SWEET VALLEY: HOSTAGE
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the rights to any of the characters in the Sweet Valley Universe. All rights belong to both the author and the publisher. This story is meant to be entertainment only.
CHAPTER ONE:
On a bright sunny day at Sweet Valley Public Park Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield were playing with their friend Lila Fowler. Suddenly across the park Jessica noticed Bruce Patman as he stood leaning against his bike and watching them with wry amusement. Curious she turned to Lila.
"Hey, Li, Who's that boy?" Lila turned and looked at her tossing back her long black hair as she turned.
"Oh, that's Bruce Patman, Daddy say's he's old money and that the Patman's wouldn't be caught dead talking to the Fowler's, because they wouldn't lower themselves to talking to new money." Jessica looked at him and wondered why he wasn't talking to anyone.
"How come we've never met him?" Lila smiled.
"He's in a different classroom, he's friends with Charlie Cashman."
Just than a limousine pulled up next to Bruce and the driver got out silently and put Bruce's bike in the trunk. Bruce looked at the driver and didn't recognize him so he paused before getting in the car.
"You're not Will. Who are you?" The man looked at Bruce and began to push him towards the back of the limo.
"Will was sick he asked me to fill in why don't you hop in and we'll get you home." There was something off about the situation but before he could think what to do Bruce was propelled into the back of the limo. When the man got into the drivers seat the first thing he did was push the door lock controls making it so Bruce couldn't open the door. With his voice shaking with fear Bruce spoke.
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" The man smirked.
"It's not what I want from you, it's what I want from your father. With someone like Henry Patman it's always about money." Bruce tensed in his seat and watched the man warily.
An hour later Bruce's actual limo pulled up in the park. When Will saw that Bruce wasn't waiting he climbed out of the limo and walked over to the girls.
"Excuse me girls, have you seen Bruce Patman." Lila looked at him curiously.
"Yeah, you picked him up like an hour ago."
"What on earth are you talking about I just got here."
Twenty minutes later Will pulled up in front of Patman Industries and walked into the building. As he took the elevator up to the top floor he thought about what he would say to Henry Patman. Henry had entrusted him not only to be Bruce's driver but also to be his bodyguard. He had failed and now he didn't know what would happen. Taking a deep breath he walked up to Henry's secretary.
"Patman Industries, Henry Patman's office how can I help you?"
"Grace is he in?"
"Will? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be driving Bruce home?"
"I need to talk to Mr. Patman it's urgent." With that Grace buzzed Henry who signaled for Will to come in.
"Will what are you doing here? Where is Bruce?"
"That's why I'm here. I went to the park to pick him up but he wasn't there. When I asked some of his friends they said I'd already picked him up."
"What are you talking about? Where is he?" Just then his intercom rang.
"Mr. Patman there's a call for you on line 1." Taking a deep breath Henry answered the phone.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Right now I'm the only thing standing between you and your son."
"What do you want? Where's my son?"
"Well, Let's think you're a multi-billionaire with one thing you value more than money. I want 250 Million dollars in non-sequential, un-marked bills, if you go to the police I will kill him and you'll never find the body."
"Listen to me- You sadistic bastard if you hurt my son I will use every last cent I have to hunt you down and kill you."
"Even if you did, your boy would still be dead and your beautiful wife would never forgive you."
"Please just let me talk to him." Suddenly Henry heard a small-frightened voice.
"Dad? What's going on, I want to go home, I was at the park and there was this man and then I don't know, it's dark and I'm scared."
"Bruce listen to me everything's going to be okay."
"I'll call you with the when and where good luck telling your wife.
An hour later Henry stood in his living room while Marie sat crying on the couch,
"But, Hank why would someone do this?"
"He said he wanted money. I'll give him whatever he wants if it gets Bruce back home."
"Henry we can't, if we give him what he wants there's no guarantee that we'll get Bruce back."
Meanwhile at a condemned warehouse in Bridgewater Bruce sat on a cot in a dim subbasement with his arms wrapped around his knees, just then the door to the basement opened and he heard someone coming down the steps. When the man stepped into the dim light Bruce tried to move back away from him as far as he could.
"You don't have to worry yet as long as your father gets me my money I will let you go."
"I don't believe you."
"Smart boy. Have a nice night." With that the man turned and walked out of the basement leaving Bruce alone in the cold dark room.
Two days later Henry Patman was gathering up the money to go and pay the man holding his son. He had been told to come to the warehouse in Bridgewater alone and that he had until midnight of the following day. If he went to the police Bruce could die and he wouldn't chance that but on the other hand someone had to be there to stop the guy from running.
"Wait for two hours after I leave that will give me time to get to Bridgewater and the warehouse. Call the police after the two hours are up and tell them everything."
"Alright just Hank, please come back and bring back our baby."
"I will Marie, I love you, more every single day than the first moment I saw you."
"I love you too."
Two hours later Henry pulled up in front of the abandoned waterfront warehouse. Taking a deep breath he took out the bags containing the money and walked into the building.
"Alright I'm here I brought the money."
"Well hello, Henry it's so nice to see a member of the illustrious Patman family again."
"What are you talking about? What do you mean again?"
"I knew your brother."
"Which one?"
"Paul."
"Don't-Don't you dare say Paul's name you know nothing about him."
"I know that before his "accident" he owed me 250 million dollars so now I'm here to collect."
"Fine take the money I just want my son."
"Boy's bring out the kid." Just then Bruce was dragged in from the back of the building.
"Bruce!" Bruce's head jerked up at the familiar voice.
"Dad?" James McCallum looked between the two.
"Alright, you can go now." With that he let Bruce pass and the boy ran to his father.
"Bruce, are you hurt? Come on let's get you home." Just then McCallum spoke up.
"One more thing."
"What?" Just then a gunshot rang out and echoed through the empty warehouse then the next thing Henry knew Bruce was crumpled on the ground bleeding and the place was swarming with police. Henry kneeled on the floor next to his son trying to stop the bleeding. As the police dragged McCallum away he shouted out one last warning.
"This isn't over if he lives through this I'll be back to finish him off and I'll just keep coming till he is gone and when he's dead I'll kill your wife and your brother and his sweet little family and that sweet little woman that Paul was involved with before he died and his little bastard they will all die and you'll be left alone, regretting the day our paths ever crossed." Henry looked up with tears in his eyes and spoke in a strained and cold voice.
"I already do."
Two hours later as Bruce was rushed through the emergency room doors Marie rushed up to Henry.
"Oh God, not my baby." After what seemed like an eternity of waiting Dr. Stevens who worked with Marie came out and walked over to them.
"Marcus? How is he?"
"Marie, Henry, he'll be fine soon there was some internal damage but we were able to repair it in surgery and we got a transfusion going to replace the blood he lost. He will need rest and time to heal but he'll be fine.
"Thank you, Marcus, you're a good friend."
CHAPTER TWO:
Three Years Later
At Sweet Valley Prison James McCallum plots his escape and his revenge while studying pictures of Bruce through the years. Finally two days later he got his chance and slipped out during a prison riot.
Meanwhile 11-year-old Bruce Patman is playing basketball in the park with his friends Charlie Cashman, Winston Egbert, and Todd Wilkins when he gets a feeling like someone is watching him he is staring off into space when the ball hits him in the chest and Charlie stares at him.
"Yo dude, wake up. What's with you?" Bruce snapped back but he'd seen the strange car parked at the edge of the park and the feeling of fear hadn't faded.
"I have to go." With that he ran and leaped onto his bike speeding towards his father's office. When he got there it still felt like someone was watching him so he rushed inside and ran to the elevators punching the button for his father's floor. As soon as the doors opened on his father's floor he rushed out of the elevator and up to his father's assistant. When Grace Phillips saw Bruce looking pale, disheveled and sweaty she became instantly concerned. Despite the fact that she'd worked for his father longer than he'd been alive Grace was more like family than an employee.
"Bruce, sweetheart? Are you alright?" Bruce was shaking as he shook his head.
"I need to see my dad." Grace nodded and led him back opening the doors for him. At the sound at the doors Henry looked up from his paperwork to see Bruce rushing in.
"Bruce! What happened are you alright?"
"I was at the park playing basketball with Charlie, Winston, and Todd when I felt someone watching me. I saw a car with tinted windows but the feeling wouldn't go away so I got on my bike and came here but I think I was followed and I'm scared."
"Let's go home you need rest and calm before anything else."
Fifteen minutes later as they were exiting the building to meet the car gunshots rang out spraying bullets everywhere. Henry dove to the ground pulling Bruce with him, but in the confusion of people running for cover he felt Bruce being yanked from his grip. Finally when it all died down Hank looked around to see that Bruce was gone. Pushing up from the ground he spun around scanning the crowd and he shouted for his son.
"Bruce! Bruce! Where are you?" Just then his cell-phone rang.
"Hello?" The voice he heard on the other end of the line froze his blood and turned his legs to jelly as he sank back to the ground and his voice trembled as he spoke.
"McCallum, Where is my son."
"What, no Hi, How are you? How was prison?"
"Where is Bruce?"
"Right next to me, isn't that right?"
"Dad? What's happening, How is this possible he was in jail."
"Bruce, listen to me I will find you, it's going to be okay." McCallum smirked and tightened his grip on Bruce's arm causing him to cry out in pain as the car he was in sped away from the scene of the shooting.
"I wouldn't make a promise like that if I were you Henry."
"Well thank God you're not me, you know nothing about me or my brothers and all you want to do is hurt people."
Two hours later Henry was home with his wife and a full battalion of police officers. As Marie sat on the sofa sobbing brokenly Henry faced off with the police.
"Why wasn't I informed he was out, He's a threat to my entire family how is it he not only got out but got to my son without me being made aware?" One of the detectives spoke up then.
"Lieutenant Roberts, Mr. Patman. Apparently McCallum escaped late last night and due to the fact that it happened during a riot and they are still getting a count of prisoners no one was aware that he and two other extremely dangerous perpetrators had escaped until this morning."
"You realize I could sue your entire department for ineptitude and foolishness. You not only allowed two dangerous criminals out but you allowed the one man who actually swore to me that he would destroy my family free reign and did not deign to inform me until it was too late."
"Again we're sorry Mr. and Mrs. Patman we will do everything in our power to get him back to you." Henry snapped at the Lieutenant at these words.
"I highly doubt that whatever you and the woefully inadequate Sweet Valley Police Department thinks is everything you can do is even remotely close to enough to satisfy me. Unless it includes killing this sadistic bastard and bringing me back my son."
Meanwhile in an old abandoned house in the hills of Sweet Valley Bruce sits locked in a small windowless room the only light comes from a bare bulb flickering in the ceiling fixture and the only furniture in the room is the rickety metal cot he is sitting on.
"Hello? Is someone there? Please help me." Just then he hears the sounds of locks being disengaged from outside, first he hears what sounds like a coded keypad beeping then he hears another beep and at least three locks being disengaged with a key. When the door opens the man he's been seeing in his nightmares for the last three years appears.
"Hello, Bruce, how nice to see you again. How is the family? Your mother your aunts and uncles and your cousins."
"What are you talking about? I only have one aunt and one cousin, there's just Reggie, please don't hurt him."
"For your sake and your fathers I hope I won't have to but as far as only having one aunt and one cousin that's not entirely true, you see your uncle Paul before he died was involved with a woman, she got pregnant and gave birth to a son but since Paul was dead before the child was born and they were only together briefly it's likely that he doesn't even know he's part of the Patman legacy."
"Then leave him alone, he didn't do anything to you." McCallum smiled grimly.
"No he didn't but his father did Paul owed me a substantial amount of money when he died but I couldn't find his little bitch or the bastard he spawned because he used the last of the money he had to make sure they stayed hidden. So I was forced to take another approach and that is why I came after you."
"My dad will find me and this time when they put you in prison they'll bury you so deep even the worms won't find you."
"Interesting theory, why don't you sit in the dark and ponder that." With that said McCallum reached up and unscrewed the light bulb leaving Bruce in complete darkness. When the door closed and locked Bruce began to feel like the walls were closing in.
Two days later Henry still hadn't heard anything to indicate what McCallum wanted or where his son was and he was getting desperate. He sat in his home office with his head in his hands and his elbows on the desk when Marie walked in.
"I don't know what to do. I want so desperately to help Bruce but I don't even know where he is." Marie sighed and walked over to him.
"We'll find him, we have to."
Meanwhile back at the house on the hill Bruce sat in his room with his head on his knees and tears streaking his face. He didn't understand what this guy wanted and all he wanted was to go home. Just then the door opened and the man Bruce was beginning to think of as his nightmare man walked in.
"Hello, little boy. It's time to teach you a lesson about what happens when you don't do what you're told." With this McCallum pulled off his belt and walked towards Bruce where he was huddled on the bed.
"Please, don't." Before Bruce could do anything McCallum stepped forward and began beating Bruce until he couldn't even breathe because the pain was so intense. After this he yanked down Bruce's pants and pushed himself into Bruce with more force and violence than he had ever felt in his life. As Bruce sobbed from the pain McCallum stood and pulled himself together. While Bruce was still weak and vulnerable he followed all this with kicking Bruce in the chest several times and beating him with a lead pipe, before hitting over the head with his gun. With a grim smile James turned and walked out of the room leaving Bruce huddled on the bed with tears running down his face his whole body was singing with pain and he could feel the blood dripping down his forehead.
"I want to go home, Daddy please." Meanwhile James watched the boy on his surveillance cameras.
"Wonderful I've broken him down, now to let Henry see what he and his family have wrought." With that said he ejected the tape that had recorded what he had done to Bruce and walked out of the room leaving the house to go deliver his special surprise to Henry Patman.
Twenty minutes later he pulled up in front of the house rushed up to the doorstep, dropped off his package, rang the doorbell and ran. Inside Henry jerked his head up from its position on his hands. He'd been sitting with his elbows on his knees and head in his hands. Before he knew what was happening Lieutenant Roberts walked back into the room carrying videotape.
"I found this on the doorstep, it was labeled "Watch and See What Happens when you don't listen." Henry looked at him
"What do you mean? What is it?" Roberts looked at him,
"The only choice we have right now is to watch it maybe we'll be able to get some information from it."
"Fine turn it on." At that Roberts pushed in the tape and pressed play. Suddenly the room was filled with images of Bruce being beaten and brutalized and the sounds of his sobs begging for his father. Henry gasped,
"Oh my God!"
"Turn it off, please stop." At the voice from the doorway Henry turned and saw Marie.
"Baby?"
"Henry we have to find him he's hurt and scared and alone."
"I know, I want to find him too, this is my fault. He thinks that Paul owed him money, but if Paul had owed that much money to someone dangerous he would have told me, we were fighting but he always told me when he was in any kind of real trouble."
"Than what is this what does he want?" Just then Roberts spoke up from behind them.
"I think I know where they are. I recognized some of the background. It's an abandoned house on Laurel Canyon road, we busted someone who lived there a ways back for possession and sale of narcotics to minors and it's been empty ever since. It's still a police seized property."
"Why would he go to a property owned by the police?"
"He'd know it's the last place we'd think to look." Turning to the cops in the living room he began giving orders.
"Lets move load up the cars we need to get going. Henry you can ride with me Bruce will need someone there who makes him feel safe."
Twenty minutes later they pulled up in front of the house. When they arrived all of the police officers rushed out of their cars and ran into the house.
"Search the whole place, we have to find the boy." With that the officers' spread out, Lieutenant Roberts and Henry rushed up the stairs. When they got to the third floor they found the door with all of the locks on it.
"This must be where Bruce is but how do we get him out?" Roberts spoke into his radio,
"I need Cortez up here now with the code box we have a coded system we need to get open. Moments later Cortez rushed the stairs.
"Okay, lets do this." Suddenly one of the officers spoke through the radio.
"Boss, we got him, what do you want us to do?"
"Load him up. We've almost got the door open. Get him gone." Moments later the door beeped and they opened it. As soon as it was open Henry rushed into the room and over to the cot where Bruce lay barely conscious and covered in blood and bruises.
"Bruce, thank god, I'm here it's going to be okay. With those words he gathered his son into his arms.
Two weeks later Bruce was out of the hospital and James McCallum was back in prison.
CHAPTER 3:
Five Years Later
Bruce Patman and his cousin Roger were walking out of school on a bright sunny day. Roger looked at his cousin.
"You know, I didn't know if I'd ever get used to this but it's kinda cool." Bruce smiled at Roger.
"Well, it's mostly cool but there are some problems with being the son of a multi-billionaire."
"Like what? I mean at least you grew up knowing who your father was, you always knew who you were. My mom was amazing and I loved her more than anything but she didn't even tell me about my dad until she was almost gone." Bruce looked at his cousin.
"Maybe she thought she'd have a chance later to tell you. My dad said they were only married a short time and that Uncle Paul never knew about you because she didn't know she was pregnant before his accident."
"But why wouldn't she tell me? Did she think I couldn't handle it?"
"I don't—"
Just then as Bruce and Roger were about to walk up to Bruce's black Mustang convertible a car pulled into their path causing them to jump back suddenly so that they weren't run over and cutting Bruce of mid-sentence. When the door opened the man who had haunted Bruce's nightmares stood before them.
"Hello, Bruce, long time no see. Did you miss me?"
"What are you doing here? How are you out of jail." Roger looked between his cousin and the man who had blocked their path. There was something about the man that caused Roger to instinctively pull back.
"Bruce what's going on? Who is this guy?" James studied the boy next to Bruce with an avid curiosity because he saw Paul in the boys' eyes.
"Who's your friend Bruce?" Bruce swallowed nervously knowing it would only be worse for everyone if he lied.
"He's my cousin."
"Paul's little bastard how interesting." Roger jerked his head up at that.
"What?" Bruce pushed Roger behind him protectively.
"What do you want?" McCallum smiled grimly sending shivers down Bruce's spine as he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Roger.
"I want you and your little cousin to get in the car now."
"No look, if you want me I'll go with you just leave Roger alone he didn't do anything to you."
"Bruce, no don't-." Before Bruce could react McCallum aimed the gun at Roger before pulling the trigger.
"Roger!" Crouching on the ground he clutched Roger to him trying to stop the bleeding. Bruce spoke then with tears in his eyes. "Why-Why did you do that? "
"Sorry, it doesn't work that way he may not have done anything but his father did, besides I have a feeling Henry might just pay more to get both of you back. Now get him up and let's go." Bruce wrapped one arm around Roger's waist and helped him to his feet.
"Roger, it's going to be okay, I'm going to take care of you. With that the boys were shoved into the back of the van and the door was locked from the outside. As soon as they were in McCallum went around to the driver's side, climbed in and sped away. What he didn't realize was that Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield had just witnessed the whole thing.
Jessica looked at Elizabeth as the van sped out of the school parking lot.
"We have to go tell , it's like that time when we were eight when that limo that wasn't Bruce's limo showed up and took him away. After that he was gone for like a week and when Mr. Patman brought him back he was in the hospital."
"You're right Jess, let's go." With that they leaped into their jeep and sped towards Patman Industries. Moments later they pulled up in front of the tall building that housed Patman Industries and rushed inside and over to the elevators.
"It's the top floor." The moment the doors opened again the girls rushed over to Henry Patman's long-time secretary.
"Hello, girls how can I help you?" Elizabeth spoke first.
"We need to see Mr. Patman, we're friends of Bruce's and Roger's and they're in trouble." Grace looked frightened at that and quickly buzzed Henry.
"Yes what is it."
"Mr. Patman there are two young ladies here to see you, they say they know Bruce and Roger and that they need to talk to you."
"Very well, send them in." When Elizabeth and Jessica entered Henry Patman's office he was surprised to see two girls who looked so much like Alice the woman he'd almost married when Marie had broken his heart all those years ago.
"Can I help you girls?"
"Mr. Patman, Bruce and Roger are in trouble, this guy took them from the parking lot at school. It seemed like Bruce knew him, everything happened so fast and Roger got shot and than it was over before we could even react." Henry Patman ran a shaky hand through his hair.
"My God, it can't be." Just then his intercom buzzed again.
"Mr. Patman a Lieutenant Roberts is here to see you should I have him wait?"
"No, send him in. Thank you girls if you could stay a moment we may need your help."
"Of course." Just as Jessica was saying this lieutenant Roberts walked into the room.
"What are you doing here?
"Mr. Patman-."
"Don't I already have a pretty good idea what you are going to say, he's out again because you and your idiot department couldn't keep him locked up and now he's taken my son again and this time he also took my nephew? Did I miss anything?"
Meanwhile across town in condemned warehouse basement Bruce and Roger sat on a cot in the basement. Roger looked at Bruce when his cousin suddenly leaped up and started pacing the room.
"Bruce what's going on here? Who is that guy? What does he want from us?" Running a hand through his dark hair Bruce turned and looked at his cousin.
"Okay, here's what I know. When I was eight this guy pretended to be my limo driver and he took me and locked me in the basement of this warehouse in Bridgewater. He said that he wanted money from my dad and when dad came to give him the money he claimed that he knew your dad and that Uncle Paul owed him money, Dad got really upset when he mentioned Uncle Paul but he gave the guy the money and the man let me go but he shot me first and then I sort of remember the police coming in before I blacked out." Roger stared at him in shock.
"He said that, he knew my dad. Is that really possible?" With a sigh Bruce sat on the bed next to Roger.
"I guess, but Dad said after everything happened that if Paul had been in trouble he would have said something. That first time wasn't the end he came back when I was eleven, he must have escaped prison because he stalked me at the park then followed me to Dad's office and fired a gun in the crowd and in the confusion he grabbed me away from my dad and took me to some old abandoned house here in town. The things he did to me were so horrifying that they still haunt me. I still have nightmares about those times and now he's back and he pulled you in and God knows what he's going to do now." Roger took a shaky breath before speaking again.
"What are we going to do now?" Just then the boys looked up as they heard the door open and McCallum walked in.
"Hello Bruce, Roger it's lovely to meet you after all these years, you're a lot like your father, I see him in your eyes. Now it's time for you to suffer for what your father did to me." With that he reached down and yanked Roger up and twisted his injured arm up behind his back yanking his wrist up towards his shoulder. Roger cried out in pain as he fought the urge to black out. Bruce leapt up and launched himself at James.
"Let him go, leave him alone! Stop it!" At that James shoved Bruce back so hard that he hit his head on the wall and collapsed to the ground. When he hit Roger began struggling in earnest.
"Bruce! Stop, let go of me!" As he was dragged out of the room and up the stairs he kept trying to pull free despite the blinding pain in his arm. When they reached the top of the house James used a code panel and opened a hidden door and shoved Roger into the room. Roger looked around the room frantically and saw that the only way out was the door he'd just been shoved through. When he was tossed to the floor he stared up in fear.
"Please just, don't hurt me. Let us go please." James looked down at the boy on the floor.
"Sorry no, you need to feel some of the pain your cousin has felt so now it's your turn." With that he whipped off his belt and whipped Roger until there was no unmarked skin on his back as the boy sobbed in pain begging for it to stop. When he was down with his belt he just started kicking Roger in the stomach and in the back with his steel-toed boots until the boy lay in a heap on the ground breathing raggedly. Lastly he stepped towards Roger and bent over him pulling away his clothes he proceeded to shove himself into Roger with such force and violence that the boy let out a sobbing scream and kept begging for it to stop. When it finally did he just lay unmoving on the floor with tears streaking his face.
Meanwhile James walked back down the stairs into the room where he'd been holding Bruce. When he opened the door he found Bruce sitting up on the bed. Bruce's head snapped up when the door opened. When Bruce realized that James had reentered the room alone. His voice shook, as Bruce demanded to know where Roger was.
"Where is he? What did you do?" James smiled a grim smile.
"Oh I just had a little fun with him that's all. You know what that's like after the fun I had with you five-years ago." Bruce's voice shook.
"No-please you didn't, can't you just let him go? He's innocent. I'll even stay here if that's what it takes and I won't try to leave. I promise."
"Sorry no can do." James looked down at the boy he'd been tormenting for the last nine-years.
"It's so interesting watching you, after all this time, you're so terrified of me it makes everything so easy. Now I think it's finally time to call your father and get what I want."
Meanwhile in the woods on the Eastern side of Sweet Valley Henry Patman paced the living room of his home as Marie dozed fitfully upstairs. She hadn't wanted to rest but she'd been exhausted and drained so he had insisted. Lieutenant Roberts stood in front of the fireplace.
"Mr. Patman, Henry I'm so sorry for all of this." Henry whirled on him.
" You're sorry? My son and my nephew are in danger, possibly dead and all you have to say for yourself is that you're sorry. You damn well better be more than sorry." Before the Lieutenant could answer the phone rang startling both men. Henry picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Henry, it's so nice to talk to you after all this time." Henry shuddered with fear as he spoke.
"What is it that you want? You know that if it's money I'll pay you whatever it is."
"That's excellent, I want 700 million dollars or I will kill them both. Meet me at the Sweet Valley Docks warehouse 781, you have until midnight on Tuesday to get me what I want. Tell Roberts if he comes near the scene I will kill both boys without hesitating."
"I need to talk to one of my boys, please I need to know that they are alive." Suddenly Henry heard a familiar voice.
"Dad? Is that you?"
"Bruce? Are you okay? Where's Roger?"
"My head is killing me, because he slammed me into a wall. He took Roger away somewhere. I know he hurt him, he said he did to Roger what he did to me five-years ago." Henry's voice was shaking as he prepared to speak but before he could say anything else the phone was seized and McCallum was on the line again.
"Well do we have a deal?"
"What do you think?" With a wry laugh James answered the bitterness in Henry's voice.
"I think I'll see you soon."
Two days later Henry had gathered the money and a plan had been formulated. With a sigh Henry walked over and kissed Marie on the forehead.
"I love you, I'm going to get our boys back, be careful." With those words Henry walked to the doorway and picked up the bags of money, as he walked out. Once out the door he nodded towards Robert's who was in an unmarked car prepared to follow him to the meeting and end things once and for all, one way or another.
Half an hour later Henry pulled up in front of the warehouse, taking a deep breath he lifted the bags of money and walked in.
"McCallum, I'm here, Where the hell are you? Where are my boys?" Just then a voice spoke from out of the shadows.
"Hello, Henry, did you bring me what I wanted?" With a sigh Henry indicated the bags he was carrying.
"Very good. Now down to business."
"Not until I see them. I need to know that they're alive before I just give you this money. With an exasperated sigh McCallum sighed and spoke into his walkie- talkie.
"Bring, them into the main room." At that moment Henry looked up as Roger was dragged in from one side and Bruce from the other. He stared in shock as he saw Roger covered in blood and bruises and Bruce with dried blood on his forehead.
"My God, What have you done?" At the familiar voice both Bruce and Roger looked up. Looking into Roger's deep blue eyes Henry could see his brother staring back at him and when he looked at his son he saw fear and nerves but he also saw determination and strength. Just then McCallum spoke up.
"Well they're here and as you can see, they are alive so I'll take that money now."
"Fine, take the money I hope, it buys you a nice home in hell."
"That's a lovely attitude to be teaching these boys."
"I didn't teach them this attitude, you did by destroying Bruce's childhood and coming after my nephew. All you have done for the last eight years is torment me and my family." With that he tossed the money in front of James and the next thing he knew as James stepped forward to take the money a shot rang out and James collapsed onto the floor with blood running from his head. As Hank rushed towards Bruce and Roger who'd collapsed to the ground the room was flooded with the police and paramedics.
Six Months Later:
Bruce and Roger were finally out of the hospital and James McCallum was out of their lives for good. For the first time in years Bruce actually felt safe. As the sun shone down on the outdoor cafeteria at Sweet Valley High School Bruce Patman sat at a table with his cousin. Just then Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield walked over to the table. Bruce looked up from what he'd been doing when the girls stopped in front of their table.
"What's up Wakefield?" With a smirk in his voice he looked at Jessica. Taking a deep breath Jessica tried not to snap at Bruce because there was actually a reason that they had come over. Before Jessica could say anything else Elizabeth spoke up.
"We just wanted to see how you guys were doing after what happened." Bruce looked surprised.
"How do you know what happened?"
"Because we saw it, everything happened so fast we couldn't do anything but we went right to your father and told him everything. After all it's not the first time we've seen you get kidnapped." Roger looked up in surprised at that.
"What do you mean?"
"We were there the first time Bruce got taken years ago we were with Lila and we told his driver what had happened right after it happened." Bruce's voice shook a little.
"You were there when I was eight?"
"Yes we were playing with Lila." Bruce grimaced a little bit.
" Terrific, Lila Fowler witnessed the beginning of one of the worst moments of my life. But this time if you hadn't gone to my father this time we would have been dead so thank you so much for everything."
"No problem, we would have done the same for anyone. I'd like to think that you guys would have done the same." Bruce chuckled wryly.
"Roger, maybe but me, before all this probably not, now I don't know everything is different." With a smile Elizabeth spoke up.
"You were never a bad guy Bruce you just never were willing to let people in but now I think you know that if you do it can be amazingly rewarding. Have a nice day.
With that the girls walked away and Bruce and Roger went back to their lunches.