This is a long chapter. One action seemed to drift into the other, and I felt compelled to keep it as a single chapter. So, hopefully you can still enjoy it despite my predilection for circuitous writing.
As always, thanks for taking the time to PM or review.
-Carly
-9-
It all made sense now.
Chet raked his fingers through his hair nervously upon learning the location that Lila Crane had been sending photos of Callie and Maddie. He looked back up at Frank. "You are certain the messages were being sent to a phone in Brazil?"
Frank nodded. "Yes, but don't expect us to pinpoint the location for long. We did catch a break. The last text was not sent, we assume because this was the point where Callie had knocked the phone out of Lila Crane's hands. It was a photo of Callie standing by the car at the airport and a message reading Package Acquired. So, we sent the text, and with the help of the satellites, were able to get a ping on the other phone."
"Did they get a city?" Joe asked anxiously.
"Yeah. Place called Manaus, it's near the Amazon rainforest."
Chet took a deep breath and looked at them nervously. "So, we can assume with some certainty at this point that the person on the other end of the phone in this Manaus is none other than Mr. Reese?"
"We think it's a safe bet, pal." Frank nodded his agreement. "He apparently felt he had a score to settle with Callie, which is why he went to great length to kidnap her."
Chet shook his head in anger. "I don't know why we didn't deal with that son of a bitch when we had the chance!"
"It's not like we didn't try." Frank exclaimed. "We had feet on the ground in a matter of minutes of learning the location from you and Cal. You guys came close. No one could have predicted that he had a good exit strategy and apparently sufficient means to get himself out of the country and down to an area where they could care less about another kidnapper. Not knocking the Brazilian government too much but kidnapping and child trafficking are sadly not deemed all that significant a crime there. When we initially made out inquiries about enforcing an arrest warrant and subsequent extradition, our agencies were greeted with crickets. Nothing! No replies beyond initial placation statements saying that they would look into it."
"Well, at least you guys know where he is now." Aimee said quietly, trying to make a positive statement.
Frank took on a weary expression. "Well, we do as of earlier today. But rest assured that phone will likely never ping again. Once Lila Crane makes it clear to Reese that the phone was compromised, he will just toss that one and use another. He likely uses several burner phones. But at least it gives us a starting point."
"So, what are you guys going to do?" Aimee asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.
Chet exhaled slowly, then look at her, then the Hardys. "We don't have a choice. We are going to have to go to Brazil and hunt that piece of garbage down."
Frank glanced cautiously at his stout friend. "Er, Chet, I noticed you used the figurative term We more than once. Are you suggesting something?"
"I should think it would be clear, Frank. You, Joe, and I need to go to Brazil and get Callie!"
"What?!" A voice exclaimed in surprise. All heads turned to see a groggy looking Iola Hardy standing in the doorway. "Bro, I just woke up, and I am a bit out of it. But I thought I just heard you say that you guys needed to go to Brazil to get Callie."
Her brother gave a firm nod. "Yeah, sis. That is exactly what I said."
Over the next ten minutes they caught Iola up on all she had missed while she was asleep.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down with a troubled look. "I can't believe that bastard has her! I mean why did he do all this? If he was that pissed off, why didn't he just send this woman to kill her instead of the poor lady who lived in that house?"
Joe reached over and placed his hand on hers and offered a troubled look. "The way some of these sickos work. It would be too easy to just knock her off by remote control."
Frank nodded his agreement. "Yeah, I think because she was the one who fought out against him when the lights went out, he is directing his anger towards Callie. She was the one who cost him his cozy setup and stood up and defied him."
"Yeah." Chet muttered soberly. "Sick bastard had plans for Callie and Maddie, and when he didn't get to play those out, he placed his need for revenge directly with her."
Aimee found her voice. "So, you all are sure she is still alive, right?"
Frank held out his hand in gesture. "It would stand to reason that he wants to exact some payback. And as difficult as that is to think about, it does offer some degree of assurance that she will be alive for a while."
Chet looked at them hesitantly as he considered the words. He didn't want to think about all the possibilities that a deranged person like Reese could enact upon his wife. He cleared his throat. "Then time is of the essence. Frank, Joe, I would be grateful if you could find the time to help me out on this."
The Hardys looked at each other. Without even thinking about it, they knew what they had to do. They had friends in need and that is all that mattered.
Frank offered a stiff smile and reached over and gave his friend's arm a pat. "We are with you, pal."
Joe nodded his agreement. "Without a doubt!" He said with a determined look, then glanced down.
"What's up, bro?" Frank asked, noting Joe's distracted look.
"Well, it just occurred to me that dad has the plane. He is on that case up in Canada and took the private jet. I know that if we go down there, we won't be able to take certain things if we fly commercial. Not to mention the number of connections and time it would take if we used the airlines."
At this, Chet brightened up. "Well, Joe, I think I have a solution. I happen to have a private plane. I've only used it a couple times, but I had it brought to a hanger in Bayport when I sold the house on Long Island."
Frank couldn't help but smirk. "Chet, why would you have a plane? You don't have a pilot's license and you have generally disliked flying almost as much as Callie has ever since the incident in Colorado."
Chet shrugged. "I dunno, to be honest. I won it in a card game when we used to have weekly games out in the Hamptons. I used a private pilot a couple times, but yeah, I am not a huge fan of flying, so it has just spent most of its time in storage since I won it a couple years ago."
Joe rolled his eyes. "Won it in a card game? And I thought I was one with gambling issues."
"Can this plane make it to Brazil, Chet?" Frank asked, completely unsure of airworthiness of a plane you could win in a card game.
Chet grunted. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it will make it to Brazil just fine. Assuming you guys fly it, of course."
Joe shrugged and gave his brother a sideways glance. "Ok then, sounds like a plan. Just make sure you have this plane checked out completely before we take off. By the way, when will that be?"
"The sooner the better!" Chet said firmly. "Wouldn't you agree, Frank?"
The elder Hardy brother gave a sober nod. "Yeah, I'm afraid so. We are fighting the clock I suspect."
Chet stood up. "Alright, I will call and get the plane prepped. We can leave tomorrow if they can check it over in time."
Iola and Aimee looked at each other, then to the others.
Joe sensed what his wife was going to ask, and he shook his head firmly. "No way, Iola. Virginia is one thing, but the rain forest of Brazil is quite another."
Chet nodded his agreement. "Very true. Besides, I need you two to stay here and keep an eye on Maddie." He said before leaving the room.
Iola knew this was probably an argument she wouldn't win. She sighed loudly, but also knew there was wisdom in their words. Besides, she knew if she went, Aimee would want to go. And the Amazon was hardly a place for an expectant woman to be exploring. "Alright, I won't fight you guys. But there is one other thing I've been wondering."
"What's that, babe?" Joe asked.
"Why didn't they come take Maddie as well? Surely this sicko wanted her as well."
"Maybe the opportunity didn't present itself in a way that matched the risks." Frank offered. "I mean most know that Chet is usually a well-armed guy. Even most psychos will rethink about looking down daddy's gun barrel. As much as I am sure he would have liked to have taken her, I think Callie was probably the primary goal. He wants to settle a score and do it personally with her. So, thank God they let Maddie be."
"You guys might consider going to a safer location." Joe suggested. "Dad has a safe house outside of Bayport."
Iola nodded. "Well, maybe, hun. I just don't want to freak Maddie out any more than what she already has going on. She finds this place safe and not sure I want to mess with that. Aimee and I can also ask one of the guys to hang out here as well. I just fear that if we tell Maddie there may even be a remote possibility of this nutjob coming back for her and that we need to go hide, she may relapse."
"Well, we don't want that." Joe conceded. But I will give you the address just so you have the option if needed."
Frank looked down at his watch. "Well, if we are going to go tomorrow, I have things to do. I need to ask Collig for the time off and let Tiffany know what's up. And of course, pack."
"Don't forget to have Hernandez give you a full copy of the casebook so far." Joe reminded him.
"For sure." Frank muttered. "Bound to get an earful from him, and the old man."
Iola looked agitated. "Why would Chief Collig give you an earful?"
"Just the usual about getting too personally involved and going into a foreign country to do things which are legally questionable."
"Guess coming from his position that is reasonable to think that way. But it doesn't consider that Callie is a close personal friend and clearly in harm's way. The government or law enforcement of Brazil is going to care less. You have to do something!"
Frank could read the distress in Iola's eyes. He placed his hand along her cheek and managed a smile. "We are going to get her back."
After a lengthy conversation with Maddie that evening, it had become apparent to Chet and Iola that she was aware of their plans made earlier in the day. Both elder Mortons had made it quite clear that Maddie could not accompany Chet and the Hardys on their trip.
Maddie herself had cast aside her own anxiety for a chance to help her mother. She had never wanted to encounter Reese again under any circumstance but would do anything she could to help save her mother.
Chet collapsed down on the sofa after several minutes of going nose to nose with his daughter. Maddie stood over him, looking defiant. He looked up at her with a beleaguered expression. "Maddie, I totally understand where you are coming from. I love your mother the same as you and would do anything to help her. But just as I have so adamantly told your aunt and Aimee, it is a dangerous place. And he is clearly a dangerous man. Not to mention his assistant who took your mother is obviously dangerous."
"But dad!" Maddie objected.
Chet held his hand up motioning her to stop. He looked over at his sister who was also seated on the sofa.
Iola read the fatigued expression on her brother's face and knew he wanted her to take the battle for the time being. She looked up at her niece. "Maddie, as your dad just said, these people are dangerous! Since you were spying on the whole conversation earlier, you obviously heard that this woman who took your mom is a prime suspect in the murder of the elderly woman who lived in that house. And you obviously learned through your eavesdropping that she died in a most gruesome manner. You heard that, right?"
Maddie nodded. She had calmed a bit and reflected. "Yeah, she had her eyes removed."
Iola held out her hands in gesture to the obvious impact such an act suggested. "There ya go! We aren't dealing with a rational or normal person. This woman killed this little old lady and took her eyes out! That is not someone to be messing with! Your dad has made it clear that Aimee and me would best serve a role in keeping you safe while they are gone. And I quite agree. As much as I want to go out there myself, guns blazing, I know I am no match for someone like that. And you obviously know all about Reese."
Maddie's eyes reduced to slits. "Intimately." She muttered.
Iola closed her eyes for a moment. "Baby, I will be the first one to say you have every right to wish that dog to be put down. But you aren't the one to do it. We can't have you in danger. Hell, even if they were going down for a vacation this is not a resort they are going to. The town they have this guy in is not a tourist destination. Lest we forget it is right there in the middle of the damn Amazon! There are enough natural things down there that could kill a person."
Chet took a breath himself as he thought about this. "Don't remind me, sis. Not at all a place I'd be going on a vacation to." He looked over at his daughter. "By the way, daughter, I myself and the Hardys will be adding a couple guns for hire just to keep us adults safe once we get there."
Maddie looked slightly confused by his terminology. "What will you be doing?"
Chet grunted at his daughter. "Hiring a couple mercenaries, Maddie. Basically, strong arm help who fight or protect you if you pay them well enough. So even I will be needing extra help just to stay alive down there."
Maddie nodded her understanding. "Ok then." She said quietly.
"So, are we done fighting over your request to come with?" Chet asked with an exasperated note in his voice.
"Yeah."
Before anything more could be said, Chet's phone rang. He placed it to his ear. "Hello? Yeah, this is Mr. Morton." Chet listened for several moments and nodded. "Alright, so you will get on inspection and prep early in the morning. Then any time after 5:00PM we are good to go? The plane will be prepped and waiting? Great, and you have the door code to get into the plane, right?" Chet nodded again. "Yeah, that's right, the code is 7474505. Alright, sounds good, and thank you." He hung up and looked to his sister. "Plane will be ready to go any time after 5. They guarantee it will be checked out, fueled, ready and locked in the pre-flight area for private planes."
Iola gave him a nervous thumbs up. "Sounds like a plan, bro." She said pensively.
"Think I will call Frank."
"Alright." Iola nodded. "I will give Joe a text. He should be at his parents, and then we are going to meet at our place where the sitter is bringing Joey back so we can spend the evening and day with him tomorrow before Joe has to leave."
Chet dialed Frank's number and was soon on the phone with the elder Hardy brother. "Yeah, Frank, they will have the plane ready to go at 5:00PM tomorrow. What time will you be ready?" He paused and listened. "Alright then, I can drop by your place at 6, then we can grab Joe and head to the airport. You guys can check yourselves out on the plane and file your paperwork. With any luck we can be in the air by 8." He paused again, then rolled his eyes. "Yes, Frank, I am very sure the plane has a long range and can make it to South America just fine. You will see for yourself. Ok, see you tomorrow. Goodnight, man, and, uh, thanks!" He hung up and tossed his phone down on the coffee table.
Iola glanced over at him. "He still giving you grief about a plane you won in a card game?"
Her brother nodded and rolled his eyes. "They must think I won some old crop duster or something." He gave a slight chuckle. "They don't know the guys I used to play cards with are all wealthier than I am. Hell, the guy I got the plane from is a friggin billionaire."
Iola shrugged. "I've never seen the plane as you know. But the bigger question for me is what did you bet if he put this expensive plane up?"
Maddie cleared her throat. "I think I will head to bed now." She said quietly. "Jaime is upstairs talking to her parents, arranging to stay here with me."
Chet and Iola both nodded their approval. "Sounds good, baby." Chet said, offering his daughter a smile.
She bent down and gave him a hug. "I love you, dad. I'm sorry I argued with you."
Chet smiled back at her. "No need to apologize, baby. And I love you, too. Get some sleep." Maddie nodded and gave her aunt a hug before leaving the room.
Iola then looked at her brother emphatically to remind him that he hadn't answered her question.
Chet sighed. "Well, it was a night that we all drank a bit too much. And as I recall, I may have bet our house."
Iola looked up from her phone and stared at her brother. "You bet the house you lived in on Long Island? The house worth millions of dollars?"
Her brother nodded, then shrugged. "It all came out ok though."
"By just sheer luck, apparently!" His sister retorted, not believing her brother could have been so reckless. "It was bad enough when Joe got our house mortgaged for his gambling and you and Callie had to bail us out. But never did I ever think that your little boys club you used to hang with out there was so reckless with your games of chance."
Chet nodded soberly. "You're right, sis. It was a stupid thing to do. When you are hanging with people like that you tend to get into personal competitions."
"You mean pissing matches." She smirked with a disapproving look. "I take it Callie never found out about that particular wager?"
"Nope." He looked down thoughtfully. "I'd give anything right now to be able to confess it to her."
Iola nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I'd like to be able to just tell her right now to be strong. To keep fighting and wait for the cavalry. Just to tell her I love her."
She leaned against her brother doing her best not to cry again as they both said silent prayers for Callie's wellbeing.
Maddie entered her bedroom with a peevish expression. Jaime glanced up at her from the bed.
"Hey, girl. I take it your request to go along with your dad did not go well?"
Maddie shook her head and sat down on the bed beside her friend. She kicked off her shoes and slid out of her tight jeans. Then reached under her t-shirt and undid her bra, tossing it to the floor. She shifted about for a moment uncomfortably in her tight shirt and sighed. "Fuck it." She muttered and pulled her shirt off and threw it on the floor as well. She laid down next to Jaime and stared up at the ceiling. "It was like talking to a broken record. He Just doesn't understand I have a very real stake in all this as well. That rotten piece of shit did us both bad, and now he has my mom. And it scares the hell out of me."
Jaime folded her pillow over and laid down facing Maddie, offering a sympathetic expression. "I'm sorry, baby." She said softly as she ran her fingers through Maddie's hair. "Your dad, like mine, is just super protective. But I agree, they don't really understand what we went through and it's frustrating. I know if I had the chance, and a gun, I'd sure think about going after that bastard if I knew where he was." She sighed, then sat up just long enough to remove her own shirt and shimmied out of her jeans. Jaime then gestured for Maddie to roll over on her side facing away. She pulled the cord down on the bedside table lamp and the room reduced to darkness, save for the soft moonlight entering through the blinds. Jaime sidled up against Maddie's back and wrapped her left arm around her friend. She leaned in and kissed the back of Maddie's neck. "You know I am here for you, right?"
Maddie nodded slightly. "Yeah." She whispered, holding Jaime's left arm against her chest. "I just feel so useless, you know. My mom is in the hands of the same guy who did so much to us. Not to mention some psycho woman who apparently likes to torture old ladies before she kills them."
"That is so fucked up." Jaime whispered, recalling how she heard of how Chet and Joe found her in a hidden room with her eyes missing. "But I sympathize for sure. But your dad made it clear that he wasn't going to take you along, so what can you do?"
They lay there in silence for several moments, then Maddie abruptly turned over and faced Jaime. "Yeah, what can I do?"
"What do you mean?" She whispered.
Maddie took a short breath and looked up at the moonlit streaks lighting the ceiling and wall above. "Well, dad is going in his private plane. I heard him talking to some people at the airport about how the plane would be prepared tomorrow and ready by 5. It would be waiting in the area where they keep the private planes that will be used that day I believe. But he then called Uncle Frank and from what I heard he was going to go pick him up and 6 and then they would go get Uncle Joe and then head to the airport."
Jaime shrugged slightly. "So?"
Maddie's lips formed a devious smile. "Well, if I understand the timeline right, that will leave probably 90 minutes between the time that the plane will be done and ready to go and the time they actually get there."
"Well, I think I get what you are building up to, but you must know they probably don't just leave the planes open for anyone to walk on to."
Again, Maddie smiled. "Well, that is true. But hardly an issue if you know the door lock code."
Jaime placed her hand on Maddie's face. "Girl, you know that once they find you on board, they will just boot you off."
Maddie shook her head. "Not if they don't see us and we are hiding."
"Us?" Jaime repeated with a nervous voice.
Maddie nodded. "Dad's plane is fairly big. I mean it has room for 12 and there are lots of places you can hide on it. He won it from a rich guy in a card game. It's not all that small. I was on it once when we went for a ride to Chicago a couple years ago."
Jaime sighed. "Girl, you know I want to help in any way I can. But…"
"It can work, Jaime." She insisted. "As long as we can stay hidden long enough to get most of the way there, it's not like they are going to turn the plane around. Dad will get pissed, yell a little and then deal with us being there. That way I can help find mom. And if we run into our old friend, Mr. Reese, I have a special present for him."
Jaime knew what that was. In her time in the Morton home, she was well aware that Chet kept a number of guns. No doubt Maddie was in possession of one. "I dunno, girl." She said with some hesitation.
"You said that your parents gave you the ok to stay with me for a week. They won't even know you are gone." Maddie ran her hand along Jaime's torso.
Jaime felt the shivering sensation that Maddie's touch sent through her. She hadn't realized till now, but her friend could be quite adept at the art of manipulation. Or at the very least, could lend a distraction to her critical thinking process. Jaime sighed audibly. "Oh, screw it! Alright, you win, girl."
Maddie sighed with relief. There was little chance she could brave such a stunt alone. But with the support of her best friend, could now try to deal herself back into the game. She leaned over and briefly kissed Jaime. She then slid her head down and rested it on her chest and closed her eyes. She felt Jaime's fingers run through her hair. "Thank you." She whispered.
The next afternoon, Chet had finished his packing and sat on the porch swing with Aimee. Both had had a restless night wrought with worry.
"She has to be alright." Chet repeated, then glanced at Aimee. "If he did anything to her, I swear that by all that is good I will make him pay."
She leaned against him and ran her hand down his arm. "She is going to be alright, babe. You guys will find her and get her home. I don't know what I'd do without her either."
He took a deep breath and placed his arm around her. "You know, I am not trying to be insensitive to this whole thing going on between you and I. But with…"
Aimee placed her finger up to his lips to silence him. She offered an understanding expression. "Babe, the only thing that is important right now is getting Callie back and safe. I don't blame you for not being able to give me much attention. I know I pale in comparison, and I should. She is in the hands of a nutcase and needs to be found."
Chet leaned over and kissed her head. "I don't want to hear that from you. You are very important to me, and so is our child. But I know you know what I feel about Cal, just as you feel the same. We do need her safe. But, if I can put that aside for a few moments, I do want to make sure you are feeling ok. Is everything alright with you and the baby?"
Aimee looked into his eyes and could tell he truly was concerned. This made her feel better. She didn't want to allow herself to feel neglected given the urgency of the situation with Callie. She knew though, Chet was truly worried about her as well. It did offer her some comfort. "Yeah, babe, everything with the baby seems fine. I mean I still get sick now and then, but I am told that is to be expected."
Chet smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm afraid that part can't be helped. Though I wanted to make sure you were ok and if you needed anything, you had it. I know Maddie may get to be a handful under the circumstances, but she really does love you and it will be a comfort for her that you are here. You know in case Auntie draws too many boundaries. You can then be the fun one."
Aimee couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah, she and I have a good relationship. I am sure I am the more fun one compared to Iola. I have less rules I guess since I haven't been a mom yet."
Chet managed a smile himself. "Well, she should be low maintenance today at least. She has been mellow and in control of her emotions today. I was expecting a new round of requests to go along this morning, but she seemed content and reserved about it. Which I am glad for. Last night she was pushing the buttons pretty good, and it was stressing me."
"She is just worried about her momma. And I know she is very concerned that her kidnapper now had Callie." Aimee couldn't help but look down and sigh. "In some way I wish I would have felt that kind of dedication to my own mother at that age. But you of course know why that feeling doesn't exist."
Chet nodded soberly as he remembered when Aimee had told her about all her difficulties growing up amidst the abuse from her own family. "Yeah, I remember."
Aimee looked down at her phone, then back up to him. "I will fix you an early dinner and you at least won't leave hungry." She smiled, doing her best to distract him, and herself from the heavy subject matter.
He nodded and forced a smile. "That would be nice. Thank you." He said giving her a tight squeeze.
Maddie sat across from Jaime in her room. They were doing their best to choose what few things they were going to include in one backpack. "I don't usually travel this light." She murmured, making sure to look back at the door on a regular basis to ensure their privacy.
Jaime smiled nervously. "Neither have I, but I doubt we will have much room for luggage, wherever we hide on the plane."
They had managed to each put two changes of clothes in the pack and an extra pair of shoes each. Maddie looked back towards the door again, then stood up and walked over to her bed. She bent down and felt between the mattress and box spring. With one more glance at the door, satisfied they were alone she extracted a small pistol.
Jaime's eyes flashed. "I figured after you said you had a surprise for him, this is what you had in mind." She watched as Maddie counted the bullets in the clip and then inserted it into the gun. "Did you take that from your dad's stash?"
Maddie shook her head. "No, this one belongs to my mom. She showed me how to use it a few times at the gun range. But I'm not sure I'm that good of a shot."
Jaime took a deep breath and looked down at the stainless pistol nervously. "What kind of gun is it?"
"It's a Walther PPK .380 semi-automatic. I usually hit the target, but never in the center." She admitted and placed it deep inside the backpack.
Her friend gave a nervous nod. "Well, you will need to make it up close and personal." She said quietly, then looked Maddie in the eye. "Do you think you can do it? I mean if we do run into him?"
Maddie looked down, then back up at her and nodded. "With what he has done to me, and you, not to mention the others, yes."
Jaime nodded thoughtfully, the looked back at her. "Me too." Maddie tapped her finger on the desk for a few moments thoughtfully, then nodded. She stood and held her finger up signaling she would be right back, then slipped out of the room. About five minutes later she slipped quietly back into the room holding a folded towel.
She set the folded towel on the desk, then opened it and revealed a small black pistol. "I got you one, too."
Jaime swallowed hard, then nodded. She picked it up and examined it, reading the side of the barrel. "Sig Sauer P938 Legion?"
Maddie nodded. "It's a micro pistol, so its small and easy to hide. It holds 7 bullets. I took it from dad's safe."
Jaime hefted it a few times to judge the weight, then gave a nervous smile. "Light little thing." She noted and shoved it inside the backpack. "Thanks, girl." Maddie gave an anxious nod.
"Ok, so here is the plan." She whispered, looking over her shoulder again to make sure no one was going to enter the room. "At 4 we tell them we are going to go work at the treehouse. We start to head that way, then cut into the woods and walk the tree line that goes along the side of the road until we make it to the county road. At which point we will have the cab waiting at 4:30. It should take about twenty minutes to get there. From what I could determine if we get inside the airport from the side where the private planes are, there is not as much security. If we go inside the building that private aircraft owners use, we can make our way over to the plane holding area. Then we simply go out acting like daughters of the rich owner of one of the planes. Since I know the entry code for the door lock, they won't question me."
"What if someone tells them that their snobby pair of daughters are on said plane?" Jaime countered.
Maddie gave a half shrug. "We just have to hope they don't. It's not the perfect plan, but we stand a decent chance of getting into the plane with enough time to find a good hiding place!"
Jaime exhaled slowly, then nodded. "Alright, I'm in." then looked fretfully down at her phone. Her mother had been sending a steady stream of texts asking her daughter how she and Maddie were and what they were up to. "My mom is going to flipping kill me when she finds out. She was ok with me being here as long as I was home for Christmas. She accepted that you were having an issue, which I guess I painted it as a bit of a relapse on your part. But it won't be too many more months, then I will be of age, and she won't be able to say a thing. I won't have to make up stories and can go do what I want."
"She just loves you. But I grant you parents can be overprotective sometimes."
"Yeah, that's for sure." Jaime said bitterly. Maddie suspected there were several things that Jaime had never mentioned about her parents and the relationship she had with them. But she chose not to pry for the time being. Jaime managed to shake off her preoccupation with her mother's texts and looked about. "So, do we have everything?"
Maddie thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers and jumped up. "We may need some money. So, I think it would be a good idea to take some out of the gun safe."
"Yeah, probably wouldn't hurt to have a little money for food or emergency." Jaime agreed. Maddie excused herself from the room and soon returned, pulling two bundles of cash from under her shirt. Her friend's eyes lit up as they appeared to all be $100 bills. "Dang, girl, how much did you take?"
She looked down at it thoughtfully. "Well, each stack is $10,000, so $20,000."
Jaime coughed upon hearing the amount, then looked at her friend. Maddie wore a troubled face as she looked down at the money. "What's wrong?"
Maddie gave an awkward shrug. "Well, this is the first time I've taken money without asking. I don't feel especially good about it." She took a deep breath. "But I guess under the circumstances dad will understand."
"So long as he doesn't notice." Jaime reminded her.
"Well, I doubt he would notice right off," Maddie gestured. "There are at least fifty more of these stacks in the safe."
"Jeez, Maddie." She exclaimed. "That's like half a million dollars!"
Maddie nodded soberly. "Yeah, I know. I think when they were down in Virginia there was a need for a lot of cash to do the buy the group of young girls that never happened. I think mom said he had to get like a million in cash. I guess he never put it back in the bank."
Jaime shook her head in disbelief. "Sorry, I guess that kind of money is normal in your dad's world. I keep forgetting you are rich."
Her friend offered an indifferent shrug. "I don't think the money means nearly as much as it used to. The year he and mom were apart seemed to change him, and he just lost interest in how much money he could make. He knew that mom pretty much hated living out on Long Island, and when she moved back to Bayport, I guess it was a bit of a wakeup call."
They looked at the clock radio on the desk. It was 2:40. The pair looked at each other with a mixture of anxiety and determination.
"I was wondering." Jaime began. "How do we keep Aimee and Iola content long enough to get on the plane and take off? I mean if they get alarmed since we understandably can't say we are sleeping out in a half-done treehouse in December. Going out to the treehouse may buy us a couple hours. Then they are going to text and ask us to come in for dinner."
Maddie gave a weary nod. "Yeah, I know. Like I said it wasn't a perfect plan. We may have to just play it by ear and say hey we are staying out here cause we are talking. It will be hard I know because they will eventually come looking for us. The key will be keeping them from hitting the alarm button long enough for us to make it out of the country."
"That will be a tall order."
"Yeah."
3:27PM
The early dinner suited all, but the tone was somber. Aimee had made spaghetti and meat sauce with garlic bread. Followed by apple pie.
Chet watched Maddie and Jaime pick at their dessert. "You guys doing ok? This pie is really good." It seemed a little strange they wouldn't be eating their dessert with more enthusiasm. But he also knew the stress was wearing on Maddie. Not knowing where her mom was and if she was safe. The subject was obviously the elephant in the room for all of them.
Maddie sat back and pressed a smile, not wanting to give her dad any reason to be suspicious. "Oh, sorry. Guess that big plate of spaghetti just filled me up so much." She gave a sideways glance to Jaime. "Maybe Jaime and I will go hang out and work in the treehouse, so, ya know, I don't have to think about stuff."
Jaime nodded her agreement. "Yeah, we could do that."
Chet glanced at Aimee, who gave a shrug. "Fine with me guys." She said with a weary smile as she glanced out the window. "Not sure I'd want to be out there too long since it's only in the 40s outside. But if it keeps you busy, hun, feel free."
Chet nodded his agreement. "Sure, go throw some more boards up, baby. Just use the screw drill. Don't use my nail gun, as it can be dangerous. Just like a real gun, I don't want you handling it without me being around."
Maddie nodded and pushed her plate away. "Alright dad. We will wear our jackets so the temperature won't matter. Oh, Jaime we can put my Bluetooth speakers in a backpack and have some music out there."
She readily nodded. "For sure."
Chet looked at his watch then over to his daughter. "I am going to have to go at 5, baby. So, I am not likely to see you for a few days or more. I know we've already been over things, but please make sure you mind Aimee. Your aunt will probably be over this evening. I think she mentioned she might have Tony drop over and keep an eye on things." He gave aweary grin. "That is if he's not too pissed off I didn't use his company to build the new house out there."
"Will Dave or his contractors be working on the cabin while your gone?" Aimee inquired.
Chet shook his head. "No, they are all off until January 3rd for the holidays." He stood there with a glum expression. "Holiday." He repeated looking over at his daughter sympathetically. He could tell she felt sad with Christmas soon approaching and her mom was in the hands of a killer. "I'm gonna get her back, baby, I promise." Chet and his daughter hugged for several moments.
"I know you will, dad. I love you."
Chet felt his eyes well up with tears. "I love you too, baby. You be good for Aimee and Aunt Iola."
Maddie nodded. "I will. They won't have any trouble from us. We will make ourselves scarce, like we aren't even here."
Jaime's face developed a comical smirk, and she quickly looked down. After one last hug Maddie and Jaime scurried upstairs.
Chet took a deep breath, then looked at Aimee. "She shouldn't give you any trouble. I guess my little talk I gave her yesterday hit home and she knows the score. She's a great daughter. Try to keep her mind off things as much as you can while I am gone."
Aimee, stiff upper lip, nodded. "Yeah…we will try, babe." She couldn't control her own emotions. Not only was Callie gone, but now Chet was also about to go out there and put himself into harm's way. She stepped forward and embraced him tightly and began weeping. "Don't get yourself hurt. I want our baby to know who their dad is!" She looked up at him as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Chet sniffled and gave a firm nod. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. She tilted her head up and their eyes met. "Guess I can do a little better than that." He said leaning in and their lips met.
She managed a smile amidst the tears. "Much better, thank you." She said with a sniffle then stepped back.
4:32PM
Maddie and Jaime stood on the side of the county road catching their breath. Maddie's dad had required a second goodbye with his daughter, and they hadn't been able to leave the house until quarter after four. They had made it to the road after a quick jog from the back of the property, backtracking along the tree lined driveway.
Jaime looked at her phone. "4:34, the cab is late!"
Maddie motioned for her friend to try to relax as she continued to regain her breath. "It will be here." She assured her friend.
Sure enough, three minutes later a green colored sedan with the words Apex Cab Co written on the side pulled up before them. The pair quickly got into the back seat.
Maddie, with her arms wrapped around a large backpack looked up at the driver and motioned for him to quickly proceed. "Bayport regional airport please. Private plane entrance."
The driver, a middle-aged man with receding hair smiled. "You got it, miss." The car took off in a north westerly direction. Maddie gave Jaime a sideways look and tried to push a smile to her face. With both girls' adrenaline running high and the prospect of the unknown ahead of them the mood was tense.
The cab traveled quickly along. Shortly after five they saw the airport come into view. Maddie and Jaime held hands tightly as they finally approached the entry gate.
The cab pulled up to the guard station. A thin man of about twenty-five, dressed in a security uniform leaned down and addressed the driver. "Can I help you?"
The driver motioned to the back seat with his thumb. "Taking these customers in." he lowered the rear window so the guard could talk to them directly.
Jaime sized up the situation as the young man poked his head in the window. Upon seeing the pair, he smiled. "Can I help you ladies?"
Jaime, who was wearing a denim skirt over a pair of tights offered him a sweet smile. She intentionally drew up her right knee which caused her skirt to hike up.
Maddie caught on to Jaime's approach to distract the poor young man. Which was apparently working based on the fact he kept dropping his line of vision into Jaime's lap. She herself offered an exaggerated smile and waved to the man. "Hi there! Me and my girl here have to catch a flight on my daddy's plane."
With his grey eyes pivoting from Maddie to Jaime's lap he cleared his throat. "Uhm, what is the name, please?"
"Morton is the last name. My daddy's name is Chester." She began to giggle as she wondered who ever referred to her dad by his full name? Not even her grandma called him Chester!
The guard took out a clipboard and began going down a list of names. He finally located the information he needed, then looked back at Maddie. "I do have a Morton here. 2018 Gulfstream in section C7?"
Maddie blinked a few times. She didn't know what make the plane was. She only knew it by site and the fact it was a two-tone blue and white. Ultimately, she nodded. "Uh, yeah, that's the one. It's blue and white."
The guard hesitated and looked at them again. "Is your dad here already? I am not supposed to permit entry without the actual owner showing ID."
Maddie fluttered her eyes at him. Granted, she was not especially experienced at flirting with men, but she knew she had the body to pull it off, even if her overt expressions didn't. "Well, uhm, he's around here somewhere. But really, sir, you can let us in. I mean neither of us are pilots, so it's not like we are going to take the plane for a ride."
He hesitated, then looked back down into Jaime's lap as her skirt had hiked up considerably. Impulsively, Maddie scooted even closer to her friend and placed her left arm around her, then placed her right hand on Jaime's exposed thigh.
Jaime perked her eyebrows at him. "But we can't wait to get high." She giggled.
The young man had reached the point where he was clearly distracted. With an awkward awareness, he lowered his clipboard to waist level in front of him and grunted. "Uhm, alright then. I guess you two can go down." Maddie's eyes flashed wide for a split second. He gestured with a thumb over his shoulder and quickly added "Uhm, I mean that way, two sections down on the left." He raised one hand and waved them through, while keeping the clipboard in place at crotch level. Jaime smiled and offered him a kissing face expression as they drove past. Luckily the driver hadn't taken too much notice of their performance, or simply didn't care. He navigated slowly down the designated path and finally stopped before a section with the number C7 painted on the ground. There were several private planes parked in a row spanning about two acres of space.
"Looks like this is section C7, ladies." The driver announced over his shoulder. Jaime and Maddie quickly slid out of the left door and stood on the driver's side.
Maddie fiddled with a small leather clutch she carried around her wrist. "Thank you, sir. How much?" She asked as she dug inside.
"$37.18, miss."
Maddie pulled out three $20 bills and handed them to the driver. "Here you go, keep the extra and thank you for getting us here quickly!" She smiled.
The driver accepted the money and smiled at the two girls. "My pleasure, ladies. Have a nice trip!"
"Thank you." Jaime called as he pulled away. She turned to her friend and placed her arm around her, almost about to crack up in laughter. "Oh my God! We so gave that guy at the gate a hard on."
Maddie managed a hesitant laugh. While it may have been kind of exciting at the time, she wasn't sure she would want to make a habit of exhibiting such behavior. She looked down the drive from the area they had just come. "I guess we did. Just glad he didn't follow us down here. You hear his little slip of the tongue about going down."
Jaime, much more seasoned at such practices laughed. "He didn't make any slip of the tongue. He was mentally undressing us and had us on our knees. Imagine if he knew we were underage."
Maddie cringed a bit at her casual dismissiveness. "Yeah, well I guess it got us inside the airport." She said quietly. Even though the young guard hadn't offered any overt objectification of the pair, she still felt a bit awkward about what she did to distract him to gain access. She remembered something that her mother had told her about six months prior. They had been having an honest mother daughter dialogue concerning Maddie's growth spurt as Callie had called it. That with her body and looks she would soon be put to the task of making several important choices. That she would not always make the right choices, but to at least pause and consider the consequences of her choices when she thought the situation warranted.
Jaime waved her hand in front of Maddie, who seemed lost in thought. "Hey, you ok?"
Maddie nodded slowly, finally snapping out of her distraction. "Yeah, was just thinking about my mom."
Her friend was not without sympathy, but she knew they had to find the plane, get inside and then find a hiding spot. She lightly touched Maddie's arm and offered her a soft smile. "I know it's hard to think about all this. But we need to find the plane and get inside before someone sees us out here looking like we are clueless."
"Yeah, you're right." Maddie admitted. "Sorry, just got distracted there for a minute. Let's see…" She looked down the row of planes, then pointed down towards a rather large white twin engine jet with a blue accent running down its side.
Jaime's eyes went wide. "Damn, girl! That's the biggest one here. I'd hate to have been the guy to lose that in a card game! Should be plenty of places to hide inside."
"Yeah, there is." She confirmed, remembering that the craft had various closets and storage areas within. She and Jaime made their way quickly towards the craft that looked even bigger by the time they reached it. There was a set of movable air steps pulled up to the craft's doorway which sat several feet off the ground.
"Doesn't look like anyone is around." Jaime commented tensely and looked down at her phone.
5:32PM
"Yeah, they were supposed to have it prepped and ready no later than five. So, it should be empty at this point." The pair quickly scurried up the portable stairway and they noted a digital keypad to the left of the door. "Cross your fingers." She entered the door lock code she had overheard her father give the service technician. They both exhaled in relief when a green light flashed on the keypad and the door automatically opened. They entered the aircraft and Maddie secured the door behind them.
"Damn!" Jaime exclaimed upon entering the passenger area. "This thing is better than my house." She took in the lush environment of the luxury plane, her eyes glazed with envy. Deep reclining leather seats with footrests, sofas and full kitchen were just a few notable amenities.
Maddie shrugged indifferently. "Eh, wouldn't make you happy. I mean nice stuff like this…it's just, well, stuff." Maddie could not always say that having nice things didn't matter, because they did. But after her mother was shot over a year prior, it had lent some clarity as to what truly was important in life. She watched her friend, easily taken in by the newness of being exposed to an extravagant material object.
Jaime noticed Maddie's expression as she looked at her, almost disapprovingly. "What?" she asked, feeling a bit out of place.
Maddie wore a face that showed age well beyond her actual years. One which had been through what it was like to know the excess of living in wealth, and what it could do to someone for not only good, but bad. She looked at her friend and stepped forward. "Jaime, text your mom. Tell her you love her."
"What?" She asked with surprise.
"Voices echo this is what salvation must me like after a while." Maddie said absently.
Jaime paused thoughtfully then realized her friend was, in a roundabout way, advising her not to fall slave to all things that are shiny and that seemingly make life better. But to embrace the simple things, and above all do not take things for granted. Take the time to tell your family that you love and appreciate them. In many ways Jaime was glad that Maddie wasn't some spoiled little rich teen. She could never stand those kinds of girls in school.
"Yeah, I will text her, girl. By the way, thanks for the reality check. Guess I got a bit overwhelmed when I walked on to this plane."
Maddie nodded soberly. "I remember when it was so cool to have things like this or be seen in a fancy new car. Live out in the Hamptons with servants." She paused and looked down. "But I remember even more that those were some sad times as a family. Even depressing you could say. You can only throw money at the real problems for so long before you realize they don't fix them." She looked about, then pointed to a secondary section to the far back of the plane. "There is a baggage area far in the back. It's only really used if you plan on bringing 20 pieces of luggage, which I doubt three men are going to have. For my money it would be the safest place to hold up. Not to mention it is fairly spacious inside them."
"You tested the size out ahead of time somehow?" Jaime questioned with a grin.
Maddie cracked a smile herself and shook her head. "Nah, I was just playing hide and seek with Carly the last time we used the plane."
Jaime looked at her phone again.
5:53PM
"Dad should be picking up Uncle Frank any time now." She said leading the way to the far back of the plane. They soon came to the back of the cabin and Maddie flipped a lever on a set of accordion doors and they smoothly slid open to reveal a significant amount of space.
Jaime nodded approvingly, then noted the upper shelf held several blankets. "Good, blankets. We can make ourselves a comfy little bed back here. Say, how long does it take to get to Brazil?"
Maddie had to admit she didn't know. A quick Google search told them it could take over twelve hours. "Good thing we shoved snacks in the backpack." She remarked.
Jaime nodded, then gestured to her friend. "After you, fellow stowaway." She quipped with a nervous laugh.