A Taste For Danger (10 page)

They both lay there a minute panting. Then Evan said, “Care for round two?” He was like that. Always ready to go.

“I can’t honey, I have to get ready now.” said Carolyn.

“Oh?” said Evan. It was pretty early for her. She usually slept in, and he was the one already at work on his drawings at this time of the morning.

“Listen, I have something to tell you, and I don’t want it to bother you...” she started.

“Oh?” he said again, only this time his left eyebrow was cocked as if waiting for the hammer to drop. But he turned it into levity. He was like that too. Sunny. Happy. She loved him for that. “Did I do something to displease madam?” he asked jokingly and sat up.

Carolyn, who by this time stood next to the bed, wrapped her arms around his neck. “Never!” she said and gave him a long, deep kiss. Then she sat down on the bed next to him. “I just have to meet Jack, that’s all. He’s working on some case and needs my help on it.”

“I see.”

Carolyn looked over to Evan’s face. It didn’t reveal anything. “No comment?” she asked.

“No,” said Evan. “I understand.”

“It’s just that we each have our specialties, and sometimes we need the other one’s area of expertise.” Evan hadn’t asked, but she felt the need to explain anyway.

“I know, Carolyn.” Evan sighed, but the corners of his mouth betrayed a hidden smile. “Some women might have come with a Jack Russell, or even Jack Daniels. You happen to come with a Jack Heart.”

“Thank you for understanding, Evan.”

“That’s me. Mr. Understanding.”–he sighed again–”but listen—the minute he puts you in danger—”

“Evan,” Carolyn interrupted, “you know I’m capable of finding that all by myself. Based on last year alone.” Indeed, when she first met Evan, she had almost been blown up, and also shot a woman dead right in front of him.”

“Yes, and if I didn’t know better, I would think you liked the adrenaline rush. Nevertheless, the minute he puts you in danger, I won’t be so understanding.”

“Yes, dear,” cajoled Carolyn, giving Evan a big smooch on the cheek. But she knew he was serious.

***

Jack already sat at the booth in Denny’s when Carolyn walked in. She looked the same. Maybe happier. Yeah, he had to admit, she looked happier. Good for her.

The two both ordered coffee. Jack told the waitress to keep the pot at the table.

“You haven’t slept?” asked Carolyn.

“On the case.”

Carolyn nodded. “So what is this all about?”

Jack told her the whole story, only he tried to give her the cliff notes version. Somehow it all came out rambling with bits and pieces here and there that didn’t tie together unless you’d been there.

“Okay, okay,” said Carolyn finally. “I think I get enough of the picture. So you basically need a Fed from the Security and Exchange Commission, one from the FBI, and one probably from the CIA. Am I close?”

“Well you don’t have to be so sarcastic. This was a lot of work.”

“So sorry, I’m just trying to get your order correct, sir. I wouldn’t want your eggs to come out scrambled.”

Jack gave a wry smile.

“I’m sorry,” she said this time for real. “I know you’ve been up all night.”

“Speaking of all-nighters, how’s your boyfriend? Treating you well?”

Carolyn blushed.

“Oh I can see that he is. Good for you. Glad it’s working out.”

“Thanks, Jack.”

Then she said, “Let me make a few calls. It’s a Saturday though, you know. I’m not promising anything.”

“I know. I appreciate the try.”

Carolyn took her mobile and went out the door. Jack could see her talking through the window.
She must be getting through to someone at least.

As Jack watched her through the window, he heard tires screech. Carolyn looked around. Jack watched helplessly as the tall, thin man from the casino sprung out of a car and grabbed her. She didn’t even have time to get to her gun. Jack jumped up and ran through the door. Carolyn gave the guy a good backward kick in the shins. But as Jack got to them, the man threw Carolyn in the back seat and jumped in himself. Jack could see Cheryl driving.

First, as he was trained to do, he got the license plate number. Then he ran to his car, gunned it and almost missed them, but made it by a hair. They were on the freeway. God knows where they were taking her. His gut had been right. His damn home phone. “Goddamn it!” he yelled, angry at himself. They must have tailed him. Or her. While he followed them, doing well over the speed limit, he called everyone he knew. This was his group now. The cops at the squad room. The detectives on call. They put out an APB on the car. Jack checked his gun. Yep, still there.

The getaway car pulled off the freeway and into the warehouse district.

What? They were stopping?
Sure as hell, they were. Their car pulled up to a warehouse. No one worked around this time of day. Jack felt fear for the first time in a long time and not for himself. He squealed in and jumped out of the car. The thin man held Carolyn up in front of him with a gun to her side.

“Drop it or she dies,” yelled the thin man.

“He’s serious Jack. Do as he says,” said Cheryl.

Jack dropped the gun on the ground. The thin man walked toward him with Carolyn. Then everything went black.

Chapter Thirteen

When Jack awoke, he found himself tied up. Looking out through bleary eyes, he could hear Chinese being spoken in the background. He opened his eyes more. His hands were tied to something.

“Stop wriggling!” said Carolyn. “You’re hurting me!”

Oh. He was tied to Carolyn. They were inside the warehouse now. An empty one too, with little chance of anyone finding them. He could still hear the Chinese conversation.

Whispered Chinese.
Translation:
Kill them now.

Whispered Chinese.
Translation:
No, that will put police on our trail.

Whispered Chinese.
Translation:
We close up shop.

Whispered Chinese.
Translation:
Then kill them.

Whispered Chinese.
Translation:
No, we need a clean getaway.

Whispered Chinese.
Translation:
Tie them up. By the time they are found, we’ll be on a plane.

“I think they’re arguing our fate,” said Carolyn.

Cheryl turned her head. “Very good—Ms. Woods. You’re very lucky I’m in a good mood today.” Then she turned to Jack.

“I check you out but—nothing of value.” Her expression was one of contempt as she spoke. Cheryl’s English seemed to have degenerated under stress. Her face took on a harder expression also. She almost looked like a different woman from the one he knew at work. “So I bug your phone.” She started laughing. Then she came closer and pulled Jack’s head up by the hair. She pointed her finger at his face. “You have many tricks up sleeve. Not nice!”

Carolyn could see the thin man getting impatient. More Chinese.

Chinese Shout.
Translation:
Come on! We need to go!

The two left the warehouse. Jack and Carolyn could hear their car squeal out.

“Are you okay?” asked Jack.

“Yeah.” Carolyn was grouchy from the whole episode. “I can’t believe they got me like that.”

“Things happen,” said Jack.

“You?” she asked.

“Yeah. Just a knot on the head. Were you able to contact anyone before they jumped you?” he asked.

“Yeah,” answered Carolyn “but it was broken mid-talk when they arrived.”

There they sat. Back to back, hand’s tied, and then roped to the other person as well.

After a while, Jack squirmed his head around to look at his watch. A half an hour had gone by. No help appeared. “This is an empty warehouse. We could be here forever,” said Carolyn, glum. Jack began to whistle. Not much to do when you’re tied up. This annoyed Carolyn.

“Jack! You should be thinking of a way to get us out of here.”

“Oh excuuuuse me, madam, I didn’t know you had assigned me that task.”

A sigh came from behind him. Then, “You know this is the second time the guilty party has hired
you
to take a case.”

“Thanks for rubbing it in.”

“I’m just saying,” said Carolyn as she struggled against the ropes, “that maybe you should vet your clients a little more carefully.”

“We’d still be tied up. This is a different case. Besides, Ms. Obvious, why hasn’t your genius boyfriend tracked us down yet?”

“Hey, that’s not his job. Not to mention that we should be able to get out of this ourselves. We have two perfectly good brains between us.”

“Make that one and a half, kiddo,” responded Jack with affection. “Mine is probably part pickled.”

“Yeah, well you used to be able to pull out last minute miracles. I’m sure you still can if you try.” She gave up struggling against the ropes. They were too tight.

Silence.

“See if you can reach in my right pocket,” said Jack, finally.

“I don’t really want to know if you’re happy to see me,” said Carolyn to lighten the situation.

He understood. If they thought too much about their eventual fate should they not be able to escape from here...
Well, it wouldn’t be a good use of energy
,
to put it mildly.
He continued: “I can’t reach it, but if we can bend around enough, you might be able to. There’s a lighter there.”

“Your lucky lighter?”

“The one and same.” Carolyn had given it to him many years ago when they were first dating.

“Okay,” she said, “scoot over to your left a little. No, more. More!”

“That’s as much as this butt will scoot. See if you can reach it.”

Carolyn tried with her hand behind her, but couldn’t quite get in the pocket deep enough. “Push up against me harder with your back.”

Jack tried to push against her. They rose up a little, awkwardly, but her hand was closer.

“I’ve almost got it. Don’t move. I don’t want to drop it.”

“I’m a statue.”

“Alllllllmost...”

“I’m a statue whose back is about to go into spasms.”

“Oh give me a break,” said Carolyn while still trying to grip the lighter. “It’s not like you’re a hundred.”

Jack started to say something about women in ten years, but Carolyn managed to grab the lighter.

“Got it! Now what? How do we do this without going up into flames?” She posed.

“I’ll risk the burn.”

“Why you?” asked Carolyn.

Oh good god. Women!
Jack thought, but said instead: “Look, you got banged up last time. I’m just being fair. I’ll take the risk this time. Besides, it’s not like you won’t be affected if this gets out of control.

“Fine,” said Carolyn. She maneuvered the lighter closer to Jack’s ropes. “Tell me where, I can’t exactly see well here. I’m bending my neck as far as I can.”

“If you set me on fire I’ll never forgive you.”

“Thanks. That really helps the nerves.” But actually it did. Jack, like Carolyn continued to make light of the situation. They both knew and were both grateful for that little bit of attitude.

“It’s not working,” said Carolyn finally. I just can’t see enough to risk starting the lighter.

Jack thought for a minute. “Ok, we roll.”

“What?”

Jack stopped sitting up and simply fell over. Doing so, he pulled Carolyn down unwillingly with him.

“You could’ve given me some warning. Straighten your legs,” said Carolyn who as usual caught on fast.

“Okay. Now I think the best way to approach this is you on top,” said Jack.

The both laughed at the innuendo.

“Okay,” said Carolyn. “When I say go, roll to your right.”

“Got it.”.

“Go!”

With much difficulty, Jack rolled onto his stomach pushing his face down against the dirty warehouse floor. Carolyn was propelled a bit but found herself having to scrunch, inch by inch onto the top of him backwards. Eventually they met again: butt to butt, the back of Carolyn’s head resting on the back of Jack’s.

“There. I think this will be easier. Good idea.”

“I never realized you had such a fat head,” said Jack, whose nose hurt from the weight on top of his skull pressing onto the cement floor.

But Carolyn was already positioning for the lighter. They both started to turn their heads sideways. Unfortunately they moved in different directions.

“Ow! Jesus! To the right! To the right!” yelled Carolyn.

“Like I’m supposed to read your mind?”

“Just move your head to the right.”

Jack’s ear pressed flat to the floor and Carolyn’s face pressed to Jacks cheek.

“Dancing cheek to cheek...” sang Jack.

They both moved their arms and hands out to the right as far as possible.

“Who has the best view?” asked Carolyn.

“I think I do,” answered Jack. “That means you’re going to have to follow my instructions
very
closely unless we both want to end up fried detective.

“Got it.” Carolyn was all business now.

“Maneuver down about two inches.”

“Okay.”

“Now grab a hold of my fingers. That should help guide you.”

“Got them.” She had managed to grab three of the fingers on his left hand.

“Okay, here comes the tricky part.” Jack sounded tense.

“Wait!”

“Good God woman! You scared the bejeezus out of me. Now is not the time for surprises.”

“I just want us to be in sync for contingencies.”

Jack sighed.

Carolyn continued. “If something goes wrong, I’ll use my coat sleeve first to pound the area with my elbow and then we roll until its out. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” He had to admit, she had a point. “Are you ready now?”

“Okay. Go.”

“Feel my fingers? You’re going to need to turn the lighter backwards and the rope is about five inches above them. Feel for the rope first with your other hand if you can.

“I feel it.”

“Then, anytime. Now you get to make up for that spatial reasoning test you failed in high school.”

“Ha ha,” said Carolyn, but it was a rote response. She was carefully feeling around and turning the lighter.