Desperate attempts

Sometime before dawn my phone jangled me awake and I fumbled to answer it. What I heard didn’t make sense.

“…see her again… …laptop and back-ups… Wait for our call…” None of it made sense. Then…

“Dag, it’s Riley. I’m so sorry.” Then the line was dead.

Riley? She was asleep in the living room on the sofa. I must have moved to the bedroom sometime in the middle of the night because I distinctly remember holding her and her falling asleep. I covered her up.

I got up and pulled on a robe. What time was it? 4:30 a.m.? I wandered into the living room, expecting to see Riley stretched out on the sofa.

It was all neat and clean. No blanket. No pillow. Even my chair was upright and the afghan that I keep there was folded neatly on the side table.

This was surreal. There was no sign that Riley had been at my house at all. What happened to the Chinese food containers that we had eaten from? I went to the kitchen and checked the garbage, but it was empty with a new bag in the garbage pail.

I automatically put water on to boil. I needed a cup of coffee.

No. Wait a minute. I was on the program. I needed a new heart.

I felt my chest. It felt fine. Maybe I just imagined it all.

How much? Simon? Brenda? Angel?

Riley?

I felt suddenly alone and afraid. I began to worry. Maybe I was dead. I went back to the bedroom and looked at my bed to see if I was still in it. The bedclothes were rumpled where I’d just gotten out of it. Maizie looked up at me from her basket beside the bed and then jumped up and stretched. She padded over to me and snuffled against my leg.

No, I wasn’t dead. I wouldn’t have a wet cold nose pressed against my leg if I was dead. If I was dead, a little mutt wouldn’t be running to the door to be taken out.

I pulled on trousers and a jacket and grabbed my umbrella before taking Maizie out into the early morning rain. Something just wasn’t right.

After we had walked, I fixed breakfast, showered, and dressed for the office. Program or no program, I was stopping at Tovoni’s this morning. I needed a cup of coffee. They open at 7:00 even on Saturday, so Maizie and I put on our jackets and headed out. I figured that by the time I got to the office, my head would be clear and I’d be able to sort out whatever was happening.

Tovoni’s was closed.

Damn.

I looked at my watch again. 7:15. I looked at the hours on the door. Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Saturday 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Closed Sundays. I glanced down at the headlines on the newspaper in the paper box by the door. “Seattle moves to forefront in global fight to save lives.” “Loyalists of al-Sadr seize Iraqi TV station.”

I stared at the paper for several minutes trying to figure out what was out of place. Huge words at the top of the newspaper finally sunk through my awareness. The Seattle Times Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sunday.

When did it become Sunday? Friday night Riley and I had talked late into the night and she fell asleep crying in my arms. Now it was Sunday morning. Did I sleep through all of Saturday? How could that be?

Maizie was getting impatient so we continued on toward the office.

“Well, girl, I’m not supposed to have coffee anyway,” I said as we walked along. “Would you let me know what happened yesterday?”

At the office I toweled Maizie off and sat down at my desk while she curled up in her bed by the window. I opened my computer and tried to rebuild what I knew was planned for Saturday to try to jog my memory. What were my plans?

“Eat and sleep. That’s all you have to do, isn’t it girl?” I said casually. “And poop.”

Okay. That was first. Maizie goes with Mrs. Prior on Sunday to get her grooming done. I looked over at the slightly soggy pink bow attached to her collar. She had been to the groomer. Check.

I usually play cards in the afternoon at the Swedish American Center. It would be easy enough to check with a friend about that, but I wasn’t going to call anyone at 8:00 on Sunday morning.

And Riley. Riley hadn’t intended to spend the night but fell asleep on my sofa Friday night. Riley was going to take me to the SA Center Saturday afternoon and then go to a party Saturday night with Cinnamon and some of the girls at The Condo. I wasn’t enthused about that, but Riley insisted that it would be okay. The Condo was closed for a “girls’ night” holiday party. I flipped open my phone and pressed her speed-dial number. The phone rolled immediately over to voicemail. It was off or she was on it.

I went to my window and stared out at the Sound and Elliott Bay. God, I love that view. On a clear day I can see Mount Rainier from here. Today wasn’t clear. But I could imagine where the dominant shape of Mt. Rainier would rise just over the stadiums down there if it were clear.

A ferry left the terminal and traffic was beginning to pick up. I turned my eyes uphill toward the market and looked at some of the newer high-rise apartments and condos between my office and the Harbor Steps.

It’s funny. I never noticed before that I could see the building where The Condo occupied the top floor. Of course not. Why would I notice it before I’d actually been there? Nonetheless, I went to my desk and got out a pair of binoculars from the desk drawer. Usually I use them to watch for Orcas and dolphins in the sound. This time I trained them on the top of that building.

I didn’t recognize The Condo at first. The roof seemed bare of any gardens that I could see. Then I realized that there was a lower roof with glass doors leading inside. On this rooftop deck, there was, indeed, a few plantings, and I assumed if I had a better angle I’d be able to see the hot tub. That could have made for some interesting nighttime viewing, I thought.

My curiosity sated, I was about to lower the glasses when I saw a flash of movement. I refocused in time to see a woman run to the edge of the roof and look over. A huge block of a man grabbed her from behind and dragged her back from the edge. She fought him, but the fellow swung and connected with her face. I watched in horror as I first thought her head had flown off the building and then realized that the floating object was a wig.

I fell back into my chair gasping for breath as if I’d been the one struck. Riley was in trouble. What was she doing at The Condo at this hour?

My head was too fuzzy this morning. I couldn’t work out why she would be at the Condo in the morning. I couldn’t imagine who had called me. And Riley had said what? She was sorry?

The phone rang, moving me into action. It wasn’t a dream. What did they want, and who besides the refrigerator man, Oksamma, was holding her?

“Do you have the disks?” the voice demanded. I already had a good idea who it was, even though he was trying to disguise his voice. I had the presence of mind to snatch a press-on mike push the record button on my laptop.

“What disks?” I asked. “I didn’t understand anything you said this morning. You woke me up.”

“Well, get this straight then,” he said. “I want Simon’s computer and the backup disks. You get them to me and I’ll give you back your bald little freak.” God, I hoped Riley wasn’t in hearing distance. I would wring that coward’s scrawny neck with my bare hands. I kept my voice under control as I answered.

“None of that will do you any good, Bradley,” I said. “The money is all gone.”

“All what money?” Bradley dropped all pretense of disguising his voice.

“All the money,” I said. “All the BKL assets hit the market over the weekend. By tomorrow morning there won’t be anything left. Just give up and turn yourself in.”

“Who cares about BKL? It was nothing,” he dug in. “Simon is trying to pin all his dirty little tricks on me and I’m not going to stand for it.”

“Your thug already killed Simon. Didn’t he tell you?”

“I’m not going to follow him. I need that computer. It is my only chance to get this thug out of here. Either you bring it, or your little bald-headed girlfriend suffers a permanent accident. She just couldn’t live looking like such a goddam freak. It’s that simple.” That was twice, Bradley. I looked out the window at The Condo garden. A ladder led from the rooftop down to the patio. The boxy shape of a roof-access stair enclosure poked up from the roof. I wondered how far I would have to climb to get to Bradley. He was really pissing me off.

“Fine Bradley. Don’t hurt her. Where do you want me to bring the laptop?” I didn’t want to let him know that I knew where Riley was held. Bradley might not be there. There was a pause. I had the feeling that he hadn’t prepared this very well. He was improvising.

“Wrap it in plastic and take it to the market. Slip it under the haddock at the Flying Fish. Be there in one hour. I’ll have my contact pick it up.”

“It will be there,” I said. “How do I know Riley is okay?” I heard him yell at Riley and the phone was pushed close enough to her that she could speak.

“Dag,” she gasped. “Don’t give them anything. Don’t give them the disks.” The phone was snatched away and I heard a smack and cry.

“Loyal bitch,” Bradley said. “If that computer and the backup disks aren’t at the Flying Fish in an hour, she’ll be the one on ice.” The phone went dead. I looked at the recent calls list and saved the number. I might need it. What was important now was that I act quickly.

I dialed Silas’s number and got his answering machine. I told him Riley was at the Condo and punched the play button on my recording of the phone conversation. I played it into the open receiver onto Silas’s answering machine. Then I hung up.

I opened the vault and pulled out Simon’s computer and the two copies I had made of it. There wasn’t enough time to make another backup, but it was pretty well worthless now anyway. Just for good measure, I removed the thumb drive and left it in the vault. There is always bubble-wrap in the office from drives that have been delivered. I taped a makeshift bag around the laptop and the two disk drives and headed toward Pike Place Market. I went in through the lower parking garage and took the elevator up seven floors to the skybridge across to the market. As soon as I was out of the concrete structure I opened my cell phone and tried Silas again. He was either out of range or couldn’t get to his phone.

I came across the skybridge directly toward the Pike Place Fish Market, a Seattle landmark that is fondly known as the Flying Fish because of the way the workers take people’s orders. I checked my watch. It was close to 9:30—twenty-five minutes since I got Bradley’s call. I was panting. The merchants had just dumped a fresh load of crushed ice in the bins that would be filled with fish by 10:00. As they moved to the back of the market to wheel out the racks of fish, I frantically dug in the ice at the near corner and shoved the computer under it. I really didn’t care if anyone saw me doing it. Bradley hadn’t said to be subtle and had chosen a ridiculously public place to stow his precious goods. As long as no one dug it out before he got there, I really didn’t care.

I retraced my footsteps to the stairway down a level in the market. This quiet area had less traffic and if Bradley was on his way he would certainly approach from street level. I didn’t want to run into him. I surfaced at the north end of the market on Western and headed for the Condo. It was nearly 10:00 on Sunday morning. I was betting that there was no one but the two kidnappers with Riley at The Condo. I entered through the garage practically collapsing from lack of breath. My heart was thudding in my chest like it would burst at any moment. I didn’t have time for that. I fumbled for my pills and swallowed two, then opened my eyes and focused on the surroundings. The standard elevator was where I remembered, but I looked further and found a loading dock with access to a service elevator. It was key-locked and took only a few minutes for my fumbling fingers to pick it with my pocket knife. I entered and jammed my finger onto the button for the next to top floor. I didn’t want to take the chance of having doors open and be staring directly into the face of the Refrigerator. I was going to have to climb the last two flights to the roof.

Standing at the open stairwell looking up I almost gave up. It was too much. I could no more climb those flights of stairs than Mt. Everest. Who was I kidding?

Damn!

I struggled forward and up half a flight before I had to stop to rest. A few minutes later I had made it to the first landing. Stop. Breathe. Climb. Stop. Breathe. Climb. Stop. It seemed like an eternity. I cleared my eyes and looked at the crashbar ahead of me. There were no more stairs. Somehow I’d reached the top. I slammed through the door and was almost blown from the roof by the gusts of wind that whipped across the tops of the buildings. These gusts brought stinging bites of fine wet snow. I hadn’t worn a coat or gloves when I left the office. If we were getting snow at sea level, the passes would be closed. Maybe I should take up skiing this winter.

If my footsteps on the roof didn’t alert the kidnappers below me of my presence, I felt sure the gasping of my breath and the pounding of my heart would. The first edge of the roof I stumbled toward was the wrong one and I found myself staring down onto First Avenue. I reeled back and regained my bearings. There was the escape ladder to the penthouse patio. From there, a network of ladders led down the waterside of the building. This was one of the few buildings in central Seattle that still had an outdoor fire escape. I knew now that was where Riley was headed when I’d seen her subdued by Oksamma an hour and a half ago.

I surveyed the patio from above before lowering myself over the side and dropping down quietly behind the hottub. A vinyl cover was over the water, but I could feel heat radiating from the tub anyway. I turned to my left and ducked back into a corner by the tub and a potted plant. I was directly next to a window that I hadn’t noticed before. Had there not been a light on in the room beyond, I would not have been able to see through the silvered glass into the room beyond. It was an office space, and standing with his back to me was Oksamma. Beyond him, Riley was tied to a desk chair with her own scarf. She was wearing that same incredible cocktail dress that was one of my most vivid memories of my first heart attack.

But she was bareheaded.

I couldn’t see well enough through what was clearly intended to be one-way glass to tell how badly she was hurt. I knew she had taken at least one nasty blow to the face. I didn’t see Bradley in the room, so I assumed he must be on the errand to retrieve the laptop.

Staying as low as I could and as sheltered as I could I made my way across the exposed patio to the sliding doors into the living room. They were unlocked, much to my relief. Who would lock doors onto a private patio twelve stories above the street? I glanced behind and thought I still saw Oksamma’s back through the window, but I was at a bad angle now and picking up huge reflections of the potted trees. I was going to need a weapon and a way to get Oksamma out of the office. I would cut Riley free and we’d escape down the main elevator. That sounded simple.

I rushed toward the bar and slid to a stop just before slamming headlong into the ex-marine Davy Jones, Angel’s jealous boyfriend. I had no time to think. I could see him reacting to my sudden appearance already. Before he could deck me this time, I felt my hand close around an object on the bar. I swung it hard and fast and felt the very satisfying thunk of the blender meeting the side of Davy’s head. His simultaneous blow glanced off my jaw, but was enough to shake me just the same. He stood facing me and I could see his hand drawing back for a second try as he crumpled to the floor unconscious.

That was too close. And I couldn’t afford to have him wake up and alert anyone. I was already surprised that the racket hadn’t brought Oksamma running, but apparently the noise was nothing out of the ordinary for the kitchen. I couldn’t just leave him there, though. I had no idea how long he would be out and I didn’t want to encounter him again. I stripped off my belt and strapped his hands together behind his back. Then I tied his shoelaces together to hold his feet. I dragged him into the living room by the windows and used his own belt to tie his hands to his feet. Finally, I ran into the kitchen, grabbed a couple of dish towels and stuffed one in his mouth and used the other to tie it in place.

I stood back and surveyed my work, panting with my head spinning. There was one more thing. I pushed the heavy leather sofa back, pinning him between it and the windows. I would like to have done more, but at that point I heard Bradley slam through the front entrance and I ducked down so he couldn’t see me as he stormed through the condo and into the office swearing. I wasn’t sure what his problem was; he should have had the computer by now. I still needed a knife to try to cut Riley loose. I needed to get them out of that room.

As I got closer, I heard Bradley ranting.

“The disks aren’t here, bitch!” he yelled. “He doesn’t care that much about you, does he? He packaged up the computer with two hard drives. Where are the disks?”

“If you had listened to me when you started, you’d know he doesn’t even know about the disks,” Riley spat back. “I stole them and didn’t tell him.”

“You couldn’t do anything without him knowing about it,” Bradley spat back. “If you know where they are, you are going to tell me.”

“Never.” I heard the sound of flesh slapping flesh. If I ran in there now, Oksamma would simply pummel me and we’d both be goners. I flipped open my cell phone and pulled up Bradley’s number that I’d saved earlier. He answered on the first ring.

“Who is it?” he snapped.

“Touch her again and I’ll kill you where you stand, Bradley.” There was a sudden silence.

“Where are you?”

“Where I can see you and the lummox you are with standing in the office. You should really patrol your perimeter more frequently.”

“Davy!” he yelled. “Get out on the deck and find Håmar!”

“Davy is indisposed,” I spoke quietly. “I don’t think he’ll be looking for me. You’d better come yourself, Bradley.” I heard Riley squeal as though suddenly startled and could tell that she’d been startled. “Let go of her Bradley. You can’t get her between us.”

I saw from the kitchen Oksamma suddenly come rushing from the office and out the patio doors. I disconnected from Bradley and followed the refrigerator as quickly as I could, slid the door shut and locked it. There was a safety pole standing at the frame and I dropped it into the track. Even if he succeeded in getting the lock opened, the pole would stop the door from sliding in its track. Now to deal with Bradley.

I moved where I could see the open door of the office. Bradley was cowering in a corner of the office that appeared somewhat shielded from the outside window by the desk. As far as I could tell, the only weapon in his hands was the cell phone. I slid the knife in my belt and grabbed a sharpening steel from the counter. Then I crept into the study. Bradley was intent on the window where I could see Oksamma gesturing that he’d found nothing and motioning Bradley to the locked door.

Sometimes a headlong rush is not the best idea. I decided to sneak into the room and try to get to Riley as quickly as possible. I knew we’d stand a better chance if she was free. I wasn’t counting on Oksamma’s frantic gesturing at me through the window to alert Bradley. I was behind Riley when he turned and saw me. I couldn’t free her, but I put the knife in her hand before I leapt for Bradley brandishing my steel.

He frantically jerked a drawer out of the desk so hard that it scattered its contents on the floor and he dove for the gun that fell. I didn’t have much time. Oksamma had moved back to the patio doors and was slamming into them with all his massive weight. It wouldn’t take long for us to be pinned down.

I cracked Bradley’s wrist with the steel just as his hand closed around the gun. He howled in pain and I whacked it again. The gun went skittering across the floor as I heard a crash from the direction of the patio doors. Bradley was diving for the gun with his other hand and I grabbed him. We wrestled in front of the window. I knew that I had only moments before Oksamma would slam into me and end it all. I knew I had to drop Bradley fast, but my hands weren’t working with my mind. I couldn’t move them to hit him. I couldn’t make them work.

My sudden limp state was what saved my life. Oksamma rushed through the door and Riley, who had managed to free herself, moved to intercept him. Bradley grabbed the gun. I dropped and Riley, using her Akido skills, propelled the giant using his own momentum across the room.

Oksamma crashed into Bradley as the gun went off. Bradley, borne backward by Oksamma’s weight crashed into and through the window onto the patio. Oksamma howled and rolled over clutching his knee. Riley had her arms under mine and was hauling me out of the room before I knew what was happening.

“Go!” I croaked. “Leave me and get to Silas.”

“Not on your life, partner,” she growled back. As we stumbled out into the foyer, I could see Oksamma crawling toward the abandoned gun. Fortunately the elevator was still at the floor from Bradley’s arrival only minutes before. We fell into it and Riley punched the floor button. As the doors closed three rapid shots slammed into them. Riley fell back on top of me.

“No!” I screeched. I cradled her in my arms as blood blossomed from one of her beautiful shoulders. The doors of the elevator slid apart and I scooped her up and out into the foyer. We stumbled through the huge front doors just as Oksamma came crashing through the escape stair door onto the street. He waved the gun in my direction and I heard the shot ring out. But instead of feeling the pain or sudden death, I watched as Oksamma fell to the ground. I turned and fell forward, directly into the arms of Silas Grant and a stampede of officers piling out of cars that were still screeching to a stop.

He caught Riley from me and in the sudden release of her weight from my arms everything gave out. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears. My vision went from slightly fuzzy to reddened as blood swam in my eyes. I could not draw a breath. My legs folded under me and I knew that this was the one I’d been waiting for. I saw Riley turn her head in Silas’s arms. She looked at me with her penetrating blue eyes and I fell into them.