THE BLUE STALKER (48 page)

             
Oh, my god it’s Ella, she’s in so much danger and there’s no way I can help her. Frank thought.  He couldn’t believe Ella or anyone would pay a ransom for his release. 

             
Before daybreak a FBI van filled with agents dressed in camouflage drove into the desert. They were strategically placed throughout the area where Ella was to meet the kidnappers. They were armed with rifles with scoops and were ready to take out the kidnappers if necessary. The van headed out of the desert after dropping off the agents.

             
Meanwhile, Ella met the banker and the FBI agent at the bank. They put the money in duffel bag. Precisely at six o’clock they loaded the duffel bag into the passenger seat and Ella headed for the desert.  When she passed the city limit sign she checked her odometer.  She was told to travel 20 miles and make a right turn. At nineteen miles Ella slowed and started looking for a dirt road going to the right. There’s the road, she thought.  She headed east hoping the ten miles would pass quickly and she could rescue Frank. Or, would it be that easy. She was shocked Agent Peterson would allow her to make this run alone. Anything to save Frank, she thought. Perspiration dotted Ella‘s forehead, not from heat but from nerves. She wiped her brow just as she saw 29 miles roll over on her odometer. “It’s got to be soon.” Ella yelled.

             
Ella kept watch on the odometer thirty miles was ready to roll over when she came upon the cross roads. She stopped thirty feet back as she had been instructed. 

             
She sat waiting with sweat ran down the back of her neck.  Suddenly the sound of a helicopter came from the sky. 

             
“Oh, my God.” She said aloud. “They are dropping out of the air. There’s no way Agent Peterson will be able to catch them or help me.”

             
Ella could hear her the pounding of her heart. It felt as if it was going to burst from her chest. She was hyperventilating while trying to calm her nerves.  

             
“Everything will be okay.”  She said to herself.

             
The helicopter came into view. Dust whirled around Ella’s car. She was blinded from the cloud of dust. As the air cleared a man stepped from the big black bird. To Ella’s amazement it was Agent Parker. 

             
What is he doing here? He must be working with Agent Peterson.

             
“Bring the money to me.”  He yelled to Ella.

             
“I won’t be giving you the money until I have Frank.”  Ella yelled back to him.

             
Agent Parker walked back to the black bird without taking his eyes off Ella. He dragged a frail Frank from the helicopter and kicked him to the side of the road. 

             
“Now, you bitch bring me the money.”  He ordered holding a gun on Frank. 

             
Frank yelled to Ella. “Run Ella run they will kill us both.”

             
Ella looked at Frank in his frail condition and said.  “No, I have to give them the money for your release. It‘s okay, they promised.”

             
Ella took the duffel bag from the passenger seat and carried it to Parker. He looked in the bag and nodded. He pointed a gun at Ella and marched her over to Frank. 

“Turn around.” He ordered.

             
Frank grabbed Ella’s legs and pulled her down to him and covered her body with his. 

             
A commotion at the helicopter caught Frank’s attention and a tall slim man stepped from the helicopter with his hands in the air and a gun in his back. Agent Parker got off one shot toward the man standing behind the tall man.  Immediately shots rang out from all directions. 

             
Agent Parker lay with blood oozing from his chest. The tall thin man lay face down in the sand.

             
Frank held Ella tight her body was jerking.

             
“It’s okay Honey.”  Frank told her.

             
Ella looked around and saw a dozen FBI agents including Agent Peterson standing around. 

             
Agent Peterson walked over to Parker. He was alive but bleeding profusely. 

             
“Agent Harris and I knew you were a traitor. Your body smuggling and kidnapping days are over. You will pay dearly for you evil deeds. Guess you’re not as smart as you thought you were.”  He said as he turned and with his boot he rolled over the thin man.  The thin man’s eyes were rolled back in his head. He was dead.

             
To Ella’s amazement it was Mayor Ray Brandon.

             
“Looks like Coopersville will be in need of a new mayor.”  Agent Peterson said.

             
Ella ran over to Agent Peterson.

             
“I had no idea you and your agents were here. When the helicopter came down I thought I was alone. And the pilot I don’t understand.”  Ella said holding her arms folded across her chest.

             
“The pilot is an FBI agent. We got word from an informant of the helicopter ransom pick up. After Mr. Brandon’s helicopter pilot picked up his flight plan he was overcome and he is in the county jail. We now know where the body smuggling ring is located in Mexico. Finally with your help the body smuggling ring will no longer exist.”  Agent Peterson told Ella as he shook her hand and walked toward the helicopter.

             
Agent Peterson turned before stepping onto the helicopter and said to Ella. “We have evidence Ray Brandon and Sam Parker murdered Paul and Nellie Mills.”

             
Agent Peterson looked back at Ella and yelled.  “Ella, you would make a hell of an agent.”

             
Ella ran over to Frank. “Honey you look so frail. You don’t look like you’ve been eating well.” Ella said.

             
“You were going to pay a ransom for me?” Frank said to Ella.

             
“Yeah, they only asked for fifty bucks. I figured you were worth that much at least.”  Ella said with a grin.

             
“Get in my car and let’s get the hell out of here.”

             
On their drive out of the desert Ella and Frank passed a FBI van, an ambulance and the coroner.

             
The FBI pilot and Agent Peterson headed for Coopersville.  They had been working closely with Agent Bill Harris aka Phil Young and had a lot to report to him.

THIRTY-EIGHT

             
After taking the duffel bag to the bank and depositing the money. Frank and Ella made their way to the motel and checked in. The manager was at the check-in counter and remembered Frank and Ella.

             
”The manager handed Frank a bundle of Franks clothes he had stored in a locker waiting for his return.

             
“Thank you very much.” Frank picked up the bundle.

And he and Ella walked arm in arm to the room. Frank immediately turned on the shower. It had been weeks since he had a good shower. The shower at the shack was water in a barrel heated from the sun dumped over his head to rinse the soap from his body. 

             
Frank dropped his clothes and Ella gasped. “Frank, you’ve lost so much weight.”

             
“I’ve had very little to eat the past six weeks.”   Frank said rubbing his concave belly.

             
“What would you like to have for dinner?”

“Anything we can order in.”

             
Frank hopped in the shower and Ella ordered Chinese food one of Frank’s favorite foods. 

             
Frank dried off and put on a pair of pajama bottoms crawling up on the bed where Ella was setting Indian style with her legs crossed.

             
Ella answered a knock at the door. It was the Chinese food delivery guy. The aroma from the food floated through the room.

             
Ella paid the bill and gave the young man a nice tip. They laughed remembering other times they shared Chinese Food. Frank filled his tummy and laid back on the bed and grinned rubbing his belly.

             
The evening was filled with talk of the happenings during the past six weeks. Frank told Ella how he was treated in the desert. How horrible the men treated the one woman in the camp. About the food and his shelter. How he could hear the creatures outside his dirt floor shack. How the heat was almost unbearable during the day and how he froze during the cold nights with only a thin blanket to cover his body.

             
Ella cried and held him. “I thought I lost you. I even thought maybe you were one of them trying to get money from me. I’m ashamed of my thoughts.” Ella said as she uncontrollably sobbed.

             
“Your thoughts were normal. Don’t worry about it. You made the ultimate sacrifice when you drove into the desert to save me.” Frank said holding her body close and kissing her neck.
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             

             
Ella cleaned up the mess and started taking her jeans off.

             
“Whatcha doing, honey?”  Frank asked.

             
“I’m going to take a shower and wash this day off my body.

             
Frank pulled her over to him, took her slim legs from her jeans and began massaging her body.

             
“You saved my life. I’m so indebted to you.” Smoothing his hands over her shoulders.

             
“You don’t owe me anything. Even if they would have taken the half million dollars you would not owe me anything. Ella said without thinking she was telling Frank the amount of the ransom.

             
“Half a million dollars! Where did you get that kind of money? You’ve got to be kidding.” 

             
“I guess I can’t lie to you. You’ll hear all about it in court and in the newspaper. Ella said.

             
Ella took a nice shower and washed the day from her body and lay beside Frank.  He wrapped his arms around her soft body and they slept through the night.

Ella and Frank drove over to the storage yard to retrieve Frank’s car. It was parked it in a covered garage.

             
“Thank you for parking my car in the garage.” Frank said to the attendant.

             
“I know if I owned a sports car I would want it parked in a garage.”  The young attendant told him.

             
Frank paid the storage bill and signed for the cars release. Frank and Ella stood by his car for a moment holding each other. 

             
“I have to head home. My job is waiting and I need to check on my dad.” Frank told Ella as he kissed her cheek hugging her tight.

             
Ella headed for work. No one knew where she might be. 

When Ella walked into the shop Alicia and LuAnn ran to her.

             
“Girl where have you been. We were worried sick about you.” 

             
“I found Frank. I have lots to tell you.”  Ella sat down on a stool.

             
Ella told the ladies the ordeal she had been through.

             
“My, my woman I don’t know how you did it. You’re so brave.” LuAnn said.