A Biker's Tale
Chapter 15 - Deception
Rob Tyler heard the sound of a car coming to the camp site from the rear side windows of his vehicle where he had been asleep in the back seat. Lady Luck had graced him, after days of trying to find a car to hijack, here was one coming to him. He would wake up early, hopefully before his neighbor, start breakfast and invited his camping buddy for a morning meal. That is when he would spring his trap and hijack the vehicle.
He had in his cache of drugs, some ketamine, otherwise known as Special K, a club drug, which depending on dose, could render one into a somewhat psychotic state similar to an LSD experience or render one drowsy, even put one to sleep, depending on the dose given. It was more notoriously called the date-rape drug, as it could render the intended assault victim helpless but conscious enough to be aware of what was happening. He would offer his new camping neighbor some coffee laced with just enough of the drug to put the person or persons to sleep in minutes. Then it would become easy to hijack the vehicle.
The next morning, Kate again awakens to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. As she wakes up she sees that the passengers side of the CRV is empty. Castle had taken her up on her past promise for a delayed intimacy, but doing the deed in a small SUV like the CRV was a challenge. One they lived up to, both sleeping off their passioned filled session afterwards! Still, Rick had risen early, where was he? She sees from her window Rick with their camping neighbor enjoying a meal. As she departs the CRV, she hears Castle call out to her.
"Finally, awake", he says, "come meet our neighbor Bob, he was so kind as to invite me for breakfast."
"Is that Canadian Bacon I see with scrambled eggs?"
"It sure is,…. Kate,… is it?… at least that's what Rick told me! Come have some breakfast Kate, we saved a plate for you."
Tyler gives her a plate that was set aside with just that, Canadian Bacon and eggs.
"We saved you some breakfast rolls also, and I just brewed some new coffee."
"This so awesome, thank you Bob for being such a good neighbor."
"Well, when you're on the ALCAN, camping buddies are hard to come by, so if you get one, time for a shared meal and some telling of the travel adventures experienced to date."
"Well, we just started, but actually, this is a rental, as we had Rick's Triumph down from a chain break and the part was not available. That is until it came in on reorder a week later, at the last town we were in, so we fortunately had this for backup."
"I read about these CRV's, all wheel drive, economical on gas, and the interior can be setup for sleeping."
"Yeah it can, and it's been a great travel vehicle so far", Rick responds to Tyler.
"So you want to continue the story you started on how you came to travel the ALCAN to Fairbanks."
"Well, as I was saying before Kate woke up and joined us, this has been a long time bucket list travel for me. I finally got time and decided to just do it."
"I see, and was Kate also of the same adventurous spirit?"
"Well, actually, I was not part of Rick's original travel plans. But when I heard he was on the trip, I took leave and followed him, catching up to Rick some days back. It started out as thinking may be we would just accompany each other in separate vehicles, until Rick's bike chain break and fortunately we had the CRV ideal for a couple traveling."
"So where's Rick's bike now?"
"We left it at the repair shop in the last town for pickup on the way back from Fairbanks."
"Well, you got quite a ways to go before reaching Fairbanks."
"Yes, and hopefully with no other breakdowns along the way."
Seeing that both his camping buddies had finished their coffees, Tyler offers some orange juice which contained the knock-out drug. He had figured the OJ hid the taste of the drug better than coffee and was a popular and sweet traditional breakfast drink.
"Would you guys want some OJ, I got some chilling in my cooler."
"Oh we wouldn't want to deprive you of your OJ? What you've shared is enough."
"Not at all, you'd be doing me a favor. It's getting close to the 'drink by' date, and there's much too much for one person. I kind of went overboard when I bought it and forgot that it needs to be consumed before the 'by date' happens."
"In that case, I will have a drink and thank you."
Tyler pours Rick a glass, and then turns to Kate.
"Kate, OJ?"
"Oh why not, we are on safari and what better way to feel like home than enjoying OJ."
Tyler pours Kate a glass and watch as both drink up. That was their mistake. In ten minutes both were passed from the drug laced orange juice.
The Hijack and Abduction
Rick is the first to awake from the drugging. He finds his hands and feet are bound and Tyler at the wheel driving. He in the front passenger chair. Kate is out of it too and still unconscious in the back seat.
"Tyler, what's all this? What have you done?"
"Pardon me for doing this, but you guys were a target of opportunity. I'm on the run from the Mounties and needed a different escape vehicle as mine was on an All Points Lookout Notice."
"You don't want to do this Bob. Whatever trouble you're in, you have just added drugging and kidnapping to your charges."
"Believe me Rick, if I had a choice I would not have done this. Both of you seem like a nice couple, so you have my apology for this."
Just then they hear Kate stirring and coming to consciousness.
"What….what the hell is this!", the two hear Kate saying as she comes out of it.
"It seems Bob is a fugitive on the run and needs our vehicle for his escape as the one he abandoned is on an alert by police. He was just apologizing for this as you awoke."
"Don't worry your pretty self Kate, once we're in Fairbanks, you'll get the vehicle back but only after I drug you a second time while I make my escape."
"Don't you think someone will find your abandoned vehicle and know you're on the run in a different vehicle."
"I am betting it will take awhile for that and in the meantime I can put some miles on the trip. Besides, if we do get noticed, we are just three travelers making an ALCAN safari".
"Really, with the few people on the road, you don't think the Mounties will figure out what you've done."
"Maybe, then again, we might make it all the way without being noticed. In the meantime, sorry I have to keep the two of you bound. You do seem like a nice pair."
"The apology does not make up for this, so how about just letting us go."
"Too late for that now, we are past the point of no return. So why don't the two of you just sit back and enjoy the trip."
"Kind of hard to do that", replies Castle, "tied up as we are. How about you loosen the ties a bit so we are more comfortable?"
"Tell you what, if the two of you are cooperative, I just may pull over to the side of the road and do just that. All depends on the both of you."
So the two resign themselves to their fate and keep silent and just enjoy the trip as Tyler suggested.
Foreboding Talk
After a while, Tyler, breaks the uneasy silence with a question.
"So how serious is it between the two of you? How long have you been together?"
It is a leading question meant to explore the depth of Kate and Rick's relationship. Not wanting to reveal their complicated history, Rick is about to give a clarification on this, but Kate speaks out first.
"We've been together for a little over three years, but it just now got more serious. This trip is just for that", a partial truth, but certainly not fully an accurate account of their situation.
Rick is surprised by Kate's comment but sees the look on her face which tells him to play along with her. It's their mind meld working again for them as he reads her thoughts.
"More serious, as in, the two of you want to make it permanent, as in marriage and a family?"
"We were hoping to see from this trip where it would lead to", replies Rick. Again a partial truth. It's want he wants and senses Kate wants the same.
"So this is as much a romantic get away as it is a road trip adventure?"
"You could say it that way", answers Kate but does not offer a further explanation leaving Tyler to come to his own conclusions.
"Well, Kate is an attractive companion. Rick you are a lucky man. I am sorry I will be the one disrupting whatever you had planned."
Both Kate and Rick know that Tyler is probing here, trying to find out how deep their union goes. For what purpose, they know not, but this is an alarming line of questioning.
Rick answers quickly, "That's ok, once we get our vehicle back, Kate and I can continued our trip together as intended."
Kate sees where Rick is heading and follows along, "Well this certainly does not work into the plan we've had so far.
With that response Tyler gives Rick somewhat of a long stare and then also looks at Kate thru the rear view mirror. Kate notices Tyler looking and his expression from the rear view mirror is predatory. Kate recognizes this stare. As an attractive single women, Kate often got that look from men before they came on to her. It is like Tyler is looking thru her provocatively. It puts Kate on alert to be cautious of Tyler.
Tyler continues to speak in response to Rick's reply, "Well I hate to be the man to ruin your trip, but then again, it is something to look forward, completing this trip once you get back control of it."
But the conversation is creepy and both of them are trying to make out the meaning and significance of the conversation from the questions asked by Tyler.
For Rick it is a red flag. He wonders what the 'sleeping arrangements' will be later when Tyler pulls over for a rest. Will they stay as they are now with Tyler just sleeping it off in the driver's seat, with the two still bound in the CRV? Rick knows with the drugs Tyler used on them, that Kate could be the one in a worse situation here. If when it is 'rest' time and if Tyler tries to separate Kate from him, Kate remaining in the CRV, while Rick is relegated to using the pop up tent, that will be a tell. A indication of Tyler's intent for them, and specifically for Kate.
Rick is now thinking how he can protect Kate from such an outcome, if it does go down as Rick is not wanting it to happen. Somehow Rick must free himself from his bonds without Tyler knowing so he can subdue Tyler if need be. Rick has to be able to physically overcome this man and stop any aggressive action from Tyler towards Kate. Rick's mind is looking at the worse result of this abduction and is searching for a Plan B should their current predicament go in the wrong direction!
Rick looks at Kate and they communicate in their mind meld way. From her expression he knows Kate has had the same thoughts as him on their kidnapping. Tyler could have easily left them with his abandoned vehicle why bring them along. Rick also knows that Tyler could have taken Kate alone and left him behind. Why abduct the two of them? Rick's suspicions are yet to be confirmed as Kate begins a conversation with Tyler. Rick knows it's to distract Tyler as Rick tries to work his binds.
"So Bob what are you on the run for?", Kate asks.
"I rather not say."
"Oh come on, it is just the three of us. Help us understand why this move on your part?"
Again silence. Tyler is pondering how much to disclose to the pair.
"It may help to past the time here Tyler", says Kate coyly, "besides we answered your questions, why not reciprocate?"
Tyler begrudgingly starts his story with Kate's prodding. Kate and Rick feign interest, all the while Rick and Kate work to loosen their binds. As Tyler gets into his story, he is driving and telling his tale at the same time. There is enough of his attention to this multi-tasking as to distract from what the couple is trying to do here. As Tyler continues his talk, Rick is asking additional questions so as to keep Tyler talking.
Kate, on the other hand, had managed, despite her ties, to reach into the pocket of her light jacket left on the back seat. She is fishing for her keys. Her key chain had a key fob that was a miniature pocket knife which Kate used sparingly to open packages or letters and served as a blade as the moment may warrant. She had managed to get to those keys despite her hands being bound. She is now using that miniature blade to cut into her bindings.