Chapter 4
Joan's door opened, and the dark man came in. He pulled Joan up by the arm and dragged her back next door. He opened the door and threw her inside so forcibly that she crashed to the floor with a thud. She sat up and looked over at Adam who was still lying on the floor by the wall. He was semi-conscious now, but unmoving.
"Ok kids, this is how it's going to go. We're going to call your parents now. You both will tell them that you are doing fine, so you'd better get your friend up missy. We wouldn't want you parents to think that we were mistreating you in anyway. We will ask for $500,000 dollars a piece for you. That will not only be enough money to get us out of here and Iris into a new school with a fresh start, but we'll have plenty of money left over to spend on other things as well." The dark man pulled out a gun. "Any mention of Iris's name, or hinting that she is involved, and we'll put a bullet in both of your heads...got it? Hey, girl, go help your boyfriend up. His father's first." Joan went to Adam, and helped him sit up. He inhaled sharply and Joan saw the pain visible on his face.
"Adam, come on, you gotta get up now. Please."
"Jane, I can't." He coughed up some blood, and Joan wasn't sure how 'alert' she could make Adam sound.
"You have to, they're gonna kill us."
"You don't think they aren't going to do that anyway?" Joan just looked at Adam with a look of both panic and empathy. Adam struggled to get himself upright. Finally he got to the point where he was sitting up against the wall. The man dialed Adam's home number. Mr. Rove was sitting at home watching TV. He had no idea that his son wasn't in school that day.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Rove?"
"Yes, who's calling?"
"None of your business. All you need to know is that we've got your son here. And we'd like some money in exchange for his safe return."
"What are you talking about? Where is my son?"
"That's for us to know, and you to find out. Here is your son...say hello"
"Dad?"
"Adam? Are you all right son? Adam?"
"You know he is alive now, but if we don't get what we want, he might not stay that way."
"What do you want?"
"$500,000"
"What? Where am I supposed to get that sort of money?"
"I don't care I'm going to call back soon. I'll give you more information as it unfolds."
Next up was the Girardi family. Helen answered the phone.
"Joan?"
"I'm afraid not ma'am, but Joan is with us."
"Who are you, where is my daughter?"
"Now now ma'am. You'll get to say 'hi' to her in a minute. Say hello to your mom girly.'
"Mom? Hello?"
"Joan, are you all right? Is Adam with you?"
"Mom, we're both fine. Just do what these men say please mom!"
"What do you mean? Joan? Joan?"
The phone was ripped from Joan's hands and she was slammed in the back of the head with it. Joan slumped down beside Adam. "Jane!" He picked her up; there was a small gash on the back of her scalp. He took all the strength he had left and picked her up and leaned her against him. "Enough of that lady. Here is where you come in, Mrs. Girardi. We want $500,000 in exchange for your daughter's safe return. I'll have more information at a later date. Goodbye. "WAIT, PLEASE!"
"What ma'am?"
"Why are you doing this...what has my daughter and her friend done?"
"You don't need that information. Just know that no good deed goes unpunished."
Joan's door opened, and the dark man came in. He pulled Joan up by the arm and dragged her back next door. He opened the door and threw her inside so forcibly that she crashed to the floor with a thud. She sat up and looked over at Adam who was still lying on the floor by the wall. He was semi-conscious now, but unmoving.
"Ok kids, this is how it's going to go. We're going to call your parents now. You both will tell them that you are doing fine, so you'd better get your friend up missy. We wouldn't want you parents to think that we were mistreating you in anyway. We will ask for $500,000 dollars a piece for you. That will not only be enough money to get us out of here and Iris into a new school with a fresh start, but we'll have plenty of money left over to spend on other things as well." The dark man pulled out a gun. "Any mention of Iris's name, or hinting that she is involved, and we'll put a bullet in both of your heads...got it? Hey, girl, go help your boyfriend up. His father's first." Joan went to Adam, and helped him sit up. He inhaled sharply and Joan saw the pain visible on his face.
"Adam, come on, you gotta get up now. Please."
"Jane, I can't." He coughed up some blood, and Joan wasn't sure how 'alert' she could make Adam sound.
"You have to, they're gonna kill us."
"You don't think they aren't going to do that anyway?" Joan just looked at Adam with a look of both panic and empathy. Adam struggled to get himself upright. Finally he got to the point where he was sitting up against the wall. The man dialed Adam's home number. Mr. Rove was sitting at home watching TV. He had no idea that his son wasn't in school that day.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Rove?"
"Yes, who's calling?"
"None of your business. All you need to know is that we've got your son here. And we'd like some money in exchange for his safe return."
"What are you talking about? Where is my son?"
"That's for us to know, and you to find out. Here is your son...say hello"
"Dad?"
"Adam? Are you all right son? Adam?"
"You know he is alive now, but if we don't get what we want, he might not stay that way."
"What do you want?"
"$500,000"
"What? Where am I supposed to get that sort of money?"
"I don't care I'm going to call back soon. I'll give you more information as it unfolds."
Next up was the Girardi family. Helen answered the phone.
"Joan?"
"I'm afraid not ma'am, but Joan is with us."
"Who are you, where is my daughter?"
"Now now ma'am. You'll get to say 'hi' to her in a minute. Say hello to your mom girly.'
"Mom? Hello?"
"Joan, are you all right? Is Adam with you?"
"Mom, we're both fine. Just do what these men say please mom!"
"What do you mean? Joan? Joan?"
The phone was ripped from Joan's hands and she was slammed in the back of the head with it. Joan slumped down beside Adam. "Jane!" He picked her up; there was a small gash on the back of her scalp. He took all the strength he had left and picked her up and leaned her against him. "Enough of that lady. Here is where you come in, Mrs. Girardi. We want $500,000 in exchange for your daughter's safe return. I'll have more information at a later date. Goodbye. "WAIT, PLEASE!"
"What ma'am?"
"Why are you doing this...what has my daughter and her friend done?"
"You don't need that information. Just know that no good deed goes unpunished."