Return of the Crown Prince
Chapter 12
12.1
Ed and Artie moved to the large table. A computer had been set up and connected to the state department with the permission of President Whitmore. Artie and Ed sat huddled together going over state employee and phone records trying to come up with a connection to Philip York. Ed questioned Artie extensively on employees who matched the profile Ironside had set up.
Mark reluctantly had retired to his room to study. He had wanted to help but Ironside had insisted he hit the books. It was not that the chief did not want to include him. He included Mark all too often. He was not a cop but did more police work than many actual cops on the force.
Ironside sat at the main table with Eve and the crown prince. "Neither of you are not to take any chances. Do as you are instructed to do. You will only be in York's hands long enough for us to track him. If on the outside chance he decides to abduct you himself, we will move in immediately." Ironside paused.
"How will you know when we have been taken to York?" The crown prince asked.
"The tracking device will show on the computer. As long as you are in motion it well be indicated on the on the screen. Once you have arrive at your destination, you signal will become stationary. I will order our men to move in and stake out the place to be sure you have been taken straight to York. Just as soon as an opportunity presents itself, we will come in." Ironside told them. York will never know we are there until it is too late."
"Chief, how can you be sure we will be taken to York? Would it not make more sense for him to have someone else keep us captive? Isn't it a possibility he will not come anywhere near us?" Eve asked her boss.
"There is too much money at stake. No, he will oversee this one himself," Ironside disagreed. "I doubt that he is going to share that money with anyone except whoever set this up in Washington. He will kill the others so that he doesn't have to pay out any of the money. Besides, he will not want any witnesses."
"Chief, may I remind you that Eve and I will be witnesses?" The crown prince stated.
"I doubt that either of you will ever see him. I am sure he wants to keep up this lucrative arrangement with the man in Washington. "If he killed either of you, I am pretty certain he would be served up. No, the only people in danger are those that have a share in the money."
"But Chief! Why would York's accomplice risk exposing him? York would know he had been doubled crossed and he would take him down with him," Eve said.
"Our friend in DC would make sure he was not taken alive." Ironside told his policewoman.
Eve watched her boss. It was clear from the occasional grimace on Ironside's face that his shoulder was painful. He had not complained at all but Eve knew him better than he knew himself at times. "Chief, you should have taken the medicine that Sister Agatha offered you. You are obviously in a great deal of pain."
"She did not offer it to me," he complained loudly. "She tried to force it on me."
"Well, you should have taken it. You would not be in so much pain right now if you had."
"I need to keep a clear head. I am fine, Eve," he assured her.
Eve had said her peace. There was no sense pursuing the subject any further. It would only serve to irritate the chief and it would not get him to take the pain pills anyway.
"There is one thing that we have not discussed," the crown prince pointed out.
All three of them remained quiet for what seemed like forever. Ironside broke the silence. "You mean of something if goes wrong?"
"I do not mean to tell you your job, Chief, but there is always that possibility."
"We will take every precaution that that does not happen. However, you are correct, Your Highness, there is always that possibility." He again became quiet. Finally, he said, "If it goes wrong, Eve is a trained policeman. She will assess the situation and act accordingly. You are to do exactly as she tells you to do ... nothing more, nothing less. We will be doing everything we can to turn the tide into our favor."
"I am assuming you will have less police protecting us at the Lighthouse?" The crown prince inquired.
"No, we will have you just as heavily guarded. Mr. York is not a man to be underestimated. He would know immediately that it was a setup. He will find a way to lure you away from our protection. Of course, that does not mean we won't quietly help him along. Ed and Carl will be there to convince him that we are not letting our guard down."
Eve and Miguel looked at one another. There was nothing further to say.
"Go get some lunch," Ironside ordered them. He picked up the phone and dialed. A moment later, he said, "Carl, Eve and the prince are on their way down. Pick them up. They are going to lunch."
12.2
York's hatred for Robert Ironside had become an obsession. The money, even though it was considerable, had taken a back seat. He wanted Ironside. No one had succeeded in taking down the detective. The closest anyone had come was the woman that put him in that wheelchair.
York wanted to be the one that finally killed the great San Francisco protector. He wanted to be the one that bested the man. Ironside was clever. York did not believe that he was satisfied with just protecting the prince while he was in the city. No, Ironside would not be able to resist coming after York.
He must have a plan. The dog being placed in Ironside's room was not by accident. A cop in his room to protect him would have been the expected police procedure. That door to the courtyard being left open was just a bit convenient. York had not seen it before. How could he have missed it? Ironside set him up. He had known he was coming after him. But how? More importantly, what else did he know? Did he know whom he was setting up?
York had counted on Ironside believing that his being shot had been only by chance. York thought he would believe the bullet that hit him was meant for Neill Weeks.
What had Ironside discovered? Did he know who he was or were his people just protecting him from what was an unknown assailant? Had Ironside been suspicious when the doctor on the scene could not be found? York knew he had been seen by at least three people, including Ironside himself.
He could've had him identified through Washington. After all, he was an international known assassin. Yes, York decided, Ironside did know who he was. That would make it difficult, if not impossible to get out of the country. This would change his plans. He would have to use the detective to get away. Once the ransom was in his hands, he would not be able to let Eve Whitfield or the crown prince go. They would become hostages ... a bargaining chip for his passage out of the United States.
Ironside would have no choice but to cooperate ... if he wanted to see his precious policewoman alive again.
12.3
"Penny for your thoughts," Eve said to Miguel.
Brought out of his daydreaming, the crown prince smiled at Eve. "I am not quite sure what that expression means."
"It means I do not have your undivided attention."
"I guess I am just worried about tonight, Miguel said. "I know Chief Ironside is a very good detective but there is so much that could go wrong with this plan. He is taking quite a chance with your life."
"All plans can go wrong. You plan for the worst and hope for the best. This business is full of risk, Miguel. Sometimes risk is the only way to achieve results. The chief is determined to stop York." She looked at the crown prince. She could see the worry in his eyes. "Are you having second thoughts about helping us?"
"No. I will not leave you alone to face this," he told her.
"It could be arranged that I be taken. Since they believe we are to be married, they will think the US government will still be willing to pay to get me back. The chief could make sure you are safe. He will not allow them to kidnap you if you do not want to go through with this."
"Do you think I would really leave you to face this alone?" He took her hand in his. "I could never live with myself if something happened to you."
"Nothing is going to happen, Miguel. We will be fine. The chief will see to that," Eve said.
Miguel looked over the table at her. "I don't suppose you would like to make this engagement for real, would you?"
"What?" Eve said, her expression that of shock.
"Eve, you must know how I feel by now. I would indeed be honored to have you for a wife. Do you think you could be happy in my country?"
"Miguel, this comes as a surprise to me. I am overwhelmed. I care for you very much, much more than I ever realized. It is a lot to comprehend. Can I have time to think about it?"
The crown prince smiled. "Absolutely. At least you did not say no immediately. I promise I will do everything in my power to make you happy. You could help me change things for women in my country for the better."
"What about your father?"
"He will forbid it at first but in the end he will give his blessing when he realizes that I love you. What about your chief?"
"You sir may never get out of the country. He just may lock you up for stealing valuable property " She grinned at him.
"I can see you mean a lot to him."
"We mean a lot to each other," Eve said. "The chief has done so much for me. He believed in me when I did not even believe in myself. Neither of us ever thought I would work for him forever. It would be an adjustment for him. He has always protected me. And ... Ed, Mark, and I have looked after him."
"You worry than how he will accept you leaving?"
"No. He would accept it if he knew I would be happy. I guess I just worry for him. He really can take care of himself. It is just that we feel better looking after him."
Eve said nothing further. They ate in silence for the remainder of their lunch. Miguel knew he had given Eve much to think about. Would she decide to marry him and embark on a new way of life? He hoped so but worried about the hold Chief Ironside and the police department had on her.
12.4
The door to Ironside's office opened and Commissioner Randall entered the office. As he came down the ramp, he looked at Mark and said, "Any coffee left Mark?"
Mark went to the kitchen to retrieve the Commissioner the coffee. Randall sat down beside Ironside. "I understand everything is set to go for tonight," he said as Mark returned with a cup of black coffee. He set it down in front of Randall. "Thanks Mark."
"That's right Commissioner."
"Bob, are you sure about this? If anything at all goes wrong you could have a disaster on your hands."
"Nothing is going to go wrong, Dennis. We might have some problems. But it won't be anything we can't handle."
Randall looked at Ironside. "Problems? What problems?" He was showing signs of nervousness.
The chief hesitated. "York must have figured out by now that we know who he is. This is not your average run of the mill crook. He is a professional killer for hire. That may not be what he was hired to do in this case but it could be what he decides to revert to."
Now Randall made no attempt to hide his anxiety. "If you think he will resort to murder, then you cannot possibly send Eve and the prince in there."
"I am going to send them in, Dennis. York is no longer concerned about the money. He wants me."
"What makes you think he is after you?"
"He has tried to kill me twice. He knows I am never going to let him out of this city. I have all modes of transportation out of San Francisco covered. He needs me to get him out of the country. I want this man, Dennis."
"At the cost of Eve or the prince?" Randall asked.
"It will not come to that. Eve is a professional. She will do her job. I can't get to York without her and the prince. He is not getting away. This ends here. Jim never should have allowed the first ransom to be paid. Once we paid the first one, it encouraged them to continue. Whatever happened to the United States does not negotiate with terrorist, kidnappers and blackmailers?"
"Maybe you should run for president, Bob," Randall said with a half-smile.
Ironside snorted. "That is probably not a good idea. The first thing I would do is throw half our congress in jail."
"Seems to me you did that the last time you were in Washington," Randall said with a twinkle in his eye.
Ironside smiled. "Only those that deserved it."
Randall turned the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Have you run your plan past Artie Hinson?"
As Ironside ran his hand down the length of his face, he answered, "Yes. He thinks it is risky but he agrees with me."
"Are you going to let me in on this plan of yours?"
"You might be better off not knowing."
"I still want to know," Randall insisted.
Ironside picked up a file folder. "Here, Dennis. Read this. This is how we are going to handle it."
12.5
"Ed, keep Eve and the prince in view at all times," Ironside said over the secret service equipment, the president had sent with Hinson.
"They are sitting at a table. They are having a drink and talking," Ed told him.
"They won't try anything in that crowded bar. They will draw them out of there. Watch the people that approach them. If they leave the bar, follow them for appearances, but allow them to be abducted. Resist the urge to stop them. Is that clear?"
"That's clear, Chief," Ed said into the mic that was in his hand. The wire from the microphone ran up his arm and under his suit to the earpiece in his left ear.
"Carl!" Ironside called into the radio.
"Right here, Chief," Carl answered.
"I don't think York will show up here, but if he does, I want us to be ready. Carl, on the chance that he does, he is not walking away a third time. Circulate York's picture to all of the boys covering tonight. Let them know anyone who lets him walk away will be guarding the nearest school playground."
Carl smiled at the chief's familiar threat, one he never followed through with. "Roger, Chief."
Ironside waited in the van listening to the chatter of his officers. It would not be long. York's men would be on the scene by now. They would pick up Eve and the prince. Everything was going as planned. One last part of the plan to execute. "Mark, I want you to go inside the Lighthouse. Here is a mic. You will be my eyes and ears in there. Keep an eye out for York's men."
Mark looked back at his boss. "Chief, there are more than a dozen plain clothed police officers in there. They don't need my help. I should stay here with you."
"I do not need you in here. Go join the others."
"But chief!"
"Now, Mark!"
Sanger shook his head and got out of the van. Ironside watched as Mark walked up the sidewalk to the Lighthouse. Once he disappeared inside, Ironside picked up the police phone. He called his office. He waited a moment.
"Chief Ironside's office." Artie Hinson listened for the familiar gruff voice.
"Artie, is everything working at your end?" Ironside barked.
"It is working just fine, Chief. Were you able to get all of your people out of the van?"
"Ed and Carl are handling the abduction. I sent Mark into the Lighthouse."
"What did you tell him?" Hinson asked.
"Nothing. I never would have gotten him out of the van otherwise," Ironside answered.
"Don't worry chief, your plan is going to work."
"I take it you did not have any trouble with your boss?" Ironside asked.
"Are you kidding? I had to do a lot of talking to convince him not to interfere. He was not crazy about this last part of your plan. He finally decided to trust you."
"Alright Artie, stay in touch." Ironside hung up the police handset.
Ironside leaned as far forward as he could, opened the glove compartment and pulled out the extra service revolver he had placed there earlier. He checked to see if it was fully loaded. The detective reached down with his left hand, lifted his right leg and placed the gun under it. He had used this before in dangerous situations successfully. He was betting his life as well as Eve's and the crown prince's that it would work again. The chief pushed the button and the front driver's seat moved back on the track out of the way. Ironside wheeled forward, listened for the police radio and waited.
12.6
Ed watched as the waiter brought drinks to Eve and Miguel. He stumbled, tipped the tray and dumped them on both of them. "Oh, please forgive me. I am so sorry. I will get you both another drink. And this time it will be on the house."
"Miguel, I'm going to go to the ladies room and clean up," Eve said.
"Yes, I think that's probably a good idea. I think I will do the same." They both stood up. Miguel took Eve's elbow and let them toward the restrooms. "This is a setup."
"They are making their move," Eve said.
Sure enough when they reach the restrooms, two men came up behind them with guns. "Keep moving. Head out the back door."
Eve and the crown prince did exactly as they were told. When they arrived outside, the two men disappeared and what appeared to be a uniform police officer opened the patrol vehicle door. "Get in."
The man sitting behind the wheel was also in uniform. As the doors closed, the driver started the car in pulled out into the street. "You will not get away with this. This vehicle will be missed," Eve said.
The man in the driver seat laughed. "I don't think so. This particular patrol car is not scheduled to be out on the road until midnight tonight. Officers Goltz and Prevost will not be reporting to work tonight. When you get a chance thank them for the use of the uniforms, will you please?"
Eve could not believe that they just entered the police station, stole the vehicle and drove away. Could it be that easy?
The driver looked in his rearview mirror. "Relax princess. If everything goes all right, you will be released by tomorrow. Just behave yourself and do as you're told and nobody gets hurt."
The crown prince reached over, took Eve's hand and gave her a worried look. He just hoped that Ironside knew what he was doing.
12.7
"The packages have been picked up, Chief," Ed said over the police radio."
"No sign of York?"
"No chief, none."
"Okay Ed. Watch the application on your smartphone and follow them. But do it at a distance. Do not get spotted."
"Roger, Chief. I'll be in touch." Ironside's phone went dead. He looked at the front window. Where was he? Ironside turned his chair around to face the back door and as if on cue, it opened. York entered with a silenced gun drawn.
"Hello, Chief. Expecting me were you?"