The Gravity of Anti-Gravity (21 page)

“Hi Pops, have I got a story for you!” I said.

“Bill, if your story beats mine, it’s been the worst day of our collective lives,” Pops said.

“My God, Pops, what’s happened?” Instantly I had a feeling of dread I’d never experienced before.

Pops started to give me some information on his ordeal. “Bill, I’ve got to go, the authorities need to talk to me. Get home as soon as you can, OK?”

“Sure Pops, we’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

I hung up and told Stella that we needed go directly to my house. I filled her in on what I knew.

“What about Joanna, was she there?” asked Stella.

“Pops didn’t mention her and I forgot to ask. Let me try her cell phone first. It sounded like Pops had his hands full.”

I called Joanna but it went directly to voice mail. I left a message telling her to call me. I then called the In-N-Out Burger. I thought she might be working and I knew they have a rule against using your cell phone during working hours.

“In-N-Out Burger, Jack speaking, may I help you please?”

“Jack, this is Bill
Burton, ex-employee. Remember me?”

“Burger Nerd, how could I forget you, what’s going on?” Jack asked.

“Is Joanna working today? I need to talk to her, it’s very important.” I pleaded

“Let me check, Bill,” Jack answered, “I know she left to run some errands during her lunch break but she should be back by now.”

There was a silence of about a minute and then Jack came back on the line. “Bill, she was due back about twenty minutes ago but she’s still not here. Maybe she got hung up somewhere. It’s not like her not to call.”

“Thanks Jack, let me know if she comes back in please.” I asked. I gave my cell number to Jack and hung up. I gave Stella the bad news.

“Call Inspector Oliver at the Pasadena Police Department and have him send a car immediately to the In-N-Out-Burger.” Stella directed. “Tell them what Joanna’s car looks like. Let’s hope she had an FBI security detail on her.”

I followed Stella’s orders to the letter.

As we arrived in my neighborhood and pulled onto my street, we ran into an ocean of emergency vehicles plus several TV and radio vans and satellite trucks. We had to park about a block away. As we walked up to the house, several reporter types stuck microphones into our faces asking for a comment.

I whispered to Stella that these people didn’t even know who we were. They were just hoping we were somehow connected to the story.

My phone rang and the message could not have been worse.

-29-

We approached the house and ducked under the crime scene tape. A police officer came up to us and informed us we could not enter. After we told him who we were, he had another officer escort us into the house.

“Pops, Joanna is missing! I just got a call from the Pasadena Police. They told me her car is still in the parking lot at her job. Apparently there was a single FBI Agent who had followed her to work to provide security. They found him shot through the head.”

I saw a look on Pop’s face like I’d never seen before. It was a mix of terror and pure anger. Grandma sat down on the couch and started to cry in deep loud sobs.

“Did you say that Joanna had been kidnapped?” Jerry asked. “We’ve got to get her Bill.”

After Stella got off the phone, I introduced her to Jerry.

“I’ve heard all about you Jerry but now we have to move fast and find Joanna.” Stella said. “Every second we waste will make it that much more difficult to save her. I just got off the phone with my brother. He’s on his way over here now. He’s checking to see if she still has her tracking locator on her. Are you OK Jerry” Stella said as she looked at Jerry’s bandaged ear.

“I’m fine,” Jerry answered.

Rolf arrived ten minutes later. The five of us including Pops gathered in the house to talk. Rolf was introduced to Jerry and Pops for the first time.

“Any news Rolf?” Stella asked.

“I did find Joanna’s signal.” Rolf said. “She isn’t very far away. Let’s hope the kidnappers don’t find the tracking device. I fully expect them to call you Bill with some kind of demand. I am sure they will want to trade either you or your machine for Joanna. We need to get to her location now!”

“Who’s driving?” I asked.

“Bill, you need you to stay here in case the kidnappers call.” Rolf said. “Now don’t panic, just write down their demands and how they want to execute the trade. Then call us immediately. See if the FBI can trace the call. Even if they can, the kidnappers are probably using disposable phones and they will dump them as soon as they call. See if they can determine where the phones were purchased. That may be another clue. OK Jerry, you want to go save your girl?”

“Oh yeah!” Jerry said, “Oh yeah.”

Pops announced. “You are not leaving without me. It’s been a while but I am combat trained. I’m going too!”

Agent Brown stepped up and also volunteered. “I’ll go too. I will give the group credibility. If anything ugly happens, it will be an FBI operation and you guys won’t end up in jail while the police sort everything out.”

Jerry and Pops loaded the M-16’s and several boxes of ammunition into the back of Pop’s SUV.

“OK, let’s roll,” said Jerry. “Some of my men are supposed to hit town today. I’ll call them on the way and see if they can rendezvous with us. We may need their help.”

“Shut up”, the masked kidnapper yelled at Joanna. “As soon as we get your brother we’ll set you free. We are going to take your gag off. If your brother wants to talk to you, only tell him you are OK; nothing more. This will only take a few seconds. If you cooperate, you will keep that pretty little face of yours. If you don’t, you, your brother and your grandparents will die.”

“Screw you, you son of a bitch,” screamed Joanna “When my boyfriend gets his hands on you, you’ll beg him to put you out of your misery.”

The kidnapper slapped Joanna for her insubordinate tone and blood started to trickle out of the corner of her mouth.

The kidnappers called Bill’s cell phone.

“Hello” Bill answered.

The FBI had connected a phone tracking device to the cell phone.

“Is this Mr. Burton?” the voice asked.

“Yes, this is Bill Burton,” I responded.

“We want to make a trade Mr. Bill Burton. We want to trade you for your sister. We will call back in ten minutes and give you instructions. If you don’t follow them exactly, your sister will die! If we see any police, your sister will die!” The phone went dead.

“Did you get a location?” I asked.

“Yes,” the agent answered. “It looks like a park in
San Gabriel. I’m sure they are in some kind of vehicle so they are most likely on the move now. We’ll send the local Police there. They will get there faster than we can.”

“No, you can’t do that. They will kill Joanna if they see Police!” I said. “Let’s call Jerry and Rolf and tell them what we know.”

I dialed Jerry’s cell phone. “What’s up Bill?” he asked.

“The kidnappers just called. They want to trade Joanna for me. They called from a park in
San Gabriel but the FBI thinks they will be on the move.” I explained.

“Rolf is still tracking Joanna’s device and they are on the move.” Jerry said. “He expects they will park one more time and give you instructions on where to meet them. After you get the instructions, call us back and let us know the rendezvous point where the exchange will be made. We will go ahead and get set up there. Meet them wherever and whenever they want. Tell the FBI and police not to respond. Guys in suits or uniforms are a dead giveaway. They must stay away or Joanna’s in serious trouble!”

“One more thing” Rolf broke in to the conversation, “If we feel that it is safe for you or Joanna or both of you to run, do it. If we have secured the area, either Jerry or I will throw a rock at or near the kidnapper’s vehicle. That will draw their attention for a moment and that’s when you make a break for it. Get behind a car or building; whatever is closest.”

“I understand. And Jerry, don’t worry about me; just save Joanna,” I said.

“Bill, these morons don’t know who’s on the case.” Jerry said “I don’t know where you found Rolf but he’s amazing. With his expertise and my training, we’ll get Joanna. Don’t worry Bill. Just call us back when you know something. We are still following Joanna’s signal but we are hanging way back at this point. I’ve also got some of my crew who just hit town, ready to join us when we get the location. We’ll have the world’s greatest private investigator, one FBI Agent, one ex- marine and four Green Berets on these guys before it’s over.”

About ten minutes later my cell phone rang.

“Bill Burton here,” I answered.

“Mr. Burton,” said a man on the line in perfect English. “Meet us in the parking lot of the Bank of America on the corner of Las Tunas Blvd. and
San Gabriel Blvd. in half an hour. It’s Sunday so no one will be there. Park your car and get out. We will have people watching everything with guns aimed at your head. A van will pull into the parking lot. The door will open and you will see your sister. She will walk away from the van and you will walk toward it. Get into the van. After you are in the van, your sister is free to run. If we see any police or other people who do not belong, we will shoot both you and your sister and then go back for your grandparents. DO NOT do anything stupid Mr. Burton. Your life and the lives of your family depend on it!” The phone went dead.

I called Jerry and he relayed the information to Rolf.

“Bill, Rolf says to go ahead and meet them according to their instructions.” Jerry said. “And don’t try to call us. Our phones will be off while we are getting ready. Just know that we will be there and we will get Joanna.”

“I’ll be there in half an hour.” I said

“Jerry, since your guys are in the area; have them meet us here,” Rolf said as he pointed to the map on the computer screen. “It’s about six blocks from the exchange point. I hope they have some weapons with them, knives in particular.”

“Oh, yeah; and if I know my guys they’ll have more than that,” Jerry said.

Within ten minutes, Agent Brown, Pops, Jerry and three of his Special Force’s men stood waiting for instructions from Rolf.

“Men, we have a kidnapping and exchange to deal with. I expect the enemy will be positioned around the B of A parking lot about six blocks down. Our mission is to surround the area, find these men and neutralize them – silently. Does everyone have a knife?”

Everyone did except for agent Brown.

Rolf handed out several sets of the zip tie hand cuffs and duct tape. “If you can get close enough to knock these guys out and secure them, do it and tape their mouths. If not, you’ll have to kill them.”

“Pops, your assignment is to stay in our vehicle with the rifles,” Rolf continued. “We can’t be seen walking down the street with rifles. When I give you the signal; park down the street from the B of A parking lot. When you see Bill go by, drive to the lot across the street. There is an ATM there. Get out and look like you are using it. When you see the van pull up, get back in the car and look like you are going through some papers but keep your rifle close. Don’t shoot unless it’s absolutely necessary. If the van gets away we will need the car to chase the van.”

“Here Agent Brown; Pops said, since I won’t need my knife, you take it. It has served me well over the years and good luck!”

“You three men need to leave right away. I’ll call you number one, you number two and you number three,” as Rolf pointed to the three military men except Jerry. “Go with Pops. He will drive you the long way around the area and drop you, number one, about four blocks past the parking lot to the east and you, number two, on the south side. Number three, you will approach from the north side. Jerry, Agent Brown and I will leave from here.”

“As you work your way up to the Bank, do not let yourself be seen from the street. Watch for any enclosed vehicle like a van. It could be the one that has Joanna. Do not approach the vehicle and don’t let any occupants see you.”

“Remember men,” Rolf added, “these people will not hesitate to kill you. They will be hiding behind a building or some other obstacle within site of the exchange point. There could be as few as two or as many as ten so do not let your guard down. You’ve all been trained for this type of operation so let’s go do it!” Rolf roared.

Pops left with the three men, dropped them off in the designated locations and parked his car. Rolf, Jerry and Agent Brown closed in from the other side.

“Brown, you go across the street.” Rolf ordered. “Stay behind the buildings and move forward and sweep that area until you are across the street from the parking lot. I’ll stay on this side of the street and work my way down toward the lot. Jerry, give us a three minute head start and follow us for back up.”

When Rolf got near the edge of the lot, he spotted one of the attackers. He was hiding behind a dumpster at the edge of the area. His back was to a block wall that separated the parking lot from a residence on the other side. He had a short rifle in his hands.

Rolf decided there was too much open space to go directly at the man so he backed up about 50 meters where he was able to scale the block wall without being seen. Almost silently, he jumped over the walls and fences that separated each house. He then got to the other side of the block wall behind the dumpster when he heard the man’s cell phone go off.