Young Kidnapper Part 2
This is the second instalment of my story about a boy who reluctantly becomes part of a plan to kidnap the young daughter of rich parents. You should first read Part 1 for an update. Hope you enjoy.
Now that Jennifer Hudson was locked in the basement of Frank Molloy's suburban residence it was decided that young Danny Thomas should not go down and visit her or bring her any food. As far as Malloy was concerned the boy had done his job by bringing her here and he need not be concerned about her anymore. If the girl needed food or drink or a change of clothes or had to go to the bathroom this was seen to by the housekeeper Julie Harrison. A very attractive woman in her mid-thirties she was and it was clear to anybody, even Danny, that her relationship with her boss Frank Malloy went beyond being just an employee. She would tell Jenny, "Don't you worry, sweetie, you won't have to stay here for long. Once the money is paid you'll be free to go back to your parents."
On the third day of Jenny's captivity Danny happened to be outside Malloy's private study and he overheard him talking to one of the men on his payroll. He stood by the doorway and put his ear to the door to listen. He heard his newly appointed guardian say to the other man, "I know they'll pay up for their precious little girl's release but once we get the money, Joe, we have to get rid of her and that's where you come in, you understand!" The boy couldn't hear a reply but he guessed that the guy would probably agree to anything his employer told him. "She saw the boy and she knows he was the one who kidnapped her and if she tells the cops what he looks like they could trace him back here. We can't take that chance."
Then the other person in the room spoke for the first time. "I know what I have to do, boss, but it's such a shame. She's a nice kid."
"Yeah, I know, but what else can we do!" Malloy replied. "She's just a kid but she could be dangerous for all of us. Just make it as quick and painless as you can. She doesn't know the location of this property but she's already seen too much and I can't let her go just that."
Danny's heart sank after hearing all this. He now knew how dangerous the man he had been living with these past three months really was. He moved away from the study door and made his way to his own bedroom. He had already heard enough. He lay down on his bed and contemplated his next move.
They're going to kill her! It now dawned on him how wrong and stupid it was to agree to any of this. They were not going let her go with or without the ransom and he was the one responsible for all this. He would be an accessory to murder and staying in that orphanage would be a blessing compared to what his future might be now. He had to get the girl and himself as far away as possible. He no longer wanted to remain here among all these bad people.
What about me? He really couldn't be much better them after forcefully bringing a little girl here and putting her in this situation, a child just like him and all for his own selfish motives. He had to make this right. He had gotten her into this and it was up to him to get her out of it. How was he going to do it? He considered all his options and then a plan began to form in his head.
Even though he was only 12 he now knew how to drive that Honda Civic. Frank Malloy had given him a few private driving lessons during his stay here and he was confident enough to drive it safely as he had shown Malloy just a couple of weeks ago. All he had to do was get the car key. He knew Malloy hung it up in the passageway and that he kept the Honda on the front driveway most of the time, choosing not to use the garage. This made it a lot easier.
The key for the basement door was also kept on the passageway hanger along with several other keys. He knew which one it was. If he could just take both keys he could get Jenny out and they could both drive far away from here. But he had to wait for the right time to make his move or they could both end up the same way. He knew that at a certain time of the day the housekeeper Mrs. Harrison went into town to do some shopping and that around the same time Malloy took his afternoon nap for an hour or two. That's when he had to do it. There wasn't normally anyone outside patrolling the grounds so his chances were pretty good.
The following day after 2 0'clock pm Julie Harrison drove off in her own little car just as Danny had counted on and right on schedule Malloy went to his large bedroom for a snooze. Perfect, thought the boy. He waited for several minutes and then silently took the required keys from their hanger. He then made his way toward the basement cellar. He unlocked the heavy door and then went down the stone steps. He noted then how cold it was down here. What must it have been like for Jenny, he thought, poor kid!
He reached the bottom and then saw her sitting against the wall in the corner. He came over and crouched down beside her. He noticed that she wasn't tied up anymore but she was asleep. They obviously keep her in a drugged state so there was no chance of her getting out. Just as well, he figured. If she was awake and saw him in front of her she'd probably scream her head off and he's wind up in here with her. She'd be really mad at him when she DID wake up, he realised, but he'd worry about that later. Right now he had to get her out of here and into Malloy's car.
"You're coming with me!" he told her even though she couldn't hear him. He hauled her up off the cold stone floor and then slung her over his shoulder as he had when he kidnapped her but this time he intended to rescue her from Molloy's clutches, carry her to safety. He would be the hero of the story, not the villain, or at least that's the way he hoped it would turn out. He made his way out of the cellar, up the steps and back into the main house with his sleeping burden. He quietly crept out the front door and soon he was standing beside the Honda. He pushed the button on the car key to unlock all the doors. He opened the passenger side door and put Jennifer on the seat and then secured her seat belt for her.
He got behind the wheel and then started it up, hoping that nobody would hear the sound of the engine. The car had an automatic transmission so it was that much easier for the boy to handle it. He slowly drove out of the driveway until he reached the main road. He then went a little faster. He wouldn't be happy until they were at least five miles away from that place. Neither he nor the girl were out of the woods just yet as he would soon find out.