The Pirate Skeleton

By Bruce Chudacoff and Tanya Solomon

Jake Greene, a recently retired Homeland Security operations executive, and his colleague, David Robinson, an archaeologist from Jerusalem, come into possession of an apparently authentic pirate treasure map. Jake is immediately faced with a gang of kidnappers trying to obtain possession of the map. The two men involve Jakes daughter, Rebecca Gould, an anthropologist, and their families in search for the treasure. The search sets off a chain of events that not only leads them to the treasure but also to a huge skeleton of a previously unknown, humanlike species.

As Jake, Rebecca, and David learn more about the skeleton, they are thrust into a world where science, politics, and international crime intersect. They confront an international arms dealer as they try to protect the skeleton and its origins from exploitation. They survive attempts to murder them and take over their work. They are caught up in a deadly race to find, learn from, and preserve the remains of the ancient civilization. History is rewritten in this exciting thriller.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543484557

Bruce Chudacoff

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Bruce Chudacoff was born and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin, and practiced law there for over forty-five years. He is currently retired and resides in Glenview, Illinois, with his wife, Nancy, of almost forty-eight years. They have three children and six grandchildren. Bruce has degrees from the University of Michigan and Harvard Law School and continues to devote much of his time to the Boy Scouts of America. Tanya Solomon is the daughter of Bruce Chudacoff and resides in Northbrook, Illinois, with her husband, David, of over twenty years. They have two children. Tanya has degrees from the University of Michigan and continues to devote much of her time to retail sales while doing volunteer work in her local community. The Pirate Skeleton is the second in a series of adventures by the Greene and Robinson families. The first adventure is titled The Key to the Map and is available online and from Xlibris.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Monday, December 9, 2013

Jake Greene was sitting alone in his study reading some reports that had been sent to him by the TSA. Jake had retired from a high-level position with the Department of Homeland Security the year before, but he continued to consult with various security agencies both in the federal government and overseas. His expertise and experience kept him in high demand. In the past, Jake’s position had required him to travel to a number of secret and sometimes high-risk locations. He had been prohibited from sharing the details of his activities with his wife, Annie, and his family.

Jake got tired of reading the dry government reports. He began to daydream. He thought back to the experiences that he and his family had gone through recently. Just a year ago, Jake and Annie had taken the family on a European vacation. Annie had accomplished a nearly impossible feat—coordinating the schedules of their three children, their spouses, and the six grandchildren—to allow time for the vacation. They had visited Italy and Greece. Jake and his daughter, Rebecca, had found an old map of Rome and a lovely medallion while in Rome. Little had they known that Jake’s purchase of the two objects would lead to a wild adventure in Jerusalem. Upon the family’s return to Wisconsin, Annie had discovered another map hidden in with the one that Jake had purchased. Jake and Rebecca had pursued the map and discovered that it depicted secret tunnels beneath the city of Jerusalem. In their search for the tunnels, they had uncovered a potentially calamitous terrorist plot to detonate a nuclear device below the Temple Mount. Jake thought with satisfaction of how the Israeli government had turned to him to thwart the plot and how he had been successful in the effort. Jake had not only defeated the terrorists, but he and Rebecca had succeeded in solving one of history’s great mysteries. They had discovered the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant.

Jake had always been conflicted over the need to hide his actual work from the family. He thought with relief that at least Rebecca now understood and appreciated what he had gone through during his career.

Jake’s reverie brought him to the relationship that he and Rebecca had forged with David Robinson and the Robinson Institute in Israel. David’s father had died fighting the terrorists, but David had invited Jake and Rebecca to become directors of the institute as a means to help conceal the Ark until the world was ready to receive it. The Robinson Institute was a world-renowned archaeological enterprise. Jake was pleased to have some useful duties to perform for the institute.

The security buzzer sounded, forcing Jake back to the present. He walked over and picked up the phone.

UPS. I have a package for Jake Greene.

I’ll be right down, replied Jake. He grabbed a pair of shoes and put them on. He went down the corridor, took the steps to the street level, and looked out into the vestibule. A uniformed deliveryman stood there. His nameplate identified him as Todd. The man was carrying a large package. Jake recognized the driver from previous deliveries and opened the security door to him. Hi, Todd. What have you got for me today? I don’t think I’ve ordered any new Packer hats lately.

Hey, Mr. Greene. How’s it going today? I don’t think this is a Packer hat. I do have to get a signature on my delivery receipt today.

This must be a pretty important package to require a signature, Todd. At least you aren’t asking me for my ID.

No, I know who you are. Actually, this is an unusual delivery. I really was supposed to check your ID.

Thanks for that, Todd. I’m glad you won’t make an old man go all the way back up to my apartment to get ID and come all the way back down just for the sake of doing it.

Well, I suppose I could have sent you back up there, but I sure wouldn’t want to force you to do any extra exercise at your age. He grinned and continued, Please sign on my electronic pad.

Thanks for your heartfelt sympathy for an old guy. I’ll order something extra heavy next time. Jake and Todd shared a laugh and Jake signed for the package. He took it up to the apartment, put it on the kitchen table, and began to study it. Jake’s old security training had made him automatically suspicious of large packages. He first looked at the return address. What a coincidence. Jake had just been thinking about David Robinson and the package was from him.

The phone rang and Jake picked it up. Hello, he said.

Hello, Daddy. Did you get a package from David today? It was Rebecca.

Hi, Daughtie. Jake used the nickname he had called his daughter since she was born. Perhaps it wasn’t the most original nickname for a girl, but it had stuck nonetheless. Jake wasn’t really sure if that had been a reaction to his wife’s and his daughter’s objections to the name or if he was just contrary by nature, but there it was. I did just get a package, and it has his name on it, but I haven’t opened it yet. I have to make sure it’s really from him.

Daddy, I know you’re a bomb expert and all that, but David just texted me and told me you would be getting this package. You don’t have to stick it in the bathtub and fill the tub with water. He wouldn’t tell me what’s in it though. Hurry up and open it. I can’t wait to find out what it is.

Well, okay, but if you hear a loud boom, it’s your fault. I think I should write a note to your mother and tell her who to blame if this is a bomb, Jake chuckled. Hang on a second. Jake put the phone on speaker and set it down. He got a scissors from a drawer in the kitchen and slit open the wrappings. There was an envelope on top of a large cardboard box with his name on it. Jake opened the letter and read it aloud to Rebecca:

"Hi, Jake. After you have had time to study the contents of this package, you and Rebecca should call me to talk about it. I gave Rebecca a ‘heads-up’ that I was sending you the package, but I did not tell her what is in it. I leave that to you.

Respectfully, David Robinson"

Rebecca! It’s a box! Jake exclaimed.

Great. Open it already. I’m dying of curiosity, an exasperated Rebecca pleaded.

Jake could just imagine Rebecca rolling her eyes at him over the box thing, but he had been doing that with presents for the last forty years at least and he wasn’t going to change now. He carefully unsealed the box. Inside was a series of plastic bubble wrappings around a large piece of thick cardboard. He severed the tape and lifted the top piece of cardboard up.

"It’s a map. It’s an old map, and it’s not in very good condition. It’s not at all like the map of Jerusalem we found last year. The map is hand drawn. There is no legend, but I would say it’s a map of an island. You remember the map Long John Silver had in Treasure Island, don’t you? At least we didn’t get a black spot with this map like Long John did, so maybe we won’t suffer from a curse if we study it."

Better to be safe than sorry, Daddy. You look at the map first. If you’re still alive after tomorrow, I’ll take a chance on it too.

Yeah, I guess I have to be the one to take all the risks, don’t I?

Better you than me, Daddy.

All right. I’ll study the map first. Jake paused for a moment. I’ll tell you what. I’m actually finishing up a little project for the TSA, and I had been thinking that I would come down to Chicago next week to talk to them about my findings. I’ll check with your mother when she gets back from her Red Cross conference in D.C. Wednesday. You know that she’s presenting today. The First Lady’s going to be on her panel. She’s really excited about it. If you’re free next week, I’ll bring the map and we can call David from there. How does that sound?

All right, Daddy. Actually, you could come this Thursday if you want. Tillye has her first swim meet since her broken ankle healed that night, so if you can move things up, you could be here for it. I know she’d love it if you two could watch her swim.

Hey. That’s a good idea. I’ll call your mother tonight and ask her about it so she has some advance warning.

I think this’ll really work out well. I can even consult with Tillye’s school about pool security while I’m there. That can help pay for our stay in your bed-and-breakfast guest room.

Now that I think of it, maybe you could check out the security at our bed-and-breakfast establishment. See if you can figure out my alarm code without any help.

Okay, honey. Just don’t change it from your birth date before I get there. Bye.

Chapter 2

Early Tuesday Morning, December 10 - Lutz Park, Appleton, Wisconsin

It was pitch dark. At 3:00 a.m. on a cloudy, moonless night, nothing was stirring on the Fox River. Three men with blackened faces, wearing dark, nondescript clothing, had parked their SUV at the end of the parking lot at Jones Park. The dome light in the SUV had been disabled so they could safely open the doors without detection. They silently removed a large bundle from the back of the vehicle.

Are you sure you want to do this here? asked one of the men. It would be safer to do it on the other side of the dam.

Geof, the leader, turned to him, exasperated. Here he was thousands of miles from home in Austria. He had come alone on this mission for the Commodore with instructions to hire local talent. Humph, he thought, American criminals are simply incompetent. He said in his accented English, We have been through this before. Our orders are to treat this operation the same way we would in a large city with tight security. For all we know, there are guards waiting out there. This is the plan and we will follow it. I will not tolerate any insubordination. If you deviate from the plan, you know the consequences!

Okay, okay. We’ll do it your way. I was just thinking that we could do this the easy way.

Your first mistake was to think! Geof said pointedly. Your next was to question a direct order from me. Now, get to work!

Geof and the first man carried the bundle to the shore while the third stood watch. Quickly, they opened the bundle and inflated it into an eight-foot-long boat. The reinforced rubber craft was Prussian blue in color. On the sides, there were four black oarlocks. The men put the boat in the water and loaded it with their equipment. They carefully secured everything to hooks fitted to the bottom of the boat. They then fitted their dark oars into the oarlocks, which had been muffled to prevent noise when they rowed. The first man climbed into the boat and held it by the shore while the leader returned to the man standing watch near the SUV.

Go. We will meet you at Peabody Park in twenty-nine minutes. If we are not there, you know what to do.

The man acknowledged his instructions, got into the SUV, and drove off. The leader returned to the boat and climbed in. He and the other man with him donned night-vision goggles and scanned the river and both shorelines. Nothing was moving, and they could see no signs of anyone in the area through their green-hued vision. They pushed off from shore and silently drifted north with the current.

After a few moments, the leader pointed ahead. The dam is coming up. Ship your oars and hang on. I will steer.

His companion stowed his oars and grabbed the sides of the craft tightly. Geof steered the craft to the left. Suddenly the current picked up. Geof whispered, Hold on. Here we go!

The boat passed over the edge of one of the openings to the dam. It dropped vertically over ten feet into the swirling waters below. Geof whispered urgently, Get the oars out. Steer us to the left! Quickly now!

The two men pulled furiously and directed the boat toward the edge of the rock-filled river. In moments, the rocks had disappeared and the water smoothed out. The two let out sighs of relief. Geof realized that he had been gripping the oars much too tightly. Now he relaxed. Ahead was a double railroad bridge. The men angled the boat under the deck of the bridge and along the river. The brick façade of their target loomed overhead. The former paper mill came up quickly. Geof scanned the foundations of the building until he found what he was looking for. There it is, he said. The men steered toward a large metal grate. Geof produced a small hand tool and made quick work of the bolts holding the grate in place. They let the boat drift into a water tunnel that went under the building and then re-secured the grate. The boat continued under the building and came out on the other side. They were back in the river course. After traveling under the Olde Oneida Street Bridge, they steered the boat over to the building just beyond it.

Quietly, the men paddled around the side of the building. They counted to the fourth window from the main channel and secured the boat beneath it. Quickly, they pulled on special gloves and began ascending the side of the building, using their gloves and boots to hold on to the irregular brick face. They reached the window level. Geof reached into a belt secured to his waist and withdrew a cutting tool and a suction cup. He applied the suction cup to the center of the window and passed a line attached to the cup to his companion. He then began cutting a circle out of the window. When he finished, his companion pulled the window section free and dropped it into the river. The leader then quietly unlocked the window and opened it.

As the window opened, Geof carefully scanned the sides of the building to make sure no one was observing them. He then looked inside. There was no movement in the room. The two men climbed through the window opening and stood in an empty living room. The first man walked over to the edge of the living room to stand guard. Geof scanned the walls of the room. He then walked carefully up the stairs to the second floor and checked the two rooms there. He returned to the first floor and motioned to his compatriot. The map is not on any of the walls and it’s not on the desk upstairs, he whispered.

I didn’t see it here in the living room either. What now? his companion replied anxiously.

Plan B. Let’s see … Check the bedroom.

The two men walked around the side of the living room to the bedroom. There were two figures sleeping there. Geof pointed to the smaller figure and to his underling. He then pointed to himself and the other figure. The underling acknowledged his assignment with a nod. Together, they approached from opposite sides of the bed. Each withdrew a baggie from his pocket and removed a cloth. Geof did a silent count to three, nodded, and the two simultaneously thrust the cloths over the mouths and noses of their targets. There were brief struggles, but it was all over in seconds; both victims were unconscious. The intruders secured their wrists and the legs of the man with plastic flexi cuffs and placed black hoods over both their heads. Geof left a printed note on the bed next to the woman. It said,

WE HAVE YOUR HUSBAND. HE IS SAFE AS LONG AS YOU FOLLOW OUR INSTRUCTIONS. DO NOT CALL THE POLICE. WE WILL CALL YOU LATER. IF YOU DISOBEY US, WE WILL RETURN HIM TO YOU IN PIECES.

They carried the man to the window and lowered him to the boat, leaving the unconscious woman behind. Carefully, they secured their equipment and the bound man to the craft and pushed off.

The boat drifted down the river past the footings of an old, abandoned railroad bridge. In a few minutes, they reached the second dam. They steered toward the shore and over the top of the dam. This time the drop in the water level was much smaller than the last, and much to their relief, they were easily able to negotiate the waters at the foot of the dam. They continued on up the river for a few moments until they were able to see the shoreline near a park. They steered to the left and reached the edge of the river. They pulled the boat onshore and removed their prisoner and their equipment. The third man was waiting for them with the SUV. Quickly, the men manhandled the boat ashore. The prisoner was secured in the back seat of the SUV next to one of the men. The other two deflated the boat and threw it and all of their equipment into the back. In less than three minutes, they were on their way. The man in the rear seat produced a syringe. He dipped the needle into a small glass vial and pulled back on the plunger. He withdrew the needle and squirted out a small amount of the liquid. He then jabbed the needle into the man’s arm and pushed the plunger, emptying the device of all its contents into his limp, unconscious body.

Chapter 3

Later Tuesday Morning, a House Near the City

The SUV sped quickly up the bluff and away from the river. It followed Lawe Street north and then turned right onto Wisconsin Avenue. The SUV continued to the edge of the city where there was a small, residential street that led back toward the river. It turned onto the street and continued to its end, where it entered a driveway leading to an old, two-story house. The driver activated a garage door opener and drove inside the garage. The men got out, closed the door, and dragged the captive into the attached home. A fourth man was waiting for them in a darkened living room furnished with several couches and chairs.

How did it go? he asked.

Like clockwork, of course, Geof bragged. The map wasn’t there so we followed Plan B. If the wife knows where it is, we’ll get it.

Well done, boss.

Geof rolled his eyes as he thought to himself, Not only are these Americans incompetent, they act like toads. He almost sneered at the others. Bring him into the bedroom and let’s take a look. The men carried the man into the bedroom and threw him on a bed. They donned hoods to hide their faces, and one of them yanked off the hood they had placed on the man’s head.

The fourth man consulted a photo. That’s not him! he exclaimed.

What do you mean, that’s not him? Geof demanded. It has to be him! We found him in the apartment just where he was supposed to be. You did the recon work and you told us this was the apartment. It was right there at the fourth window from the river. He and his wife were in bed. They were both asleep.

No, no, no! the man said, shakily. It’s the fourth window from the shore end of the building, not the river. You were in the wrong apartment and you grabbed the wrong person. He began to sweat heavily.

Geof looked around at his men. Even though their faces were hidden, he could tell from their body language that they were all on the verge of panicking. For that matter, Geof was not far from panic himself.

But what do we do with him? another of the men asked nervously. All of the men turned to stare at the man who was still bound hand and foot and was clearly panicked.

Shut him up. I don’t know what we will do with him yet, Geof replied slowly, but there is going to be one surprised wife in that apartment this morning when she finds her husband kidnapped and has no idea why it happened. He pondered the situation further. Maybe there is a way I can solve this problem so I don’t have to explain failure to the Commodore. We can still salvage the plan. I’ll call Jake Greene and make him think this was the plan all along. I am sure he will want to have his neighbor returned to him safely.

Chapter 4

Tuesday Morning

Jake was alone again in the apartment. He had just finished making arrangements to meet with TSA representatives in Chicago and was rummaging around in the refrigerator when the phone rang. The number on the caller ID was not familiar to him. He thought the call might be for Annie so he let it go to voice mail. The caller did not leave a message and seconds later, the phone rang again. It was the same number. Jake was intrigued and picked up the receiver. Hello, he said.

Listen carefully, Jake Greene. We’ve got your neighbor. He’s got twenty-four hours to live unless you follow our instructions to the letter. This is what you—

Whoa! Wait just a minute, Jake interrupted. Is this a joke? Who is this? What neighbor? Identify yourself right now! Otherwise, I’m calling the police on my cell phone.

Wait, Greene. Don’t do that or we’ll kill him right now! We’re monitoring your cell phone and we’ll know if you make any calls.

Jake had always been good at reading people, whether in person or by their actions. He had developed his communications skills to the point where he could instinctively tell when to be the good guy and when to be tough with people. One of his specialties during his career in Homeland Security had been dealing with hostage situations. In fact, in the heyday of airplane hijacking, Jake had been the go-to expert in negotiating with hijackers, but in those cases he had always been called in to deal with a situation where the hostage crisis had already become public. Jake knew it was critical to take charge of the situation immediately. If he could get these kidnappers to accept his authority and do something for him, anything, no matter how small or inconsequential, he knew that he would have a good chance later on of keeping the kidnappers off balance and bringing this crisis to a successful conclusion. He said firmly, I’ll give you fifteen seconds to identify this so-called neighbor and put him or her on the phone. Otherwise, I am hanging up and calling the police.

There was a brief silence on the phone. Jake said, Time is going fast. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …

The caller apparently put something over the speaker on the other end of the call to muffle the sound, but Jake could still hear loud voices arguing. After a few more seconds, the caller said, All right, Greene. Hold on and I’ll get him.

Jake had been holding his breath, hoping that his assessment of the situation was correct. He was pleased with the response but couldn’t let the kidnapper know that. He was also very relieved. He decided to press his advantage. No, I don’t want to talk to him right now, he said. Give me his name, phone number, and address. I’ll verify his identity. You call me back on this number in nine minutes. Have him ready to talk to me then.

All right, Greene. Just a minute. The caller came back on the line shortly afterward. His name is Frank Bollman. He lives in the apartment next to yours, 3412. His telephone number is 777-555-4433.

I will verify that and talk to you in exactly eight minutes. Jake hung up the phone. He immediately picked up the receiver and punched in a number.

Telephone security. Please identify yourself.

This is Jake Greene, ID number 289134159. Please confirm.

Yes, sir. What can we do for you, Mr. Greene?

I just received a telephone call from someone claiming to have kidnapped a Frank Bollman who lives next to me. Please confirm the identity of the caller. No one else has called my number within the last fifteen minutes. He will be calling me back in about six minutes. I want you to get the address where the call came from and activate a hostage rescue team immediately. Notify me of the address. Notify the local police and monitor this line.

Jake could hear typing on the other end. After a short pause, there was a response. We’re working this right now, sir. The identity of the hostage is confirmed. We have initiated a call to his residence at this time. I will have the address from the call to your location shortly.

Thank you, Jake replied and hung up. He had done all he could to set the wheels in motion to save the hostage.

Moments later the telephone rang again. Jake picked it up. Mr. Greene, this is Sean Gaines. I will be the controller for this incident. We have been unable to reach anyone at the victim’s residence, but the local police will be there in the next three minutes. The call to your apartment came from a single-family residence with an attached garage located 7.4 miles from you. We expect to have eyes on it within the next eight minutes. I understand that you have a call coming in from the kidnappers in about four minutes. I will hang up and call you back immediately on your cell phone.

Very good. As Jake hung up the phone again, his cell phone began ringing. He punched the answering button and put the phone on speaker mode. Sean, is that you? he asked.

Yes, sir. Please take me off the speaker mode on your cell phone. We have your telephone monitored now and will record everything that is said on it. I will provide you with regular progress reports as I receive them except when you are speaking to the kidnappers.

Great. I expect of course that you will stop monitoring my telephone as soon as this is resolved.

No problem, sir, Sean replied. That is our protocol.

Jake heard a commotion in the hall and went to the door of his apartment. The police had just arrived and were entering the apartment next door. A police lieutenant saw Jake and said, Good morning, Jake. Good to see you again. Please stay back until we’re all clear.

Okay, Robert, Jake said.

A few seconds later, an officer stepped outside and beckoned to the lieutenant. L.T., the apartment is secure, but there was a woman there. She’s got some kind of a note and she’s hysterical. You’d better get in here.

The lieutenant turned to Jake with a quizzical expression.

Jake said, Robert, I’ve got a hostage situation involving the woman’s husband. I’ve already got a Quantico Hostage Rescue Team activated. You need to reassure the woman and get that ransom note for us. After you talk to her, come in to my apartment. Don’t knock or say anything, and turn off your radio or leave it outside because I might be talking to the kidnappers, but I need to know what is happening in that apartment. Tell the woman there are experts working this situation already. That should help her calm down. You can work with Quantico and me as we proceed.

Okay, Jake, the lieutenant replied. He spoke into his radio and said over his shoulder as he entered the apartment, I’ll be right out.

Just then, Jake’s phone rang again. He closed the door, went inside, and picked up the receiver. The original caller was on the line. All right, Greene. We’ll give you sixty seconds to talk to him, no more. Then we can talk about what you have to do to save his life.

Jake heard a man’s voice on the phone. It was immediately apparent to him that he was panic-stricken. H … h … hello? he gasped through tears. Wh … what’s going on? Who is this? Is Jean all right? I don’t know what they did to her. Why are they doing this? I don’t understand what’s happening.

Frank, try to calm down, Jake replied carefully. I’m your next-door neighbor. Your wife’s okay. Tell me how you are. Have they harmed you in any way? Have you seen their faces? I know you are frightened, but we’ll work our way through this and you’ll be fine.

Mr. Bollman seemed to calm down somewhat. He responded in a frightened tone, Uhh, okay, I guess. I’m all right so far. They tied me up and they had a hood over my head for a while, but now they took it off. I don’t recognize anyone.

That’s very good, Frank. You’re doing just fine. You need to listen to what they tell you. Do not argue with them about anything. I will talk to you again.

The kidnapper came back on the phone. Now I am going to tell you what to do, Greene. You have something I want, and you are going to bring it to me tonight.

Jake had played this game many times before. He knew that this was another critical juncture. The kidnapper was trying to regain full control of the situation, and he needed to prevent that from happening. He had to keep the kidnapper off balance. It was his best hope to keep the hostage safe and return him to his wife unharmed. One good thing was that the situation was heading toward a prompt conclusion. There would be less time for the kidnappers to harm Mr. Bollman. Well, first of all, I am going to see how Mr. Bollman’s wife is. Second, we are going to have to get this done this afternoon. I have plans for tonight and tomorrow, which I do not want to change. Third, there is nothing I could possibly have that you want, but I will talk to you further about this after I check on Mrs. Bollman. Then we will see what I am going to do, Jake said. At that moment, the police lieutenant entered the apartment. He quietly took a seat at the dining table near Jake.

There was a silence on the line for a few moments. Then a new voice spoke, one with a foreign accent. Mr. Greene, you are trying my patience. You are not making the rules here. We are.

Jake had achieved one of his goals. He was certain he was now talking to the leader of the kidnappers. He had to maintain some leeway and keep the man from taking total control. Now let’s just get something straight here. I don’t know the Bollmans. I don’t know you and I don’t want to, either. Tell me what you want and I will think about what I am going to do about it, Jake snapped.

It is time to stop playing games, Mr. Greene. You know very well what we want. You have recently received a small map. That map is what you are going to give us. And you will give it to us on our terms, not yours.

Jake was taken aback to hear about the map. He decided the time had come to change tactics. Map, you say? What map? What do you know about a map? Jake asked.

Do not try to pretend, Mr. Greene. I have my sources, and I know all about your map. We have been tracking that map for some time now. The UPS is not as secure as it thinks it is. I will telephone you in an hour with instructions and you will be expected to follow them to the letter.

Jake replied, An hour is fine. Just remember though, I have an engagement tonight and I expect to keep it. He hung up the phone and hit the speaker button on his cell phone. Sean, you have all of that? Robert Jamisen, a police lieutenant, is with me now so you are on my speaker. I am concerned that the kidnappers are not concealing their identities from Mr. Bollman. That places him at greater risk.

Yes, Mr. Greene. I can report that we have spotters observing the home right now. There does not appear to be any activity on the outside. It appears that the owners are out of the country. A preliminary check indicates that they have apparently rented the home out to a third party by the name of Smith. We will track that information further, but I am certain it is a dead end. Thermal imaging indicates that there are five people in the home. Four of them are on the first floor and one is in the basement. We are assuming the hostage is the one in the basement. I am coordinating with the hostage rescue team at the local police department. It is a standard SWAT team with fifteen members. They are armed with normal weaponry and have both smoke and stun grenades available. We are fortunate that we have a satellite on station for the next seventy-five minutes feeding us pictures. The SWAT team is five minutes from the house and will deploy nearby shortly with a command vehicle. We have arranged to have two helicopters available in the next few minutes. We will place spotters in them and track any movement. I believe the police lieutenant will confirm to you that the wife is fine and she has no idea what happened. My current conclusion is that they were most likely after you and not the hostage.

I concur, Sean, Jake said. Just make sure nobody ends up letting that slip to Annie or there will be hell to pay. It’s a good thing she’s out of town today.

Knowing Annie was not in any danger made it possible for Jake to concentrate on saving the hostage. Let’s get down to business. Is Mrs. Bollman all right?

She is indeed. Just a little groggy from some kind of drug. It looks to me like it was chloroform. I asked her if she wanted to be examined by a doctor, but she refused. She just wants her husband back, and she’s insisting on waiting for him in her apartment. Here’s the note she got, Jake. I put it in this plastic evidence wrapper even though I doubt there will be any fingerprints. You can see why she’s upset when you read their threat.

Right, Robert, Jake replied. This seems to be about an old map I just got. Let’s take a look at it and see if we can figure out what these people want. Jake went to the closet and withdrew the box that he had received from David. He took out the map and spread it on the dining room table. Here it is. When I looked at it the other day, I thought it looked like your basic pirate treasure map. What do you think?

It sure does remind me of a pirate map. Do you think it’s real?

It’s at least real enough to make somebody go to great lengths to get it.

What do we want to do with it?

"Robert, Sean, I don’t think we have enough time to manufacture a whole