Wow 10 reviews for the first chapter! I guess I better continue!
Sorry for getting Mitch's last name wrong!
Ben could barely respond as he was still in shock that someone would go so far as to kidnap a human being just to find a treasure, no matter how great it was.
"Mitch, where's Riley?" He snapped causing Abigail to glance at him sharply, a slowly sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she too realized what just happened.
"He's all right for now." Mitch replied. "And he well be as long as you cooperate."
"Let him go Mitch. This isn't worth a human life." Ben tried helplessly to reason with Wilkenson.
"I beg to differ Benjamin. This treasure well help untaint my families name just as well as it would clear your families name."
"I want to speak with Riley." Was Ben's only curt response. Mitch sighed.
"Very well." In the car Mitch handed the phone to Riley who's lip was already bleeding by the swift blows Booth's men gave him as he was shoved in the car.
"Riley?" He heard Ben's voice through the static of the cell phone.
"Hey Ben." Riley said sheepishly.
"Are you all right?" Ben asked quickly.
"Other then a bloody lip and two guns pointing at me I'm fine, how are you?" Riley replied casually.
Ben cursed, uttering words Riley and Abigail rarely heard him use.
"Just hang in there Riley, I'm going to get you out of this." He promised and as Riley opened his mouth Mitch snatched the phone away.
"There, you have your proof that Riley is alive and fine, for now." He snapped. "Now I know you found the next tablet. I want it."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Ben bluffed and Mitch sighed.
"I heard that you're a terrible liar, and the people who said that was right."
He nodded to his two followers and one of them slammed their gun into Riley's ribs. Riley groaned softly but was determined not to yell out in pain. Awhere of this Mitch nodded to the men and once more they slammed their guns and fists harder and harder into his stomach and ribs until finally he yelled out in pain as blood spluttered from his mouth.
"Goddadmn you Mitch!" Ben shouted as he heard Riley yell. Abigail closed her eyes for she too had heard the yelling in the distance. "All right! I have a picture of the tablet but not the tablet itself."
"Better, and of course I'm going to need someone to transalate it." Mitch remarked. "I know you know mother knows how. Your father called her while you were at the Library of Congress. That's how I knew where you were."
"You bugged his phone when he was attacked." Ben whispered and Mitch's lips curled into a smile.
"Well done, Ben. Bravo. I suggest you go and ask your mother for help of the next translation."
"She'll never agree to do it." Ben retorted, trying to buy whatever time he could.
"She will if your best friend's life is in danger and plus we know where she works now and where she lives. We're just asking nicely..."
"All right! All right, we'll go to her office right now."
Mitch smiled.
"Good. And Benjamin, no slip ups this time. Call Riley's phone as soon as you have something. If you are unable to tranlsate it in the next 12 hours another one of your friend's fingers will be broken as a start..."
"Another one?" Ben frowned.
"Yes, after this one." He nodded to one of the men and quickly the man grabbed Riley's finger next to his thumb and before Riley had a chance to fight him off the finger was snapped and twisted causing Riley to yell in the shock and pain.
"Damn it, all right-you have my attention. I swear to God Mitch, if you lay one more hand on him..." Ben threatened, a sickening feeling piling at the core of his stomach.
"You're not in the bargaining position. After 12 hours if you don't have the translation complete I will have one of his fingers broken every minute until there are non left to break, then one of my men well cut off one of his hands and ship it to you as a present." Riley gulped at the threats. His hands were very important to him. Without them he couldn't do any of the stuff on the computer that he was able to do now and he had a feeling Mitch Wilkenson knew that.
"You're sick Mitch." Ben answered finally his face growing paler by the threats.
"Not sick, just impatient and precise. I want things done when I want them done, on my time, and I want them done right. You have 12 hours." Mitch quickly hung Riley's phone up and Ben just stared at Abigail, feeling sicker by the minute.
"Where to Ben?" Abi asked, her mind purely on Riley now.
"To my mothers office." Ben sighed and both lapsed into silence as Abigail sped down the road as fast as she could while Ben prayed that they'd be able to rescue Riley before it was too late...
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