny.”
“Zach, is there a number on the phone? Something withan address? Can you see any buildings you know? Run to a neighbor?”
Zach left the line and Reed heard him moving thehandset.
“We’re locked in and all it says on the phone is4-1-5.”
“4-1-5? That’s all it says?” Zach was in the city.
“We don’t have a tap up yet! He’s in the city. Tellhim to hang up now and dial 9-1-1. An address will flash for the dispatcher.”
“Daddy, I don’t know what to do.” Zach was whimpering.
“Zach, son, listen to me carefully — ”
“Tom, do it now!”
“Dad? He tricked me, Dad, he tricked me so good. Hesaid Mom was hurt and — ”
Reed gulped. “He lied. Listen — ”
“Now, Tom! Tell him to call 9-1-1 now!”
“Zach, listen to me. Hang up now and — ”
“Hang up! Dad, no! You come and get me!”
“Son, listen, hang up and dial 9-1-1! We’ll get theaddress!”
“Dad, you have to come get me, please!”
“Zach, listen to me! Do as I say!”
“Dad, don’t yell at me.”
Reed covered his face with his free hand.
If only he could reach through the Pacific Bell cablesand pull him to safety. If only he could touch him. He didn’t want to lose himthis time, this was his last chance. His only chance.
Sydowski was talking softly, forcefully, to someone onanother line then turned to him. “Goddamnit, Tom, do it now!”
“Zachary, you do as I tell you! Hang up and dial 9-1-1now!”
“Daddy, I’m afraid.”
“Do it, son, I’m going to hang up!” Reed sniffed.
“Dad, don’t. Daddy! Don’t, please!”
“I love you. Call 9-1-1 now!”
“Dad, he scares me, he going to do something to us!”
Reed squeezed the phone, clinging to the fiber-opticthread connecting him to Zach. The plastic handset cracked under his grip.
“You call 9-1-1 now, or I’m going to kick your butt.Do it!”
Reed slammed the phone down, his heart breaking as heburied his face in his hands. The newsroom was silent, except for a camera’sclicking, and Molly Wilson’s tape recorder being switched off. People hadgathered around Reed’s desk; men muttering curses, women covering their mouths.The lifeline to Zach had slipped through Reed’s fingers, paying out deeper intoan abyss with each second.
Wait until it happens to you.
Sydowski remained on his open line to the 911 supervisor.A minute passed, two, five. The newsroom had caller ID, but Zach’s call hadcome up blocked. Finally ten full minutes ticked by with no 911 call to theemergency line from Zach. It should have come within thirty seconds.
Something had happened. Something went wrong. It wasin Sydowski’s face.
“Tom.” Sydowski squeezed his shoulder gently. “Tom,the fact that Zach called is a good sign for many reasons.”
Reed waited to hear them.
“He’s alive. He’s thinking. And he got to a phone.”
“Why didn’t he call 9-1-1?”
Sydowski shook his head. “It might not have been safefor him to call again.”
“He could make that call in two seconds. I’ll tell youwhat happened — Keller caught him on the phone!”
“You don’t know that and you’re gonna eat yourself upplaying the worst case scenarios, so shut it off.”
“You tell me how.”
“Go home to your wife.”
“I can’t.”
“You can’t?”
“She blames me for this and she’s right.”
“Tom, don’t beat each other up over this. It won’thelp.”
“I can’t go home without Zach. I promised I’d bringhim home.”
Sydowski’s eyes met Reed’s, acknowledging the unspokentruth. Given what they both knew about Edward Keller, the children had lessthan twenty-four hours.
“I’ve got to stay, in case he calls me again. I’llstay here all night and the next night, if that’s what it takes.”
“Okay. Just remember, he hasn’t defeated us. We’re notout of this, not by a goddamn long shot.” He patted Reed’s knee, then left himat his desk.
Molly Wilson approached Reed to console him, but Reedwaved her away. After that, no one dared go near him. He sat alone, waiting forhis phone to ring.
SEVENTY-TWO
“Where’s Michael?” Keller demanded.
“I think he’s still in the room.” Gabrielle sniffled.
Keller rushed down the stairs and searched thebasement in seconds. Michael was not there. Keller bounded up the stairs.
“Michael!”
He searched the main floor. Not a trace. His eyeslocked on to the phone in the kitchen. It was off the hook! The cord stretchingout of sight!
He was on the fucking phone!
Keller smashed it from the wall, then grabbed Zach,who was cowering in the closet.
“Please, mister. Don’t hurt me. Please.”
“Who did you call?”
“No one, I — ”
“Who did you call!”
“I–I. Hospitals, my mom. I have to know if she is- ”
“Liar!”
“I swear, I was asking the number for hospitals. I …I …”
“You are lying to me!”
Rage darkened Keller’s face. “Satan is near. The Fallen angel isamong us, the Father of Lies! King of Whores!”