It was 4pm in the afternoon and Danny Taylor was just about done with his list, he had so far come across old couples who had invited the 'nice man' in for a cup of tea but still it was getting him nowhere. He looked at his list at the next profile 18 year old Jake Beckett, was a friend of both Daphne and Fred, he lived alone it seemed. He started his engine and once more headed for his next location.
Martin sat in the apartment with Freddy and the friends he called his 'gang', listening with fascination to their tales of adventure and mystery. They had been there perhaps all afternoon with not one phone call; still he was anything but bored.
"There was this one guy in Turkey, who actually dressed up as a 'tar monster' and hid underneath pools of tar with breathing equipment."
"No way! What was he after?" Martin replied, more than intrigued.
Velma was just about to reply when she was interrupted by the shrill ring of the telephone, everybody froze, eyes on the young agent, waiting for instruction. Martin scrambled to the headset and gave the thumbs up for Fred to answer.
"Hello" he answered tentatively not knowing who was on the end of the line. His first words gave him the answer he needed.
"Hello Freddy" Moss replied and then pointedly "and friends" Martin looked up surprised, were they being watched?
"I can see your friends Velma and Shaggy but who's the handsome guy currently listening to our conversation?"
Martin looked around panicked for the cameras, was that one in the corner?
"You still haven't answered my question, cop, private detective; well no matter it will do you no good"
"Please just let her go your fight isn't with her it's with me and Velms"
"Don't you want to know how she is? Here I'll let her speak for a little while, no naughty questions mind, it will hurt her"
They all heard the sound of the phone being passed over and finally they heard her voice tired and worn. "Daphne are you Ok, has he hurt you?"
Her voice was woozy "I'm fine Freddy just er some cuts and bruises" There was something in her voice that told him she was lying. "Are you Ok they told me they would kill you?"
"Who is helping him, I'm fine" He immediately regretted those words as they all heard her cry out in pain.
"Tsk tsk Freddy a naughty question" Moss chastised "Careful you don't want her to lose her beautiful looks do you?"
Martin had listened to the exchange in horror and could contain his anger no more "Just what kind of sick bastard are you?" he said grabbing the phone from the stricken Freddy.
Moss seemed to find this amusing "and just who am I talking to now don't tell me you'll be the one tracking me down" he mocked
"I will make sure you die for what you have done Moss" Martin savagely promised.
"You'll have to find me first, anyway I've got things to do, got to go now"
"Wait!" Freddy pleaded desperately "Just tell me what you want"
"Now where would be the fun in that" he said cruelly hanging up.
It was just starting to get dark by the time that Danny pulled up outside Jake Beckett house. He blew on his hands to keep warm as he stepped out the car. It was in complete darkness as he cautiously walked up the path to the rather run down house. Walking around to the back, he noticed it was in darkness, obviously nobody home. He was about to turn and walk away when he saw something shimmery near his feet on the floor, a piece of fabric, he bent down to pick it up, part of a dress, alarm bells were already ringing in his head, when he heard a female scream that was abruptly cut off. She was in there! He quickly thought about his options call in Jack and get help? or try save her himself? Danny didn't have time to decide he didn't hear footsteps behind him, until it was too late. He whirled around at the sound and was caught squarely in the head by the boot of the intruder. He went down, desperately trying to retrieve his gun and radio. "Don't even think about it". The figure said crushing the radio and kicking Danny's gun out of reach. The first thing he noticed when he looked up was a young guy who was obviously Jake, the second and far more pressing thing he noticed was the gun he brandished and trained on him expertly.
"Get up" Jake demanded watching Danny carefully as he got up herding Danny into the house.
A million thoughts were going through Danny's head as Jake forced him into a chair, still with the gun trained upon him. What was this kid doing involved in a kidnapping, did that Moss guy hire him and most importantly of all, how in gods name had he got himself into this situation, he was a trained FBI agent! He comforted himself with the fact he had been taken by surprise. Scratch that he should have been alert, even if he was just a kid.
The said kid was watching him in a creepy kind of way, the gun all the time, pointing directly at Danny. Finally he spoke "you shouldn't have come here"
"Jake why has a kid like you got involved in this? Is he paying you a fortune, you know kidnap a girl for me and get rich?" Danny tried to reason with him and make him see sense.
Jake didn't say anything; Danny followed his gaze to a small framed picture on the mantelpiece a picture of Jake as a child with his father, and suddenly everything fell horrifyingly into place for Danny.