At noon the phone rang. Frank walked over to answer it, trying to remain
calm. "This is Donovan."
"Don't say anything just listen." The voice was distorted. "We want 6 million half in unmarked bills and the other half in bonds. We will send you proof we have your children within the hour. We will call back in an hour." The caller hung up.
"Cody?"
"Nothing sorry, couldn't get a fix on them."
"Odd request wonder why they only want half in cash?" Elaina said.
"They must have their reasons," Alex said wondering her self why.
"Cody, how are you doing on that picture?" Elaina asked.
"I have it clearer and I've figured out the year and color I'm checking for registration with that info but the list will be a long one."
"Hopefully, we can narrow it down fast," Sab said.
"Frank, can we talk in the living room please?" Elaina said then walked out. Frank followed her.
"What's wrong?" Frank asked her.
"I need to fall apart again." Elaina started to cry again as he held.
"Let's sit down and I'll hold you a while." Frank led her over to the couch and they sat down.
"You falling again, too?" Elaina brushed tears from his face.
"A little," Frank admitted. They sat together in silence; Elaina fell asleep which he was grateful for. A few minutes later the doorbell rang, waking her. Frank went to answer the door as everyone came out of the office.
"Are you Frank Donovan?" Frank acknowledged and the messenger gave Frank an envelope.
"Come in we have some questions we'd like to ask you," Andy said, standing by Frank.
"Alex, Jake, see what he knows about this," Frank ordered.
"Open it up. I want to see this proof," Elaina insisted.
Frank examined the envelope for markings, and then opened it to find still photos of Derek and Sarah.
"This isn't good enough. I want to see other proof they're still alive. We don't know if they killed them after they took these or not," Elaina insisted.
"Elaina, why would you say that? We have no reason to believe they're that violent," Monica said.
"I've done more kidnapping cases than any of you, including Frank. I know what can happen," Elaina told them.
"She's right we'll need more proof. I plan on insisting during the next call," Frank said.
*****
They waited for the next call Frank answered and gave his demand of more proof. The caller never got a chance to speak before Frank hung up on him.
"Are you sure you should've done that? What if they do something to the kids because of it?" Alex asked.
"They won't hurt them now, if they haven't already. They have to know us personally to know we'd have access to that kind of money. They want the money more than anything. Are you getting anywhere with cleaning the voice up?" Elaina asked.
"Still working on it," Cody replied.
"Work a little harder," Frank said, sternly.
"Listen, we're doing the best we can. We're trying to ID the van and the voice, plus trace the call. If you think you can do better, sit down here and try," Cody yelled at Frank and Sab kept trying to stop him.
"You better change your attitude, if you don't want me to change it for you," Frank warned him.
"You'd love that. You've put me down every chance you get, usually in front of the others. I don't like it and I don't have to take it any longer." Cody got up to leave.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Frank asked, very angry.
"Away from here. You can do my job and see how easy it is, Agent Donovan."
"Sit back down and get to work." Frank stood face to face with him, trying to intimidate him.
"Stop it Cody. Do as he says," Sab said, trying to stop the argument
"Cody, go outside and cool off, Sab you keep working. Frank, get the hell out of here and leave everyone alone," Elaina said as she followed Cody out.
"Cody, I don't mind you finally breaking down from all this. I just hope in the future you don't talk like that to Frank. He'll retaliate and I don't want that to happen. If the pressure gets to be too much just say so and leave the room."
"I'll try. I'm really sorry for yelling at him like that. I know that he's stressed more than me. I promise it won't happen again," Cody told her leaning against the wall.
"I bet that you're talking about that yelling part, because odds are you'll lose it again, because of the kids. You're close to them, too. Sab told me she's been upset. I can tell you right now I'll break down a few more times too."
*********
Within the hour they had another delivery made to the door. Frank was surprised to see the same messenger. He handed Frank the box and talked to Alex and Jake again.
"Open it up, see what it is." Elaina was anxious and made a grab for it but Frank didn't let her have it.
He opened the box and found a videotape in it. He took it to the office, so the team could see it too. The voice of the caller was heard first. "Stick to what we wrote."
The video showed Derek sitting bound in a chair. The camera then showed Sarah being held by a masked person. Derek began to speak as the camera came back to focus on him.
"Mom, Frank. Please, do as they say, they keep threatening Sarah if I don't cooperate with them. You know what will happen if you don't do as they say. Give them what they want, so we can come home. They won't let me hold Sarah, she's scared."
"Stick to what we wrote," the caller's voice said to Derek.
"They want you to have Sonny Walker deliver the ransom. I don't know why." Derek looked in horror as Sarah screamed. The camera showed that the person had a knife to Sarah's throat.
"Stick to what we wrote," He was warned again.
Elaina left the room. She heard Derek trying to calm Sarah before the door closed behind her. Andy shut the tape off as Frank went to find Elaina. He heard her in the kitchen, cursing.
"How dare they do that to our little girl. I'm going to kill those bastards with my bare hands!" Elaina screamed at Frank.
"Not if I get my hands on them first. I promise you, they'll pay for what they're doing to them and us." Frank tried to hold her but she pulled away from him.
"I'm too angry right now just let me be." Elaina stood and stared out the kitchen windows.
"I understand." Frank sat down at the table and put his head in his hands.
**********
Andy played the tape for the others to watch and gather any clues from it, if they could. Monica watched Derek closely and listened to the voices, and then she went to see Frank and Elaina.
"Excuse me but I have a question," Monica said.
"Go ahead," Elaina said, sitting down with Frank.
"Do you think that Derek called you Frank, instead of Dad, because they had it written that way or on his own?"
"It might've been written but he also did it as something we prearranged. To tell us they're ok but scared and he's cooperating with them," Frank told her. "When he said 'I don't know why' that was to tell us he didn't know the kidnappers."
"I also noticed that the person holding Sarah was a woman," Monica added.
"The warning to Derek was a recording, each time it was the same tone and the same words," Elaina said.
"I realized that, I wonder why the person recorded it?" Monica asked.
"Maybe the person behind the camera wasn't the caller," Elaina suggested.
"Have the sound taken apart for background noises. I want to know everything there is to know about that tape," Frank ordered.
"They must know Sonny or why else would they want him to deliver the ransom. They must also know that one of us knows where he is," Elaina reasoned.
"Have Jake go after Sonny and bring him here," Frank said.
"Andy has already told him where to find him," Monica said as Elaina motioned for her to leave.
"Hey Love. Lets go brush the horses? Derek normally does it." her voice trailed off. "So what do you say? Let's go get our minds on something else for a few minutes."
"I guess we could." Frank walked out with her.
*******
"Don't say anything just listen." The voice was distorted. "We want 6 million half in unmarked bills and the other half in bonds. We will send you proof we have your children within the hour. We will call back in an hour." The caller hung up.
"Cody?"
"Nothing sorry, couldn't get a fix on them."
"Odd request wonder why they only want half in cash?" Elaina said.
"They must have their reasons," Alex said wondering her self why.
"Cody, how are you doing on that picture?" Elaina asked.
"I have it clearer and I've figured out the year and color I'm checking for registration with that info but the list will be a long one."
"Hopefully, we can narrow it down fast," Sab said.
"Frank, can we talk in the living room please?" Elaina said then walked out. Frank followed her.
"What's wrong?" Frank asked her.
"I need to fall apart again." Elaina started to cry again as he held.
"Let's sit down and I'll hold you a while." Frank led her over to the couch and they sat down.
"You falling again, too?" Elaina brushed tears from his face.
"A little," Frank admitted. They sat together in silence; Elaina fell asleep which he was grateful for. A few minutes later the doorbell rang, waking her. Frank went to answer the door as everyone came out of the office.
"Are you Frank Donovan?" Frank acknowledged and the messenger gave Frank an envelope.
"Come in we have some questions we'd like to ask you," Andy said, standing by Frank.
"Alex, Jake, see what he knows about this," Frank ordered.
"Open it up. I want to see this proof," Elaina insisted.
Frank examined the envelope for markings, and then opened it to find still photos of Derek and Sarah.
"This isn't good enough. I want to see other proof they're still alive. We don't know if they killed them after they took these or not," Elaina insisted.
"Elaina, why would you say that? We have no reason to believe they're that violent," Monica said.
"I've done more kidnapping cases than any of you, including Frank. I know what can happen," Elaina told them.
"She's right we'll need more proof. I plan on insisting during the next call," Frank said.
*****
They waited for the next call Frank answered and gave his demand of more proof. The caller never got a chance to speak before Frank hung up on him.
"Are you sure you should've done that? What if they do something to the kids because of it?" Alex asked.
"They won't hurt them now, if they haven't already. They have to know us personally to know we'd have access to that kind of money. They want the money more than anything. Are you getting anywhere with cleaning the voice up?" Elaina asked.
"Still working on it," Cody replied.
"Work a little harder," Frank said, sternly.
"Listen, we're doing the best we can. We're trying to ID the van and the voice, plus trace the call. If you think you can do better, sit down here and try," Cody yelled at Frank and Sab kept trying to stop him.
"You better change your attitude, if you don't want me to change it for you," Frank warned him.
"You'd love that. You've put me down every chance you get, usually in front of the others. I don't like it and I don't have to take it any longer." Cody got up to leave.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Frank asked, very angry.
"Away from here. You can do my job and see how easy it is, Agent Donovan."
"Sit back down and get to work." Frank stood face to face with him, trying to intimidate him.
"Stop it Cody. Do as he says," Sab said, trying to stop the argument
"Cody, go outside and cool off, Sab you keep working. Frank, get the hell out of here and leave everyone alone," Elaina said as she followed Cody out.
"Cody, I don't mind you finally breaking down from all this. I just hope in the future you don't talk like that to Frank. He'll retaliate and I don't want that to happen. If the pressure gets to be too much just say so and leave the room."
"I'll try. I'm really sorry for yelling at him like that. I know that he's stressed more than me. I promise it won't happen again," Cody told her leaning against the wall.
"I bet that you're talking about that yelling part, because odds are you'll lose it again, because of the kids. You're close to them, too. Sab told me she's been upset. I can tell you right now I'll break down a few more times too."
*********
Within the hour they had another delivery made to the door. Frank was surprised to see the same messenger. He handed Frank the box and talked to Alex and Jake again.
"Open it up, see what it is." Elaina was anxious and made a grab for it but Frank didn't let her have it.
He opened the box and found a videotape in it. He took it to the office, so the team could see it too. The voice of the caller was heard first. "Stick to what we wrote."
The video showed Derek sitting bound in a chair. The camera then showed Sarah being held by a masked person. Derek began to speak as the camera came back to focus on him.
"Mom, Frank. Please, do as they say, they keep threatening Sarah if I don't cooperate with them. You know what will happen if you don't do as they say. Give them what they want, so we can come home. They won't let me hold Sarah, she's scared."
"Stick to what we wrote," the caller's voice said to Derek.
"They want you to have Sonny Walker deliver the ransom. I don't know why." Derek looked in horror as Sarah screamed. The camera showed that the person had a knife to Sarah's throat.
"Stick to what we wrote," He was warned again.
Elaina left the room. She heard Derek trying to calm Sarah before the door closed behind her. Andy shut the tape off as Frank went to find Elaina. He heard her in the kitchen, cursing.
"How dare they do that to our little girl. I'm going to kill those bastards with my bare hands!" Elaina screamed at Frank.
"Not if I get my hands on them first. I promise you, they'll pay for what they're doing to them and us." Frank tried to hold her but she pulled away from him.
"I'm too angry right now just let me be." Elaina stood and stared out the kitchen windows.
"I understand." Frank sat down at the table and put his head in his hands.
**********
Andy played the tape for the others to watch and gather any clues from it, if they could. Monica watched Derek closely and listened to the voices, and then she went to see Frank and Elaina.
"Excuse me but I have a question," Monica said.
"Go ahead," Elaina said, sitting down with Frank.
"Do you think that Derek called you Frank, instead of Dad, because they had it written that way or on his own?"
"It might've been written but he also did it as something we prearranged. To tell us they're ok but scared and he's cooperating with them," Frank told her. "When he said 'I don't know why' that was to tell us he didn't know the kidnappers."
"I also noticed that the person holding Sarah was a woman," Monica added.
"The warning to Derek was a recording, each time it was the same tone and the same words," Elaina said.
"I realized that, I wonder why the person recorded it?" Monica asked.
"Maybe the person behind the camera wasn't the caller," Elaina suggested.
"Have the sound taken apart for background noises. I want to know everything there is to know about that tape," Frank ordered.
"They must know Sonny or why else would they want him to deliver the ransom. They must also know that one of us knows where he is," Elaina reasoned.
"Have Jake go after Sonny and bring him here," Frank said.
"Andy has already told him where to find him," Monica said as Elaina motioned for her to leave.
"Hey Love. Lets go brush the horses? Derek normally does it." her voice trailed off. "So what do you say? Let's go get our minds on something else for a few minutes."
"I guess we could." Frank walked out with her.
*******