Sara looked into the masked faces of her captors. Tears were flowing down her cheeks, and her light gray mascara was dripping down with the tears.
She was lying down on a cement floor, and trying hard not to look to the unknown face of the man who had violated her.
Please…Megan…Please…she thought to herself, wanting this to be all too vivid of a dream and wake up.
But she never woke up. She kept crying.
I stared transfixed at the phone, even as the dial tone rang out, as I went over and over the last words Sara had told me.
"Team One- hot call!" Eddie took the liberty of yelling out, as everyone but me and him rushed to ready themselves and head for the garage.
"Megan…" Eddie started to say.
I lifted my sidearm out of the drop holster and racked back the slide, as I ran aside Ed.
"Let's go get those bastards."
"Spike get a-" Greg started.
"Working on a trace boss."
"Winnie, we get demands yet?" Greg asked over the radio.
"Received an email- they want four million dollars deposited into an account for 10762689 Ontario."
"A numbered company? Get a-"
"Requesting a FOI now." Winnie finished.
I rode with Ed.
"Where does she live?" Ed asked.
"1489 Labelle Avenue, Apartment C." I replied, as I stared straight ahead.
"Boss," Ed said, "Me and Megan are going to the home, you and Brad go to her work, see if…"
"there's any grudges or retaliation?" Greg asked, "Got it."
It didn't take us long and we were at Sara's apartment.
Maybe it was because Eddie respected me, or knew that I was angry enough, but he let me kick in the door.
"Police, SRU!" I yelled out, as we quickly searched the 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment, clearing it for suspects.
"Everything is in order." Ed said, "She wasn't taken from her apartment."
"Nothing from the co-workers either." Brad radioed in.
"Winnie, put out an APB on her car- blue Ford Focus, plate Charlie Foxtrot Lima Romeo Eight Eight Niner."
"APB in process." Winnie said, "Got a hit on the number company- RentalMax- big time rental landlords- owns 80% of the rentals in the city."
Ed gave me a look.
"She doesn't rent from RentalMax." I replied.
"They got a head office?" Ed asked.
"Sending you the address." Winnie informed, "Check your PDAs."
Ed drew out his PDA and looked at the address.
"Greg, it's close to us- we can be there in less than five."
"Alright, tread carefully Eddie, we do not want to get Sara killed." Greg said, "Spike, any luck?"
"Not much." Came Spike's reply, "Phone bill is registered to a 10762689 Ontario."
"RentalMax." I said, as I got in the truck, and Ed started driving, "Spike- get addresses for all the units rented by RentalMax and filter with units that the utilities are billed to the landlord, and not the tenant."
"Smart." Spike said, "Might take a while. Lot of addresses."
"We're here." Ed said, as we got out of the SUV and entered a small office building and entered the office labeled with RentalMax's logo.
"Officer Perrasmith, this is Officer Lane, we were wondering if you could help us with something." I said to the front office clerk.
The woman looked up to me and replied, in broken English, "Sorry, no English."
"Then let's talk to someone who does." Ed suggested, as we walked behind the desk and entered one of the two rear offices.
Inside the office, a short man stood up as we entered.
"Sir, I am Officer Perrasmith, with the Police Strategic Response Unit." I said, "We need to know who has access to your bank accounts."
"What for?" the man bitterly asked, "Am I being investigated?"
"Yes-" I replied, "Because we received a ransom email from an unknown person asking for funds to be deposited into your accounts."
"I pay?" The man asked.
"No sir, you do not pay." Ed responded, "Who has access to your accounts?"
"I refuse to answer."
"Then put your hands on the desk, please sir." I said, as he did so.
I grabbed a pair of handcuffs and started to arrest him, "You are being arrested for obstruction of a police investigation. Anything you say or do will be used against you in a court of law- you have the right to legal advice from a counsel of your choice. Do you understand?"
He didn't reply.
"Do you understand!?" I yelled into his ear, as I slammed him into the wall.
"Calm yourself officer." Ed verbally restrained me, as two regular police officers came into the room and escorted the man out.
I rubbed my eyes, "I want this to be over."
"Are you going to be objective?" Ed asked, as he put an arm around me.
"Yes sir."
"I got a hit!" Spike exclaimed over the radio, "Three addresses rented by RentalMax, who also pay the utilities."
"Send us the list, Spike." Ed asked.
"Sent-" Spike said, "Ed, there's one right close to you- 1444 Elliot."
With the address in hand, me and Ed were on our way.
Once at the address, I lined up the door sledge and rammed it into the door. Once it made contact, it fell down easily, like a domino.
I pointed the H&K MP5A3 firearm into the house and yelled, "Police, SRU!"
Behind me Ed yelled, "Gun!"
With pure instinct driving me, I went to the left flank of the door, as Ed took the right, as two large pistol caliber bullets tore through the wooden porch floor.
"Flashbang and cover." I yelled over to Ed.
Ed threw in a flashbang, which covered our entry into the house, once inside, I restrained a woman, who was a few years older than me, as Ed searched the house.
"Not here." Ed said, as he came back to us.
I hauled the woman up her feet. Once up I calmly asked, "Why did you shoot at us?"
"You busted down my door." She stated, "I'd shoot at everybody who busts down my door."
"Then you're going to jail."
Spike radioed in that he, Brad and Greg had searched another one of the three addresses only to find nothing.
"Has to be the last one." I said, "We going in hard tactical?" I asked.
"We need to setup the cash drop." Ed suggested.
"What, why?"
"To make it look like we're complying." Greg informed, "That'll give you guys cover to get to the house, and take them by surprise."
"Megan," Winnie started over the radio, "Uniforms found Sara's car at a parking lot on Bloor with two windows smashed and the driver's door open."
"Crime of opportunity?" I wondered, "Seems too coincidental."
"Listen up then- calling the number that the call came from." Greg said, "Hello? My name is Sargent Greg Parker, with the Police Strategic Response Unit- who am I talking to?"
"My name doesn't matter." Came the reply, "You have the money?"
"Sir, that is a large amount of money you're asking for, we need some time."
"You have five minutes."
"Sir, who is your hostage? Do you know her name?"
"Her name doesn't matter- we just want the money."
"You don't know your hostage? Now that's something I don't believe."
"We're here." Ed said, as we silently pulled into the driveway, with Spike and Brad behind us.
"I analyzed the sound data from the original call," Spike said, as he got out of the SUV, "There's a bit of echo. I'd guess the basement."
"Alright, me and Spike as alpha on door entry." Ed commanded, "Brad will second us. Megan on explosive basement window entry."
"No permits, means no renovations- should be an unfinished basement." Spike said, as he loaded up a screen on the PDA.
"That we know of." Brad said, as he crept behind Spike and Ed, "People renovate all the time without permits."
"Alright, new plan then." Ed suggested over the radio, "Megan, get us eyes in."
"Copy that." I replied, as I belly crawled to a basement window and tried to peer in the frosted window.
"Windows are frosted Ed, going to have to use the silent drill."
"Copy that."
I pulled the drill out of my bag, as I drilled a small hole into the window, just big enough to get a snake camera in.
Once the hole was drilled, I fed the snake camera in, and pressed the button to activate.
"Basement unfinished." I said, as I saw three masked men standing up in an unfinished basement, "Three masked suspects- one with a knife, two with small caliber handguns- nothing bigger than a 9 mil."
"Our vests can take that." Brad replied with confidence.
"Nobody gets shot today." Ed said, "Boss, you get anywhere?"
"No, nothing Eddie," Greg radioed, "Two minutes, or they'll start to put pressure on."
"Meaning?" I asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
"I think you know the answer, Officer Perrasmith."
I closed my eyes, wishing good luck.
After opening them, I moved the camera around again.
"Eyes on victim." I said, as I saw Sara lying down on the concrete, "Lying down, appears to be unconscious. Looks like blood on her legs, get EMS on standby."
"Pull that camera out and get ready for explosive window entry, Bravo." Ed informed.
I put the camera on the ground, as I readied a plastic shape charge explosive and installed the blasting cap and wiring harness.
"Bravo ready- waiting for signal."
"Alpha entering silently," Brad whispered, "Await for delayed signal bravo."
So I waited.
"Alpha in position, bravo, on three, two, one…"
I blew open the window and vaulted in.
My mind told me to go to Sara's side immediately, but I knew I had a job to do.
Me, Ed, and Spike aimed and pointed our firearms at the three men, who surrendered immediately, while Brad went to Sara.
"We need EMS right away!" Brad yelled into the radio, as we finished putting the cuffs on the men.
As I finished double locking my suspect, and knew that Spike had a hand on him, I ran over to Sara's side, who was coming into consciousness.
"Sara…" I said, as I took her hand, as the EMTs started to work on getting her into a gurney.
The paramedics lifted Sara up and started for the stairs. My eyes met Ed's.
Ed's phone started to ring, but before answering he said to me, "Go- we'll debrief tomorrow."
Megan had started up the stairs when Ed finally answered his cellphone.
"Go for Lane." Ed said.
"Dad?" Clark asked.
"Clark, what's going on, I thought you were supposed to be studying."
"Dad- something happened. Mom passed out. I couldn't wake her up, so I called 911."
"Good job Clark, good job. Where is she? She still there?"
"No, she's at St. Patrick's." Clark replied.
"Isabel-" Ed started.
"I'm taking care of her."
"Thanks buddy." Ed said, as he hung up the phone.
As he looked up, he looked into his Sargent's eyes, as he descended the steps on the staircase.
"Go." Greg said, as he patted Ed's shoulder, as he passed him on the steps.