An Anniversary to Remember
by matahari2
Summary: Just in time for the Stetsons' 15th wedding anniversary, a family member is in danger.
Timeframe: February, 2002
Disclaimer/ Notes: See Chapter 1
Chapter Three – A Little Trip
Afternoon, February 12, 2002
After their plane touched down, Jenny Stetson and her kidnapper took a MetroLink train to a renovated historic area. Jenny noticed a sign marked "Laclede's Landing". The two of them walked several blocks on cobblestone streets that led them to the Harrington Suites hotel. The woman signed the registration slip at the front desk, and the clerk handed her the key-card for their one-bedroom suite on the 8th floor. Jenny looked back over her shoulder as she felt herself being tugged toward the bank of elevators. She saw the desk clerk frown for a moment and shake her head. 'I guess she thinks it's a little strange...a lady and a kid registering at a hotel with no luggage. Come to think of it, so do I!'
Immediately upon entering the suite, Jenny said, "Ma'am, is it okay if I go to the bathroom?"'
"Sure," the woman replied, "but make it quick. Then you're moving into the bedroom."
She walked through the small suite to the bedroom, and turned down the bedspread on one of the two double beds. She took special care to disconnect the phone jack, so Jenny couldn't call out. Then she lit up a cigarette and waited for the girl to come out of the bathroom.
Jenny hurried into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. After flushing the toilet, she turned on the water in the sink, full blast. Jenny was in luck. She had spotted the wall phone hanging beside the vanity. She knew better than to talk into the phone, because the woman in the other room might hear her. But she could call her Mom's pager number, and punch in the phone number of the hotel. It wasn't much, but it would at least give her parents a hint as to her whereabouts. She'd just finished her silent call and turned off the water when she heard the woman knocking.
"Come on, kid, hurry up!" she yelled, just as Jenny opened the bathroom door. She grabbed Jenny by the arm and shoved her toward the turned-down bed. The pulled two lengths of rope out of her large shoulder bag, and tied the girl's hands and feet. "All right I've got some things to do, and you're going to stay put and stay quiet. Hear me?", she said, pushing her down onto the bed and leaving no doubt that there would be hell to pay if Jenny didn't cooperate and do as she was told.
"Yes ma'am," Jenny answered in a little voice.
At that, the woman turned and left the bedroom, closing the door and shoving the small love seat up against it. Then she exited the suite and took the elevator to the hotel lobby. She went outside and hailed a taxi.
Lee and Amanda were sitting in his office at the Agency when the call came through from Lieutenant Morrison.
"Stetson here," Lee answered. "Oh, yes, Lieutenant Morrison...what do you know so far?"
Lieutenant Morrison gave him the good news first. "Well, one good thing...we got a full thumb print from the top of the trash can. It belongs to a Rita Holden. Evidently, she just finished serving a fifteen year term in Leavenworth."
""That name sounds familiar," Lee said, scribbling 'Rita Holden?' on his notepad and turning it so Amanda could see the name.
"Listen, Lieutenant, if you don't mind, I'm going to put you on speaker. My wife is here with me. She'll want to hear this, too." He punched the 'speaker' button and placed the receiver back in the cradle.
"I'm afraid there's not much more news right now," Lieutenant Morrison stated. "We're still checking with the DC Cab Company about fares picked up between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. today across from the National Archives. Hopefully we'll have something soon, and I'll call you with whatever we find out."
"Thank you, Lieutenant, we'll wait to..." Lee started.
"Wait!!" Amanda interrupted. "My pager's vibrating. The telephone number is ...area code 314...555-2356. Area code 314...it's in the midwest somewhere, isn't it? It's not Chicago, that's 312, I think."
Lee said, "Yeah, that's right. St. Louis or Kansas City, maybe? Why don't we call the number and find out? Lieutenant Morrison? I'm going to put you on hold for a minute, okay?"
Lee dialed the number, and a businesslike, friendly voice answered, "Harrington Suites – Laclede's Landing...how may I help you?"
"If you don't mind my asking, what's your location?" Lee inquired.
"Well, sir, we're on First Street, on the North end of Laclede's Landing, right by the river..."
"No, no, no, you don't understand...what city are you in?"
"St. Louis, Missouri, sir. We're just a few blocks north of the Gateway Arch grounds," the helpful desk clerk offered.
"St. Louis, of course. Thank you, Ms..."
"Jenkins, sir, Julie Jenkins."
"Thank you, Ms. Jenkins. Do you have any suites available for tonight, possibly?"
"Yes, sir, we do have a few vacancies, would a suite with one king size bed work for you?"
Lee told the clerk that, yes, that type of suite would be fine, and he made a reservation for guaranteed late arrival that night. He picked up the other phone line where Lieutenant Morrison had been waiting and said, "Lieutenant Morrison? Sorry to keep you waiting. That phone number is for a hotel, the Harrington Suites, on the St. Louis riverfront."
"Good, thank you, Mr. Stetson," Lieutenant Morrison said. "While you were on the other line, we got word that DC cab number A0169 picked up a dark- haired woman and a young girl in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt from the stand across from the National Archives at 12:15 p.m., headed for Dulles Airport. Our guys also checked the flights leaving between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m., and one of the flights on that list was American flight 595 to St. Louis. At this point, we're not only dealing with kidnapping, but interstate flight. We're going to have to bring the FBI in on this."
"We understand, Lieutenant, but please make sure to keep the Agency in the loop. You can call Francine Desmond at this number, or you can reach me by cell phone. Here's the number..." Lee said, giving him the number and telling him they were on their way to St. Louis.
Amanda took care of getting their airline tickets booked, glad that she could finally do something to help. They wouldn't have time to go home and pack for the trip. They barely had time to call Dotty and explain where they were going, and why.
TO BE CONTINUED
by matahari2
Summary: Just in time for the Stetsons' 15th wedding anniversary, a family member is in danger.
Timeframe: February, 2002
Disclaimer/ Notes: See Chapter 1
Chapter Three – A Little Trip
Afternoon, February 12, 2002
After their plane touched down, Jenny Stetson and her kidnapper took a MetroLink train to a renovated historic area. Jenny noticed a sign marked "Laclede's Landing". The two of them walked several blocks on cobblestone streets that led them to the Harrington Suites hotel. The woman signed the registration slip at the front desk, and the clerk handed her the key-card for their one-bedroom suite on the 8th floor. Jenny looked back over her shoulder as she felt herself being tugged toward the bank of elevators. She saw the desk clerk frown for a moment and shake her head. 'I guess she thinks it's a little strange...a lady and a kid registering at a hotel with no luggage. Come to think of it, so do I!'
Immediately upon entering the suite, Jenny said, "Ma'am, is it okay if I go to the bathroom?"'
"Sure," the woman replied, "but make it quick. Then you're moving into the bedroom."
She walked through the small suite to the bedroom, and turned down the bedspread on one of the two double beds. She took special care to disconnect the phone jack, so Jenny couldn't call out. Then she lit up a cigarette and waited for the girl to come out of the bathroom.
Jenny hurried into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. After flushing the toilet, she turned on the water in the sink, full blast. Jenny was in luck. She had spotted the wall phone hanging beside the vanity. She knew better than to talk into the phone, because the woman in the other room might hear her. But she could call her Mom's pager number, and punch in the phone number of the hotel. It wasn't much, but it would at least give her parents a hint as to her whereabouts. She'd just finished her silent call and turned off the water when she heard the woman knocking.
"Come on, kid, hurry up!" she yelled, just as Jenny opened the bathroom door. She grabbed Jenny by the arm and shoved her toward the turned-down bed. The pulled two lengths of rope out of her large shoulder bag, and tied the girl's hands and feet. "All right I've got some things to do, and you're going to stay put and stay quiet. Hear me?", she said, pushing her down onto the bed and leaving no doubt that there would be hell to pay if Jenny didn't cooperate and do as she was told.
"Yes ma'am," Jenny answered in a little voice.
At that, the woman turned and left the bedroom, closing the door and shoving the small love seat up against it. Then she exited the suite and took the elevator to the hotel lobby. She went outside and hailed a taxi.
Lee and Amanda were sitting in his office at the Agency when the call came through from Lieutenant Morrison.
"Stetson here," Lee answered. "Oh, yes, Lieutenant Morrison...what do you know so far?"
Lieutenant Morrison gave him the good news first. "Well, one good thing...we got a full thumb print from the top of the trash can. It belongs to a Rita Holden. Evidently, she just finished serving a fifteen year term in Leavenworth."
""That name sounds familiar," Lee said, scribbling 'Rita Holden?' on his notepad and turning it so Amanda could see the name.
"Listen, Lieutenant, if you don't mind, I'm going to put you on speaker. My wife is here with me. She'll want to hear this, too." He punched the 'speaker' button and placed the receiver back in the cradle.
"I'm afraid there's not much more news right now," Lieutenant Morrison stated. "We're still checking with the DC Cab Company about fares picked up between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. today across from the National Archives. Hopefully we'll have something soon, and I'll call you with whatever we find out."
"Thank you, Lieutenant, we'll wait to..." Lee started.
"Wait!!" Amanda interrupted. "My pager's vibrating. The telephone number is ...area code 314...555-2356. Area code 314...it's in the midwest somewhere, isn't it? It's not Chicago, that's 312, I think."
Lee said, "Yeah, that's right. St. Louis or Kansas City, maybe? Why don't we call the number and find out? Lieutenant Morrison? I'm going to put you on hold for a minute, okay?"
Lee dialed the number, and a businesslike, friendly voice answered, "Harrington Suites – Laclede's Landing...how may I help you?"
"If you don't mind my asking, what's your location?" Lee inquired.
"Well, sir, we're on First Street, on the North end of Laclede's Landing, right by the river..."
"No, no, no, you don't understand...what city are you in?"
"St. Louis, Missouri, sir. We're just a few blocks north of the Gateway Arch grounds," the helpful desk clerk offered.
"St. Louis, of course. Thank you, Ms..."
"Jenkins, sir, Julie Jenkins."
"Thank you, Ms. Jenkins. Do you have any suites available for tonight, possibly?"
"Yes, sir, we do have a few vacancies, would a suite with one king size bed work for you?"
Lee told the clerk that, yes, that type of suite would be fine, and he made a reservation for guaranteed late arrival that night. He picked up the other phone line where Lieutenant Morrison had been waiting and said, "Lieutenant Morrison? Sorry to keep you waiting. That phone number is for a hotel, the Harrington Suites, on the St. Louis riverfront."
"Good, thank you, Mr. Stetson," Lieutenant Morrison said. "While you were on the other line, we got word that DC cab number A0169 picked up a dark- haired woman and a young girl in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt from the stand across from the National Archives at 12:15 p.m., headed for Dulles Airport. Our guys also checked the flights leaving between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m., and one of the flights on that list was American flight 595 to St. Louis. At this point, we're not only dealing with kidnapping, but interstate flight. We're going to have to bring the FBI in on this."
"We understand, Lieutenant, but please make sure to keep the Agency in the loop. You can call Francine Desmond at this number, or you can reach me by cell phone. Here's the number..." Lee said, giving him the number and telling him they were on their way to St. Louis.
Amanda took care of getting their airline tickets booked, glad that she could finally do something to help. They wouldn't have time to go home and pack for the trip. They barely had time to call Dotty and explain where they were going, and why.
TO BE CONTINUED