Conspiracy: A Mallory O’Shaughnessy Mining and Manufacturing Mystery

By Paula Rae Wallace

And the hits just keep coming! From the beginning with an attack on Trent Morrison’s family, it seems like a concentrated conspiracy against David and Mallory and their tight-knit group of friends and business associates! Is it a coordinated attack? Or is it random acts which disrupt and challenge everything they’re trying to accomplish?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Mar 14, 2019
• ISBN: 9781490793979

Paula Rae Wallace

With a love for writing, Paula Rae Wallace addresses today’s issues that challenge Christians: in the home, the church, places of business, and American society over all! Using gripping plots and captivating characters, Paula addresses day to day issues! Don’t miss any of her titles beginning with DAZZLING! As a pastor’s wife for over forty years, and as a Christian for even longer, Paula writes from experience on God’s miraculous faithfulness for those who ASK!

Book preview

Chapter 1 : User

Horror turned to rage as Trent Morrison and a knot of Forestry Service Law Enforcement Agents took in the contents of a gory package!

It isn’t human! Trent’s voice, savage, as he crowded toward the doorway from Lee Parson’s cluttered office!

Yeah, maybe a bear? Get it to forensics but be a stickler on chain of evidence! Parson’s order to one of the agents as he bounded out behind the main boss from DC!

We need to hurry~ Parson’s words a statement of the obvious~

Fiery brown eyes burned through him, You drive! I’m making some calls!

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Beautiful executive Mallory Anderson folded her arms atop her desk, and burying her face, released heart rending sob after sob!

‘It’s not true! And it’s not fair!’ Refuting the charges mentally, if not aloud, she reached for a tissue from a carved Malachite box!

I know, Lord, Spoken softly into her empty office, Your accusers told unadulterated lies about You, and the entire mock trial and cruel crucifixion You suffered, weren’t ‘fair’! And yet You never whined and broke down! You’re so good to me!

Dabbing gently with the tissue with sudden concern for her makeup, she smiled through sniffles.

"Yvonne Bateman just told me that everyone at Hunt & Son is accusing me of using them! I mean, what am I supposed to do? Just pay out money, and no one have to do anything? And of course, that speaks to Yvonne’s poor management style. First, in that she listens to them; and then, that she repeats it to me! Daniel and Diana have been against my hiring her from the get-go! Am I just too stubborn to listen to them and admit I’ve been wrong? I do have a problem that way! Or so, I’ve been told! Okay, first off, is there anything wrong with using people? If that’s kind of what they’ve agreed to? I suppose that depends on what their grievance actually is~"

Grasping her fountain pen, she pulled several sheets of paper free from her printer! Time to sort everything out and create a reasoned response!

She wrote out:

‘Forgive my pride about not admitting I’m wrong~"

She laughed to herself, ‘In the event that it ever happens, of course~"

One of the things she loved about getting alone with the Lord, was that she could enjoy His companionship and be herself! Be honest! Be funny! Be sad! Be mad! Thank Him for the blessing of human emotions, hopefully without wrecking her world and the worlds of those around her because of their powerful force! She was feeling better as she brought up a dictionary!

‘What did it mean? The verb, To Use?’ It really meant to apply the tool for its intended purpose! Levers were made to get leverage with! Scalpels for performing surgeries! Without a specific use in mind, weren’t things basically useless junk? There was nothing wrong with using items for their designated purposes! The wrong was in abusing, not in using!’

She laughed aloud at the significance of the revelation, "So what am I supposed to do? Fly to Idaho and address people for using the wrong word? No pun intended! Accusing me of using them when what they mean is, they feel I abuse them! But I don’t! They have jobs, Lord; that they’ve agreed to do! That they’ve trained for and said this is what they want~!"

A softly breathed, Thank you, Father; closing the app, she penned a plan of action!

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"Doug, you need to get to Alaska!"

Alexandra Hunter studied her worried and indecisive husband as he related an update about Sonia and Megan Morrison, his boss’s wife and daughter, missing in Tongass National Forest in southwestern Alaska!

He didn’t say to come!

He didn’t say not to! Listen, if something happens~ Things are quiet here, and the local agents can handle stuff! I’ll book you the quickest flights!

She disappeared leaving just the slightest hint of fragrance!

Galvanized, he sprang into action, first calling Agents Paul Desmond and Rafe Goodard in the Golden, Colorado, office!

Did Trent tell you to come, or ask any of us to? Goodard’s thoughtful questions! "Tongass’ being the granddaddy of all the forests, there should be plenty of manpower without sending anyone from here!"

Yeah, I hear ya! I’m not going for the purpose of swelling the ground forces~

As Morrison’s what ~ personal~assistant? Friend?

Doug had no response! He was young! And he hesitated because he didn’t want to take too much upon himself, ramping up the other guys’ envy and getting in the way of their professional objectives! He knew better than to admit Alexandra was pushing him! The best answer was no answer!

Thanks for the caution! If Agent Morrison has my hide on this one, you can tell everybody you tried to warn me! I wasn’t calling for permission or input so much as to let you know I’ll be out for a week!

Using vacation time?

Absolutely! If that’s what’s necessary?

"Cost somebody a wad of cash! Short notice! You flying out of Denver or GJ to Ketchikan?"

"Working on the arrangements, and I know connecting through Grand Junction costs more! Will I be reimbursed? I doubt it! Say a prayer for Sonia and Megan!"

He disconnected! One Federal employee asking another Federal employee to pray was a violation, except that Rafe always tried to put on like he was the agency’s last, best Christian!

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Any word about Sonia? Yvonne Bateman’s blue eyes reflecting something different than the worry everyone else was feeling~

Desperately, Mallory bit back a retort, responding levelly! "I haven’t heard any updates! Everybody’s praying! Jason headed up there, right? With Nosey Nate?"

Yeah, just as soon as you called!

Mallory nodded! Jason Vaughn was one of four brothers who worked security at her various mines! And of the four, he was the drone expert! And on Yvonne’s payroll at the Idaho-based Hunt & Son Gemstone Mining Company, And Nosey Nate was the affectionate name of the most sophisticated of the drones! At Alexandra Hunter’s request, Yvonne had authorized and ordered the drone to Ketchikan to aid in the search for Sonia and Megan!

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Frowning, Trent took note of activity around him! With his wife and daughter in the hands of some criminal entity, he longed to do something! Anything! But no one seemed sure what to do! Very strange situation for his guys to be in! A high profile missing persons/abduction case! Involving the wife and daughter of their top boss! But not being familiar with the vast forest, he was waiting to follow the lead of the local agents; who in turn, were afraid of making a wrong move~ hence a vicious cycle of inaction~ Still, he was only annoyed when Doug Hunter appeared~with Jason Vaughn and a drone on loan from Mallory Anderson’s security apparatus! Five hundred square miles of wilderness, one small drone, and twenty men not sure where to start! The only starting point he could come up with was prayer! Not his first petition since discovering the disappearance!

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This place is cute! Yvonne turned wondering eyes on Mallory as they took a corner table in a small Boise bakery!"

Mallory agreed, Matt Morrison found it! It is adorable, and their pastries are good! I thought we could have a few private minutes before we head up to the mine!

I’m not sure Ward would approve! Even as Yvonne voiced her concern, her gaze traveled around the space uneasily!

Mallory grinned, I’m sure he wouldn’t! Mr. Atcheson does a good job with security and I respect how he’d react! And I’m for being cautious, but I refuse to live in a prison! How’re your kids doing?

Uh~they’re~they’re~

Mallory chuckled, "Would you relax? My question was just what it sounded like! A question from one mom to another! They’re adorable! Every few days Amelia asks me when we get to come to Idaho so she can see April! Even now, I stole away! She’ll be upset~if she finds out~I’ve been here without bringing her~"

Yvonne chuckled nervously~ and Mallory spoke up smoothly, And yes, I’m aware that April is bonded with Nadia Faulkner, to Amelia’s chagrin! Friendships are always complicated, even for little kids!

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Trent frowned at his buzzing phone! Not a number he recognized, so he started to slide the device back into his pocket! Changing his mind, he accepted just in time to keep the call from going to voice mail!

Misssssterrr Trent Morrrrissssson! The oddly masked voice sent jangles up and down his spine! Sadly, no one had considered preparing to trace his phone calls! Maybe a ransom demand was coming!

Speaking! How may I help you?

A sinister laugh echoed as though coming from a barrel!

Oh! I don’t think you can help me! It’s a little late for me, I’m afraid! Ha ha ha! You might want to help your wife! And your cute daughter~ Ha ha!

Well, yeah, I might, if I knew where they were! I might come up with some reward money~

Ha ha! This one isn’t your territory!

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Where we going? Jason’s eyes were big as dinner plates as he followed Doug from the restaurant!

"To get Nate in the air!"

Starting now? We don’t have a clue yet, where they are!

Yeah we do! Doug’s voice infused with assurance! They grabbed them right here, motioning toward the historic hotel! And we’ve all assumed that they’d disappear with them into five hundred square miles of national forest! They’re still holding them here in town! And it isn’t even a very big town!

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So, Benny isn’t interested in sports at all? Not even on TV? Mallory’s expressive green eyes alive with interested disbelief as she tried to make Yvonne loosen up and visit about her kids! Does he ever act interested in playing soccer with April?

No, she’d love it if one of them would play with her! They’re all afraid they might do something to make one of the others happy instead of miserable! My brothers and sisters weren’t as bad! Sometimes they’d have moods, of course, but other times we had a lot of fun together! She sighed sadly, Until the breakup! Then my brothers sided overall with Daddy, and my sister with my mom! I’ve been mad at all of them! I suppose it’s time to get over all the various issues and try to establish~ I’m thinking I should probably try to explain the ‘salvation’ thing, but I’m so new at it! I have more questions than answers, myself! And I hate to ask Ward about everything! I hate to come across as stupid to anyone who works for me!

But you know the plan of salvation! How easy it is to invite Jesus into your heart! It’s just the devil making you think people unlearned in the Bible will suddenly be able to debate you on it! But I’m a fine one to talk, because for whatever reason, witnessing for Him is intimidating! How long since you’ve seen them? I know! You should invite them all out here for a family reunion! Except for when everyone comes for the corporate ski/meetings event, there’s plenty of room to bunk them all! I’m sure your kids would love reconnecting with cousins~

Yvonne’s laughter bubbled, My kids have never met any cousins! Arnie was always so tight, he was scared someone would look at him to provide a meal~or even a side dish! For his own family, too! And~I guess we had a lot of money! Or a lot of assets~ And~and your companies own assets~

Mallory laughed, Yeah; that stay tied up! But your family coming for a visit~ I mean, it won’t make that much difference in my budget! That is, if they don’t mind fish sticks, pizza, and other notorious gastronomically superb dining hall menu items! Well, we could probably manage one nice steak meal~ Why don’t you make some calls and see about putting it together? And then you and some of the staff can just casually witness~to whoever comes~ you know without making some weird phone call, ‘Hey, guess what? I got religion, and decided you need it too’!

Yvonne laughed with delight before sobering suddenly, I~I shouldn’t have repeated~

Mallory laid a credit card atop the check as she responded, My first thoughts when you told me! That you could go to bat for me and ask the employees to give me the benefit of the doubt! And I spent some time considering the validity of the accusation! Of course, I don’t think it was fair, but that’s the root of most labor/management issues~

Yvonne’s forehead crinkled with worry lines, So you’re here to see if I’m the wicked witch~

Mallory’s laugh erupted! Exactly! Because if it isn’t you as my proxy, then it’s me! I mean there are demands~ But I don’t want to sit in another state issuing dictates through you and make you take all the heat!"

But I need to take some of it! I~I just want them to like me, but they don’t!

It’s why you have the big office and a proportionately larger paycheck!

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Look at all that blood! Jason’s complexion paled and his voice would hardly come!

Doug studied the grizzly footage, Yeah, but that only makes sense! If that was a bear heart in that package, and Agent Parsons thought it was, the rest of the carcass is valuable! The steaks demand a hefty price, gall bladders are highly sought for holistic medicine, and a taxidermist could turn what’s left into a trophy or a rug! That only shows that they’ve probably spent time here, and not necessarily that this is where Sonia and Megan are being held~

Jason riveted on the pictures again, Do you think they’re still alive?

"So far, they’ve been messing with Agent Morrison, or they would have killed one of them and sent that heart! The only thing I know for sure is that we shouldn’t have come! The Morrisons have been friends with Alexandra’s family, and Alexandra hasn’t adjusted to being married to me! We’re at the bottom of the social heap, but she still thinks we’re all friends! Why don’t you bring Nate in and we’ll hope the perps haven’t detected him~"

Yeah, not a real good time for the cloud cover to have evaporated~

Right, and I made the assumption that they’d be hiding out in acres and acres of forest~

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Agent Lee Parsons and a Ketchikan PD detective Pierre Dumont agreed! The call was from a cheap ‘burner’ phone, and with phone service sketchy to non-existent in the wilderness, the call was placed from nearby!

That’s why he told me ‘it’s not my territory’! Trent’s astute conclusion!

Why would the caller leave you ‘hints’?

Well, it must be someone who enjoys playing sick games! Otherwise, why send a bloody package with a heart in it? Trent paced as he spoke, Okay, well, if they’re not holding them in the forest, the caller’s right! It isn’t my jurisdiction! Dumont, can you coordinate with the County Sheriff Department, and get as much manpower~ Do you have dogs?

Yeah, I’ll radio to have a K-9 unit brought up! But our tech department just sent these images over~ They’ve hacked into a drone~

Trent tensed, That’s probably Hunter! Not sure why he’s here! But maybe those images will help us, unless~

Trent’s phone buzzed again!

I~I~I have your wiffffffe and daughhhhhter! And you think it’s time to play with toyssssss?

Trent’s voice at its steeliest! I’m not playin’! I’m coming for them! And you, too! There better not be so much as a scratch~

Ha ha! Orrr whaaaaat?

Trent broke the connection as he mumbled, You don’t want to know!

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Lychee Dumont concentrated on the displays before her! Maybe a small town police force with a small town budget, but she had some good experience, if she did say so herself! A navy intelligence analyst trained to spy on the Russians who stayed busy spying on the US in Alaska, before resigning to marry her detective and start a family, she kept her skills and friendships up to date!

She frowned as she listened to comms from the SWAT commander! They were good at what they did, and she was proficient! Although the official city stance was one of non-religion, non-prayer, she usually prayed anyway! There were a lot of officers’ lives at stake; and livelihoods, if anyone became disabled! Pierre’s face was the first to crowd into her mind!

Yeah, Audrey, our toy drone had to pull off site because the kidnappers detected it and blew a gasket! It didn’t have much capability anyway! I’m still thinking it’s a good thing, because it rattled them! These guys always think they’re so stinkin’ smart! Here’re the coordinates! Relay everything you can discover, stat!

Grinning, she forwarded data to the SWAT Command Center!

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Trent sank back onto a banquette in the historic hotel dining room, fighting a woozy sensation! Hunter was out of line showing up here, and he was out of line with his suggestions/orders to Dumont! He motioned to Agent Parsons, and pointed to a map on his tablet! You guys fall back to this position, outside city limits and just within the forest boundary! If there’s a hint of any of them entering the forest, it’s your game! Otherwise, Ketchikan PD is handling this!"

A sharp look from Trent stopped the Regional Forestry LEI’s protest! Taking his cue, he issued orders and the guys surrounding him shuffled out!

Dumont looked suspicious, What are they up to?

I sent them into their own territory, in case you flush your suspects that direction! You can communicate with Lee Parsons if that happens!

And what’re you gonna do?

Get out of your way and let you do your job! I’m going to be here making calls and sending out emails! Calling my other kids first! Keep me in the loop as you’re able~

Officer Wayne Wilcox at Dumont’s heels, Are you sure he’s with a federal agency?

Yeah, go figure! Top dog of a huge agency! He started to take control because he knows his stuff, it’s his family, and Feds trump small town PD’s any day of the week! And he just backed off, took his hands off! If this turns out positively enough that he can keep his speaking engagement, I’ll stand in line to listen to his speech! But enough on that~ He issued a string of orders and Wilcox broke away to comply!

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Mallory moved graciously and spontaneously among tables in the Hunt & Son Mining Company dining hall! To her disappointment, Yvonne sat in her prominent place fiddling with her phone! If she wanted the workers to like her, she could act like she liked them! She made a mental note to discuss yet another topic at tomorrow’s one-on-one meeting!

No puddin’ tonight? a grumbling question from one of the miners! Shrugging inwardly, she decided it was hard to blame Yvonne for disassociating from the malcontents! The grumbling about the food was practically incessant, and no one had to stick around! They all made good money; they could drive home for supper more to their liking around their own tables! But this saved a huge hunk of their salaries that would go for groceries! As well as the time frame of driving home and eating late meals their wives had to prepare and clean up after!

A few more minutes of pleasantries on her part and carping on theirs, and she moved to the lectern!

Figured you being here meant we was all going to get a talking to! A jeer from a miner at the back!

Ah! You very clever man! Mallory joked back, getting guffaws aimed at the culprit! So, I’ve heard several of you asking about pudding, and in answer, No, Myrna didn’t open any of those cans tonight! But since you have to listen to me, we have catered in pie~"

Cheering!

"I think some of you are familiar with our Spoon Full of Sugar fashion and jewelry line from the Mary Poppins song, but there is a truth in there somewhere, too! Following a meal is the hardest slot for a speaker, and the hardest time for listeners to stay attentive! Hence, the lovely pies! Extra coffee and the sugar rush for alertness, and a sweetener to make the medicine of my issues somewhat more palatable!"

A few lethargic claps punctuated general boredom and rudeness!

Okay, considering the lateness of the hour and your commutes, I’ll get right to the crux of the matter! It has come to my attention via the grapevine that I’m using all of you! Or that Yvonne, as the on-site manager, is abusive! In my absence, she has to play the heavy! If you’re goofing off, or work isn’t getting done, it’s her job to address the issues! I’m sure she tries to do it kindly! I try to deal kindly with my kids! But~as you may know from dealing with your own children, that they can ignore a lot of kind and gentle reminders!

Most of the crowd gave smiling admission, and a few laughed aloud!

But I’m addressing a room full of adults here, and most of you have clear guidelines about your responsibilities! If you just take care of everything, you’ll avoid reprimands! Now you may not get a lot of slaps on the back and hip-hip-hoorays! But you do get your pay on time! That’s the agreement! You fulfill obligations A-B-C-D, and we take care of our end! For the life of me, I can’t grasp why that’s a rub! I assume that there are some, though, and I want to reduce friction and have a contented work force! Everybody always wants/needs more money, but your pay levels are commensurate with industry standards! On the high end! The convenience of the dining hall for three meals per day and unlimited beverages throughout the day, is practically unheard of! And I think I know why! A kindness we provide for you~and you create a food riot because the pancake inventory got miscounted, and some of you are threatening to quit over, ‘no pancakes’! And Yvonne tells you to grow up, and we’re ‘using’ you? I think those are idle threats about quitting, but this isn’t an idle threat! If we hear another word about the hall and what’s served, besides, ‘Thank you’, it’s gone! Bring your own Thermos of coffee, beverage coolers, lunches! It’s forty minutes down into town!

She paused and pulled page two to the top! "I actually looked up the verb, ‘to use’, and it indicates that items are used for the purposes they’re intended! In that instance, we use you! We try to put you in the employment spot you applied for, hopefully one you trained specifically for because that’s where your talents and intellects find an outlet and fulfillment! It’s supposed to be a mutually beneficial arrangement! I don’t think any of you here are being abused! That’s the misuse and misapplication of a tool other than its intended purpose! I’m not up here much, so I don’t know if there is indeed, any manner of abuse or harassment! I don’t want you to be demeaned or belittled, even in reprimands! I don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable in a sexual context! Ladies, if you dress appropriately, you do less to encourage the men from coming on to you! Gentlemen, be gentlemen at all times!

The security guys are coming around with packets! Don’t open them now, but open them privately within the next week, fill them out if they’re appropriate for you, and mail them to my attention in my Dallas office! It’s all confidential, so don’t group together and pool issues or grievances! Remember, you can’t soar like an eagle and run with turkeys! So, this is self-explanatory! I’m not sure you need to include your spouses, but if you do, have them refrain from getting on the horn and stirring things up"!

The paperwork deals with issues of reapplying within the company for relocation to Colorado, Arkansas, or Dallas, and changing positions such as from mining to working security, or maintenance, to designing and creating jewelry~"

A few hoots from some of the men’s-men miners, and Mallory squelched them with a look!

"You live in a box, and that’s certainly your prerogative, but you don’t have to try to make those around you fit into your box! You all know that enjoying the Christian faith isn’t a requirement for working here, and I don’t expect you to be familiar with the Bible! I try not to bring it up, but occasionally, it fits! After the Exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt, God Himself designed some exquisitely lovely garments, jewelry, furniture, structures, and perfume! And then he equipped two human men to oversee getting it all done according to His pattern! I’m not for putting positions in gender boxes! Maybe one of you miners is a secret chef, and you could repurpose our frozen burritos into gourmet delights! Maybe one of you ladies who hates making beds in the lodge would rather be a miner~"

Groans from the men~

In which case, you won’t be harassed~

She grinned to hide inner aggravation! Remember, don’t look the packet over now! Privately, within the next week!

Chapter 2 : Execution

Okay! Okay! Trent’s voice tense and hoarse! I’ll call you back! This is him again!

Trent tensed as he disconnected from his eldest son’s questions to respond to the taunting criminal! Morrison!

Ha ha! What kind of a husband and fattttthhhhhher are you? To sssstilll sit drinking coffffeee~and chatttttinnng on the phone~

Evidently a bad one! What kind of criminal are you to give away so many leads?

Like whwhwhaaattt?

Like how you know I’m still at the hotel rather than out actively looking for you!

Ohhhh, I know a lotttt!

Mmmm-hmmm! Well know this! You better come in right now and surrender with my wife and daughter unharmed~

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Girlfriend!

What, Audrey? Lychee Du Mont waiting for an update to forward to her husband for the SWAT commander!

You have me steppin in some~ Whoa, this is above my security~ Who did you say this guy is?

"Uh~Morton, I think! He works for the Department of Agriculture, but not farming! I think he lives in DC! Bureaucrats living in DC~ But never mind that, because Pierre’s running this show~"

Pierre is? This is out of his league! I can’t talk anymore~

Well, if my husband’s in greater peril~

We all are, Lych! This is~ you better have your ‘go bag’ packed~

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Sonia struggled in panic against cruel restraints! Tears poured down her face, but she was alone! Her daughter’s agonized screams carried from outside her line of vision! ‘How could this be~ happening~’

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Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Detective Dumont didn’t bother removing his earbuds, although he assumed comms were gone, not to be re-established any time soon! Well, Lychee’s, occasionally seeking assistance from former Naval Analyst pals~ was a mixed bag! He didn’t have to be a genius to know that! Now he knew for certain that this was something huge! Beyond that, he had no clue! And in Ketchikan? But that was half the art of doing covert business undetected; picking unlikely places!

Bizarre! Morrison seemed like a real straight arrow; the abduction of his wife and daughter perplexing! No doubt they were in danger! But that little scenario seemed like the tip of an iceberg, relatively speaking, to the larger picture emerging!

Corey Davidson stomped up, frustrated at the comms failure!

Yeah, I know! Get Wade to patch together something stopgap for those of us on-scene, so we can at least talk to each other!

Yeah, sure thing! No problem! Your wife take off to the mall? Did she count the heat signatures in there?

Dumont’s wrathful gaze stopped the SWAT guy dead in his tracks! "No! It’s an unbelievably sophisticated setup! We got ghosts! Phony signatures! Signal scramblers~ Probably flagging SecNav!"

Corey stared, "I’m gonna drag that guy down here by the hair of his head, and beat some answers outta him! He sends the Forestry LEI’s back up to the forest~ Were his wife and kid really even here?"

Yeah, and they’re in a lot of trouble! We gotta get ’em! He won’t know anything but what he’s told us!

Corey paled further, Sorry, what I said about~ Hope she’s okay! Wh~where are your kids?

At camp! At least that’s one good thing! We gotta go at breaching this building the old fashioned way, by getting drawings from city archives!

Why would anyone need signal scramblers?

Get busy! Get your team on this!

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Alexandra pecked away to get answers from an uncommunicative spouse!

At last, Doug growled! I don’t know! And if I figured it out, I’m pretty sure silence would be the order of the day~

But it’s good you went! Trent could at least see that; right?

Agent Morrison is livid with me!

But the drone was a good idea! It showed a position~

It got spotted and made the kidnapper livid~

Right, but no one would have had a clue where they took them; right? Without the drone spotting them?

We still don’t know that’s where they are! I can’t talk, and you’re better off being in the dark!

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The connection clicked dead, but not before agonized screams reached Trent! Steeling himself, he sat there! Dumont and his guys were doing everything that could be done! His agonized pleas to them for his family would only slow their progress! He had been in law enforcement for a long time! Desperate family members got in the way!

Dear God, please protect them, and if there’s something I should do~ He sat, too terrified to call Michael back or do anything but stare at treetops beyond antique plate glass!

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I’ll be back! Don’t go anywhere! Leering eyes above Megan moved out of her field of vision!

Trembling and gasping, she listened! Her breath came in rasping gasps, and she reminded herself to control her breathing! This was no time to battle her asthma, too! As long moments ticked by in the gloomy space, she drew herself to a sitting position and looked around!

‘I’ll be back! Don’t go anywhere!’ The directive echoed in her head, leaving her frozen with terror! And indecision! More interminable time~ Shivering with shock, she swiped at tears, trying to remember security training, and the pluses and minuses of compliance versus fighting back!

Straining her senses, she crept toward a doorway! No one! Shadowy gloom, but no apparitions ordering her return! A rustle, and she pulled back, gasping, into a corner!

Footsteps echoed somewhere, and voices~ men’s voices! English? Accented? She couldn’t tell!

And this place was weird! Not the interior you might expect~ A fortress! A prison! Silence reigned once again, and she forced herself along a masonry wall! She had to find her mother! And then~ they had to ~get away~ That guy was crazy! There was no point in cooperating! Following orders!

She stumbled in the gloom; pieces of brick! Ignoring the pain in her toe, she clasped a large chunk, weapon-like, and moved forward, galvanized at having any form of defense! They better not have messed with her mom!

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Mallory gasped for air! You’re kidding me! Mr. Morrison didn’t request the drone?

She listened, aggravation turning to alarm! Not only had Trent Morrison not ordered Doug Hunter to borrow the drone and bring it to The Tongass, he was totally bent out of shape for its having happened! And her drone, with legislators from local to federal playing catch up with regulating the devices, was in danger of being confiscated! It would have been nice if Doug and Jason had warned her that they were totally off-reservation, charging in where they didn’t belong, and using her company asset to aid and abet their mission!

And Sonia and Megan were no nearer being found and rescued! Possibly in greater danger!

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Yeah, Lee, what’s up? Trent’s eyeballs felt like they’d been massaged with sand paper as he listened to Parson’s frenzied update!

He studied the forwarded picture, Yeah, looks like what they were wearing! Sad to say; I guess I should pay more attention, but I never notice clothes that much! Yeah, have the dogs keep searching, but my thoughts are that they took the garments~out there~to throw us off! Have us search~up there~

Parsons disagreed, You’re still that sure they’re holding them in town? That’d be crazy! Being pinned down in a house in the middle of town, when there’s hundreds of acres~

Yeah~ a weary sigh! I hear ya, but~ The phone range, and the comment about my jurisdiction~ But yeah, keep looking; you may be right! I hope you are! I pray~

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Hold still, Mom! This is a sick thing! It looks like it pulls tighter the harder you fight! Megan’s voice the barest whisper as she looked around frantically for anything that might work to sever the bindings!

How’d you~get away~ Sonia trying to make sense of the surreal series of events! That~that was you~screaming?"

Yeah, the craziest of the crazies was holding me down and burning me with a cigarette! And then, he just quit, and told me to stay put and not go anywhere~

Well~well~we better do~what they~say~

Okay, hold still! We can’t! I have to get you out of this rig~

A door slammed in the distance and they both sobbed, frozen, listening in dread!

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Dumont paused long enough to acknowledge an empty-handed Corey Davidson! Let me guess, his voice humorless! The city records for this address~

You guessed it! Nada! We need those drone images as well as sat photos for the past week!

Dumont scoffed! Well, I agree; that would be a marvelous gift! Bet everything’s scrubbed! This is something so classified~ He considered before continuing, Morrison and his family won’t make it anyway! Collateral damage for being in the wrong place at the wrong time~

Davidson’s eyes met Dumont’s with a deep understanding, and they both nodded slowly! At last Dumont spoke, Well, since we’re all doomed to the same fate, let’s do all we can! These goons that grabbed Sonia and Megan~pretty sure they didn’t have a clue either, whose real estate they’re squatting on to accomplish their little vendetta! Since their heedless actions have placed us all in peril, I want to make them squeal like hogs~

Whose real estate do you think it is? Davidson confounded!

"Not sure! Our Department of State? Russians? North Koreans? Chinese? Iranians? We get in think tanks with our foes to pick their spy brains about what our other foes are up to! I mean, really, I don’t have a clue, and I’m not a conspiracy theorist~ I’m just guessing that one of these hoodlums picked up some bad intel in prison~ About a property that’s hard to breach~ that these foreign operatives only utilize weeks or days out of the year~ But, that’s just a guess!"

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Megan collapsed sobbing, exhausted from the terrifying battle with an ever-tightening noose!

It~it’s just going to make them mad~ A hysterical Sonia who still favored appeasing the captors!

Mom, help me; we need to act fast! If they planned on releasing us, they wouldn’t let us see their faces! Can~can you get up? Come over here, and get down behind this stuff! Have they~hurt~you~

No, you said, that one of them~burned you? Was~was it deliberate? It was probably, just, the ashes~dropped~ We need to cooperate~ Megan?

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Lychee had skills! And her Naval Service Record would testify to that fact! An Alaskan of Innuit descent, she could handle herself~ against the vagaries of nature; weather, wildlife~ The trained and motivated assassins were a different story! Doubtless they were already in possession of a thick dossier! With her skills, they should assume, the last thing she would do would be to visit her children where they were spending a week at Bible Camp! That she wouldn’t leave so much as a footprint!

With mixed emotions she dropped her water bottle next to a stream and trampled a stand of grass! Her beautiful land! Well, she could perform litter cleanup for a month~provided she lived~ They would surmise she was moving to higher elevations, away from civilization and toward isolation! Nope, she was headed toward a popular restaurant! Where she’d use a personal credit card! And every big, stupid clue she dropped in their laps, they’d assume was a proxy, and keep heading the wrong direction!

At least, that’s my plan! Lord, please let it work!

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Wow, Mom, this place is an arsenal! There are hand grenades, fully automatic rifles, ammo! I wish there was a way to throw one of these grenades wherever they all are~you know~without blowing ourselves up~

Oh, Megan~

Come on, Mom! Don’t concede defeat! I think we’re in the part that looks like a garage from the exterior! And kind of split level two-three stories~ for the rest of the house! Looks like the other row houses! Lots of electronics and antennae~ Okay, I have a plan! Because I can’t imagine they plan to leave us to our own devices much longer! Help me find a lever of some kind to force the top up from this crate!

Mentally numb, but still not in agreement with the plan, Sonia joined the search, What do you think’s in here?

It says, ‘Kevlar’! Which ~that’s what I’m hoping for~

Sonia eyed the crate and her daughter strangely! How her kids could read Hebrew~

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Trent ignored his phone vibrating on the table top! He’d converse with this loony, but not necessarily on his terms every time! Before he allowed it to turn over to voice message the third time, he answered (he hoped casually) Trent Morrison!

You ssssignnned their death warrantsssss!

Nope! No! Pretty sure you’re mistaken! I haven’t signed anything! Haven’t even signed my tab~

Ha! Ha! Not funnyyyyyy, Trenttt!

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Megan, this is nuts! We can hardly move! What if we need to run?

Well, there’s nowhere to run! Now we just need to hunker down, be quiet, and wait~ And pray!

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Your voiccccce ssssoundsss tired of thissss!

Trent didn’t respond! ‘Tired’ didn’t begin to describe~

Shooooot them!

Before the stunned Trent could protest, simultaneous bursts of automatic rifle fire erupted! His stunned guess was three or four shooters! Followed by uncanny silence!

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Davidson and Dumont were the only two Ketchikan police officers remaining in the war! Everyone else had eased away from the drama that portended only ill! Dumont prayed for safety for each figure slipping away down the streets, around buildings, across a park~

He shuddered as the senseless echoes died away! His assumption was that the women were dead! A lot of wasted money just to toy with a guy’s nerves if they weren’t! Maybe at least, their end had been quick! He turned as Davidson’s eyes widened, to see the cause for his alarm! Bulldozer bearing down! In the absence of building schematics, heavy equipment should have been the first line of defense, and not the last! Trent Morrison at the controls, blade raised!

The wood-frame house should have buckled at the onslaught! It resisted, and the dozer rocked, repelled! Hardly fazed, Trent reversed and angled at a bay window on the opposite side of the front door! Whack! The blade bent and siding buckled, but the structure didn’t give way! Grabbing a hard hat from the floorboard, he reversed and raced toward the driveway! If the place was reinforced concrete behind siding, maybe there was a weak spot somewhere! Oddly, there was no additional gunfire!

He didn’t care! If he died assaulting the fortress, better than finding bodies of those he loved! His other three kids! They~they’d just have to be okay!

He barreled up the drive toward the garage, full throttle! Lumber and glass shattered, flying around the cab of the dozer, barely missing Dumont and Davidson who moved forward on foot, flanking him!

Evidently the house’s Achilles Heel was the garage; totally unfortified, He assumed the wall of the house adjoining the garage would be reinforced, barring access! Which it did! But it didn’t really matter!

Hopping from the cab, he studied the grizzly scene, trying to make sense of it! Four male bodies lay sprawled with pools of blood expanding outward, flowing toward the position where the dozer idled! His desperate eyes sought any sign of Sonia or Megan~

He faced the two policemen, Looks like the perpetrators~

Dumont’s brow furrowed! If I didn’t know better~ Looks like they were all hit by~

Ricochets? Davidson’s tone reflecting equal wonder!

Heedless of the ever widening pools of blood, Dumont eased forward toward a closet beneath a short flight of steps! With the entire surface pocked with bullet holes, hope swelled in his heart! The door was firm! Like reinforced steel again? Odd, because the shabby construction looked like an ordinary taped and bedded closet~ built hastily underneath rickety stairs!

Mrs. Morrison! Mrs. Morrison! Are~are you in there? Megan?

When there was no answer, he placed his ear against the wall! Was there some movement? He wasn’t sure! Doubtless the women were injured! Every shell couldn’t have ricocheted back at the shooters! He debated sending for ambulances, figuring the high-level espionage would bite anyone who involved themselves in this mess!

Like a man slowly emerging from a trance, Trent sprang forward and pounded frenziedly at the entrance!

Sonia! Sonia! Are you and Megan in there? It~it’s Trent! It’s~safe out here~

Trent? Sonia’s voice, not sounding strong! Trent, we can’t get out! Megan~nailed us~in ~here~

Trent laughed despite tears rolling down his face! Yeah, Megan’s a good little nailer! Are~are you hit?

No, we’ll be okay~if she just puts down~this crazy~ grenade!

Davidson laughed as he pried nails from the door and frame! Yeah, that’s a lot of nails!

When the door finally swung ever so slightly, Sonia halted their entrance! We have a door within a door! Help me, Megan! Put that~ Put~ It’s Daddy~

It might be a trick!

Trent sprang forward! Megan, it isn’t a trick! The guys who grabbed you! They’re all~uh~out of the way! If you have a grenade~you need to~put~it~be careful! It might be unstable~ What’s keeping the door from opening?

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Daniel Faulkner drew his bow from his violin case. Applying rosin with a practiced hand, he studied the piece of music before him! To his chagrin, nothing he was familiar with! He didn’t think it was laziness making him not want to learn something new; he just wasn’t a fan of modern composers! But to his surprise, the selection was intricate and powerful! He tried to focus on the task at hand rather than making sense of the latest news on Sonia and Megan! He didn’t get the sense that Morrison was lying; just avoiding telling a straightforward story! At least the bottom line was that Sonia and Megan were safe! Anyway, it was time for him to bear down and learn this piece!

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Trent drove in silence, tense, eyes sweeping terrain as he drove toward Juneau! Aware that his wife and daughter and their different stances regarding their abductors, was still a simmering issue, he commanded silence! Yeah, he knew! Not sympathetic at all to what they’d both been through! He steeled himself, not allowing his mind to go there! But he didn’t know what they might say, what they might have seen, that would compound their griefs