The text he received on his phone at exactly 11:00 pm on Friday night was clear. Larry still could not get the picture of Ahkmenrah's wide, frightened eyes, and the way the masked man held the gun behind the Egyptian, as if daring Larry to deny him what he wanted, out of his head. The picture that had been sent along with the demands of the man burned in Larry's mind with every waking moment.
He did not know the man who was threatening Ahkmenrah, but he was sure he knew the man behind it. Larry Daley was a mediocre man, with a mediocre job. Well, perhaps a bit more than mediocre. The single parent of one was the head of a company, which had a knack for inventing some of the strangest, yet most practical, things. Mostly busy with his work, Larry spent most of his time working with his new intern, a young man named Ahkmenrah.
Ahkmenrah's family, which hailed for the poorer parts of Egypt, had wrote him a desperate letter, asking him to give their young son a job. The twenty year old Egyptian boy had a promising future ahead of him, and true potential. But his family was too poor to send him to college. Larry had needed a new intern anyways, and had gladly paid for the young man to fly to the United States. He paid to have him learn English and the other basic educational classes, and soon got his Bachelor's degree in business. Afterwards, Larry gave him an internship.
During the three years Ahkmenrah had been living under Larry's care, he had struck a strong friendship with Larry's son, Nicky, who was eighteen when Ahkmenrah had arrived. Nicky had been looking for a reason to go to college, and receiving a new room mate had apparently been enough to spark his excitement. While Ahkmenrah got his degree in business and management, Nicky took classes on music art, and was now on his way to becoming a major star in the small band he had formed.
For three years, Larry, his son, and his "foster son", lived together in their apartment, and grew closer together as a family. Until that night came….
"Mr. Daley," A woman's voice said, breaking into his thoughts.
Larry looked up to gaze at the woman. She had a light dark complexion, and dark eyes like small black buttons. She wore her black hair in a bun, an blue feather pin keeping it in place. She stood with a hand on her hip, the other hand clasping a cream colored folder. She sat down across from Larry, her brown work dress brushing against the dusty marble floor. She softly put her hands together, and let her shoulders lean forwards over the black plastic table.
"Good morning, Mr. Daley. I am Detective Roosevelt." A soft smile flittered across her lips, and she quickly glanced down at her folder. "I am...filling in for our lead investigator, Mr. McPhee. He is on vacation."
"I see." Larry said, frowning. He had been hoping to wind up with McPhee. The two went way back. McPhee had once been Larry's employer, before Larry's current job took off. Once his best worker left, McPhee had upped and chased after a career he had wanted since he was a young boy; to be a crime solving detective. Larry had hoped he would help find Ahkmenrah, but he was instead stuck with someone else. And by the looks of her, she was new to the game of crime and punishment.
The detective smiled. "You can call me Sac."
Larry nodded, and offered a small smile. "Hi."
"Alright then," Sac said, opening the cream folder. "I understand one of your sons has been kidnapped. Your, adopted son, is that correct?"
"Yes." Larry replied, nodding. "Yesterday night."
"I see. An abduction case." Her eyes twinkled with excitement, before she quickly blinked, turning her attention back to the folder. "You say he went missing when?"
"About 9:00, pm." Larry said, rubbing his chin. "He said he was running to the store to buy some more thumbtacks and yarn. He and my other son, Nicky, have a big old map on their wall. They like to mark Nicky's touring destinations and where Ahkmenrah wants to visit."
"So he left at nine. When did you start getting the feeling something was not right, Mr. Daley?" Sac asked.
"I began to worry an hour later, when he hadn't come back." Larry frowned to himself, squinting. "The store was only a few minutes away, not too far. He should have been in and out. I called him several times but he didn't answer. That's when I called nIcky to ask if Ahkmenrah was with him. He said he wasn't."
"And you got the text soon after?"
Larry nodded. "A while later I got the text. I didn't know the number. Usually I don't open messages from unknown people. You know, like those telemarketers and stuff. But since I was flustered, I opened the text. It was…" Larry paused, a shiver running down his spine. "It was pictures of Ahkmenrah…"
Sac was silent, giving the distraught father a chance to collect himself before she continued. Losing a child was a very hard thing, and with this thought she glanced down at her slightly swollen stomach. With her job, it was a danger she and her husband would have to face. Sighing, she picked up a few laminated photos from the folder.
There were three photos, all three showing the Egyptian boy. Two showed a gun pointed threateningly at him, and one showed his captor tying a rope about his neck. This was definitely a threat.
"Mr. Daley," She said, looking up at him. "Do you have any idea who this man could be?"
Larry shook his head. "I don't know him." He said.
"And, do you have any enemies?"
"I don't know." Larry said, his voice trembling. "I-I always tried to be a good businessman. I never backed out of deals and I paid my workers well. I don't know what I could've done to upset anybody."
"And what about your other son?" Sac asked.
Larry's gaze darkened, and he stared at the woman. "Nicky loves Ahkmenrah just as much as I do. Nothing ever gets between those boys."
Sac nodded. "I see. Now, the demand given by our mystery man is somewhat of a puzzle. He does not ask for money, but for your...surrender?"
Larry shrugged. "I don't understand what that's supposed to mean. What does he want me to surrender?"
"We will find out." Sac said gently, taking Larry's hand and giving it a small squeeze. "We will find your son, Mr. Daley. Until we do, I suggest you keep your other son near you, just in case."
Larry nodded, and got up slowly. "Please, call me if you find anything."
"We will." Sac said, giving a small nod. "Go now, back to your son. If the kidnapper contacts you again, tell us."
When Larry left the interrogation room, Sac sighed and slumped into her chair. She was exhausted already, and the day had just begun. She slowly stood up, and placed a hand over her stomach. The added weight from the child she carried was rough on her thin, short frame, and it took all her will not to use her other hand to support her back. Soon she would have to leave her job for a while, but she did not want to at the moment. This case was far too important.
She took careful steps back to her desk, and once again sat down. She opened her laptop, and began typing. She sent a quick email, and then opened her documents. She had brought the folder back to her desk, and was studying the photos carefully.
"Hey, Knight," She said, glancing up.
A snore was cut off abruptly as a shaggy head popped up from behind the laptop that touched hers, and the man behind the desk across from Sac yawned.
"What?" He asked, rubbing his tired eyes. "What do you want, Sac?"
"Lance, I need you to run a phone number for me." Sac said, handing over the copy of the text.
Lance squinted at the photo, and then frowned. "Is this Daley's adopted lad?"
Sac nodded forlornly. "Unfortunately. He was taken last night."
Lance quickly typed in his password, and put in the number. "I hope he's alright….I'll get back with you when this finishes searching."
"Alright. While you do that, I need to make a phone call." Sac said, rising to her feet.
"Ah," Lance said, smirking. "Calling the hubby?"
Sac swatted her partner's shoulder while he chuckled. "Stop it, Knight." She turned to walk away before pausing. "Oh, and Lance,"
"Hm?" Lance asked, glancing at Sac.
"Do not sleep on the job." She said.
"Hey I was up doing undercover work!" Lance protested, turning in his chair.
"Mhm. And Miss Madison the bartender was dreaming, hm?" Sac smiled as her partner's face paled, and then flushed with embarrassment.
"Her idea, not mine." He said.
Sac allowed herself a small chuckle, before walking away towards the break room. She dialed a number on her cellphone, leaned against the wall, and waited for an answer. It rang for a moment, before a voice answered it.
Sac smiled. "Teddy," She said, her smile widening.
"Hello, my dear." Teddy replied. "Why are you calling me at this time of day?"
"Why would I not be calling you?" Sac asked, playing with the lacing on the hem of her dress. "Listen, Teddy, a new case came up."
"Another one?" Teddy asked. His disappointment was clear, and Sac sighed.
"I know I told you the case last week was my last before I took a few months off, but this one is urgent." She paused, and when Teddy did not answer, she continued. "You remember Larry, right?"
"Lawrence?" Teddy asked. "Of course I do. What's wrong with him?"
"Well…" Sac hesitated, then spoke. "His son Ahkmenrah was kidnapped last night."
"Oh." Teddy said. "That's...how?"
"I do not know." Sac said, sighing. "But I need to solve this case. And I will need your help.:
"Alright." Teddy said, obviously eaten. "I suppose you want me to call the boys?"
"That would be wise, yes. Thank you, Teddy."
"You're welcome, my dear. Hey, Sac, have you felt anything yet? Any movement or signs of-"
"Teddy," Sac said, smiling.
"Alright, alright. You're the woman, you'll know." Teddy said. He then sighed. "That's the alarm. Have to go, my dear. I love you."
"I love you too." Sac said softly. She then hang up the phone, and shook her head with a smile. Her Teddy, the proud game warden. Always responding first to the call of duty.
Sac smiled again, and made her way back to her desk.
