CHAPTER 4: SAM GETS CAPTURED!
Sam and Gertie continued to wait inside their motel room. The FBI hired round the clock bodyguards to watch their room. The Scorpion's men also kept watch waiting for the right moment to snatch Sam. Agents Boyd and Hanks were at their makeshift substation with their boss Hendrix going over the case. The Scorpion's men had bought some clothes to look like they were with the FBI, as well. When the replacement guards were heading for Sam's room, the hoods grabbed them first, injecting them with a sleeping agent that wouldn't kill them, but keep them knocked out for a long time. Then, in their disguises, they walked to Sam's room and knocked on the door. Sam opened it.
"Oh, yous must be da replacement guards," said Sam.
"That's right, Sam," said the goons as agents. "We also got orders to bring you and your daughter to another spot. We leave immediately."
"Hey pop," Gertie began, "whas goin' on?"
"We's movin' to a new spot, Goitie," said Sam to his daughter. And Sam and Gertie followed the men to an awaiting SUV. They got in and they left the motel. Back inside the hoods room, the real guards were waking up. It seemed that they didn't inject enough serum. Once they regained their bearings they called Hendrix. Back at the station, Hendrix saw her phone ring. She answered it.
"Hello?"
"Boss!" said one of the guards. "We were ambushed! We think it was the Scorpion's men. They got Sam and his daughter!"
"Dammit! You know which direction they went?"
"We're just coming out of a sleep we were in. We didn't see them leave, but Sam's room is completely empty."
"Okay, stay there. Boyd and Hanks are on their way!" She hung up. Turning to Boyd and Hanks she said, "Go back to the Golden Kangaroo. Sam and his daughter's been kidnapped!"
"You're kidding!" said Boyd.
"We suspect the Scorpion had something to do with this," said Hendrix.
"We're on our way, boss," said Hanks. And the two agents left for the motel.
Later, the hoods, Sam, and Gertie arrived at a huge mansion somewhere miles away from Sparkyville. Sam knew something was up. Why would FBI agents bring them to a place like that?
"Where are we's?" asked Sam. One of the goons immediately pulled out a gun.
"You are about to meet the Scorpion for the first time, Sam," said the hood.
"Yous the Scoipion's men?!"
"That's right, Sammy boy! You and your brat! Out of the vehicle!" And they exited the vehicle and with the guns to their backs, Sam and Gertie headed for the entrance to the mansion. Once inside Sam and Gertie were in awe of how big and nice the place was. The Scorpion, whoever he was, had riches beyond anyone's dream.
"This way!" ordered the main hood. He directed them to a door on the right. They were in an office with the chair turned around. There were two extra chairs in front of the desk. The hoods directed Sam and Gertie to sit down in the chairs.
"Sam is here, boss," announced the hood.
"Good work, Brody," said the Scorpion. He turned around, but kept his face in the shadows. "You all can leave us, but don't go far." The men all exited the office. Sam and Gertie were both scared. They didn't know what was going to happen.
"Sam Mancini," the Scorpion began, "owner of Sam's Auto Salvage Yard. We finally meet in person. I appreciate your services to me and my men over the years, I really do. Now I know you had no idea we were burying dead people in your place. I figured I owed you an explanation. You see, these bodies were former clients of mine; clients that ran afoul of me. All had tried to screw me over and I had to collect the debt somehow. So when they failed to pay me back, I collected the debt with their lives. But we couldn't just drop the bodies anywhere. We needed a perfect spot to dispose of them. That was when we found your place of business. What better than a junkyard to bury what you don't want found.
"So yes, we've been burying those clients after collecting their debts in your lot. Now a girl did spot us doing so as she was walking presumably home. She was in the back of the yard where the railroad tracks are, and she saw my men throwing one of those clients in his makeshift grave. Apparently this girl was part of one of the gangs that had fought in your very junkyard all those years ago. And your daughter may know who she is. We've been trying to find that girl for some time now. Rumor has it that she died, but I doubt that happened. Because not too soon after she disappeared, her mother disappeared, as well.
"But that's not what I want to discuss, Sam. What I want to talk to you about is you working with the feds. I want to know what you told them."
"I didn't say nuttin', sir!" Sam said.
"So they just placed you in witness protection for nothing, eh? Just be honest with me, Sam, and I may let you live." Gertie's blood ran cold. Were they going to die right there in that mansion?
"I am tellin' yous da truth, Scorpion sir! On my mudder's grave I is!"
"Brody! Brutus! Get back in here!" And the hoods returned with guns drawn. "Brody, take Sam's little girl to the princess room. I don't think a young teen like her should witness what's about to happen." Turning back to Sam he said, coldly, "Take one last look at your daughter, Mancini." Gertie was in tears by this point. She knew her father was about to meet his maker.
"Let's go, princess!" ordered Brody.
"POP!" cried Gertie.
"It's okay, baby!" Sam wept. "Daddy's gonna be okay!" And Gertie was dragged out of the office and as Brody was taking her to the "princess room" they heard a shot go off. Gertie shuddered.
"Keep moving, girlie!" snarled Brody. And he brought her to a nice looking room that had a bed with a canopy on top. There were stuffed animals all around. It looked welcoming, but Gertie was feeling anything but welcomed at that point.
"You should get plenty of rest, little girl," said Brody. "We got a long day tomorrow." And he closed the door. She heard it lock from the outside. Gertie collapsed on the bed and cried for a long time. She knew she'd never see her father again, but even worse was that she didn't know what was going to happen to her.
NEXT CHAPTER: THE NEWS GETS AROUND
