Chapter Ten

"Dad?"

Danny McCoy walked into the trailer of where his father's job site was. Stopping short, he looked around and saw all the debris, "What the hell happened here?"

Larry looked up at his son as he picked some of the damaged equipment up, "Your guess is as good as mine," he said, "I came in here from lunch and the place was destroyed."

"Have you called the cops?" His son asked, walking in and picking up a computer monitor.

"They've already been here and took the statement."

"What about your insurance company? Surely they can replace this stuff."

Larry sighed deeply as he rose to his feet, "Not yet."

Danny turned and looked at his father, "How'd you get the shiner, Dad?" Upon further examination, Danny suddenly found himself angry, "What happened? Who got to you?"

"Danny," his father sighed again, "I'm fine, okay? I told you, I came in here and a guy was destroying the place."

"No," Danny said, "You told me that you came in here and the place was already a mess. Quit lying to me, dad, tell me what happened?"

The eldest McCoy looked away from his son in shame, "I didn't want you to know about this, Danny..."

"Dad," his son said softly, "just tell me what's going on."

Larry sighed deeply, "I think I may have gotten myself in a bind."

"What kind of a bind?" Danny demanded.

"I was hired to build a development of town houses and I guess the land on which I am to built was owned by a group of thugs."

"Who?" His son asked.

"Danny," Larry began.

"Dad."

His father took in a deep breath and then exhaled it slowly, "Roberto Menendez."

"Roberto Menendez?" Danny asked in shock. Knowing that Menendez was one of the largest distributors of cocaine and heroin in the country, the younger man just sat down, too stunned to react. Looking at his father, Danny said, "We need to call Luis, Dad."

"No," Larry said, shaking his head, "The last thing I want is for Luis to get involved. I can handle this."

"Oh yeah," his son retorted with sarcasm. Gesturing to the contusions on his father's face, he added, "I can see that."

"Danny, listen to me," Larry said, looking his son squarely in the eye, "I've got this covered."

Danny sighed deeply in frustration. Reaching into his pocket, he produced the manila envelope from Ed. "Here's the money."

The other man's eyes locked on the offered envelope. Larry reached out and grabbed it, "I don't know where you got this money, Danny, but thank you. I'll pay back every cent."

"Don't worry about it," he said, waving it off. "You just take care of yourself and don't let yourself get too deep into something you can't get out."

"I promise," Larry confirmed. Pulling his son into an embrace, he sighed, "Thank you so much, Danny."

"Don't mention it, Dad," Danny said, hugging his father back, "Like I said, you just take care of yourself."

"Yeah," his father said with a heavy sigh, stepping back, "I will. You want to grab a beer one night this week?"

The younger man smiled, "Sounds good. I gotta get back to work, but I'll call you." Smiling at his father, Danny turned and left, heading back to work.

"I want my mom and dad,"

Richie groaned deeply, "God, can't you shut that kid up? She's been going on and on non-stop since we left the airport!"

Karla glared at the driver, lowering her voice, "Show some compassion, okay?" Turning around, she looked at Jasmine, "Jacinda, I told you, your mom and dad don't want you anymore, they were going to just leave you out in the desert by yourself, if it weren't for me, that's what they would have done."

Jasmine shook her head no, her chocolate curls swishing around her face, "That's a lie," she boldly stated, "my parents are looking for me, and they are going to find me."

Marin sighed in annoyance, she was beginning to grow tired of the girl. "Who taught you how to be so rude?"

"I bet it was that bitch slut of a mother," Phillips remarked. "She had a mouth on her."

Reaching into the glove compartment, Karla pulled out a roll of duct tape and went into the back seat and tore a strip off. Jasmine looked at her in horror, "What are you doing?"

"Giving myself some sanity," she responded before slapping it over the girl's mouth. Tearing off some more longer strips, she bound the girls hands tightly together behind her so she couldn't move them. Sighing, she climbed back up into the front seat. "I think it's time we made a phone call." She grabbed the untraceable cell phone from her purse. Before they left, Ritchie had it fitted with a number scrambler and a voice alteration took. Turning it on, she dialed a number.

"I wonder what she's doing right now... if she's hungry, cold, or scared."

Ed sighed quietly as he turned and looked at Sam, "Don't do this to yourself, Sam. It's not worth it."

"My daughter is not worth my worry?" Sam shot back, looking at him.

"Our daughter," Ed corrected. "Just because I haven't formally adopted her yet doesn't meant that I'm not her father. I am just as sick over this as you are."

The woman sighed as she glanced down, "I'm sorry, you are right," she responded softly.

Deline moved over onto the couch and took her in his arms and sighed deeply as he held her. The two were silent until the sound of a ringing phone broke through their reverie.

"I'll get it," Sam said numbly as she stood up. Walking over to the phone, she picked it up, "Hello?"

Karla Marin smiled when she heard the voice of Sam. Knowing her voice was being scrambled, she taunted, "Miss Marquez, I'm sitting here, looking at your daughter, and thinking what a beautiful creature she is."

Sam felt her blood run cold, "Who is this?" She demanded. "Where is my daughter!"

Ed quickly rose to his feet and walked over to where Sam was on the phone. "Give it here," he said quietly, taking the phone out of her hand. Putting the phone to his ear, Ed said, "Who the hell is this?"

Karla quickly handed the phone over to Ritchie, whispering softly, "It's Ed."

Ritchie pulled over and grinned. Taking the phone from her, he said in a gravelly, garbled voice "Would you just relax, things are fine."

Ed sighed as he clenched his fists at his sides, "Listen you cowardly fuck face... If one hair is harmed on the top of her head, so help me god, I'll beat you so hard your mother will feel it. I want to talk to my daughter, put her on."

Ritchie chuckled softly, "She's sleeping."

"Wake her up," Deline demanded.

"And deprive a child of sleep?"

Ed ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Just then, Delinda walked through the front door and saw Ed and Sam frantic. "What's going on?" She asked, dropping her purse on a table.

"It's the people who have Jasmine," Sam answered, near tears.

"Oh god," Delinda said, quickly going over to her purse and taking her cell phone out.

"What do you want?" Ed asked, "Money? Just tell me how much you want and I'll give you every dime."

"What makes you think we want money?" Ritchie demanded, suddenly angry.

"Because money is usually what you assholes want." Ed responded.

While her father was on the phone, Delinda walked into another room, dialing a number. Seconds later, she heard a voice on the other end, "Luis, it's me. My dad's on the phone with the kidnapper now." She paused as he asked her some questions, "No, I don't know, I just walked through the door, please hurry though." Listening to Perez, she nodded, "Yeah, okay, thanks." She disconnected the call and walked out into the foyer, "Luis is on his way."

Sam nodded mutely as she watched Ed pace the room like a caged animal. "You better pray that you end up getting killed when all this is over," he said coldly, "because if there isn't a bullet in your body, I swear to god, I'll put one there myself."

"Ed," Sam said quietly, "don't piss him off! He could hurt her."

The man held up a hand as he listened to Phillips' cackle. "When all of this is over," he promised, "there will be more than just one dead body."

Luis Perez quickly ran out of his office and looked at the task team that he had set up to help assist in the recovery of Jasmine Marquez. "Ed's on the phone with the kidnappers, they are making contact early. Joe, run down to the main office and get the phone taps and tracers. Helen, I need you to come along so you can talk to the family and try to help them keep level heads--I wouldn't expect too much cooperation from Ed though, if I were you. Rodney, get the truck ready, I'm heading out there now, you all have the address, I want to see each of your faces there in fifteen minutes."

That said, the detective briskly walked out.