***
Diane and the girls were upstairs, busy fussing and grooming before heading out for the day. Nathaniel used the opportunity to call Jack about last night’s phone calls.
“Lucas has his eyes all over Kaito,” Jack said. “If he’s going anywhere, we’ll be on him.”
“He already knows you’re on him.”
“He does?” Jack sounded surprised, as if he’d been caught out.
“Yeah. I told him you had marked him in Victoria. I had to do something to slow him down. But to be honest, I don’t think Kaito was ever about to do anything himself. He’s got something else planned.”
“You think so?”
“I’m hoping so.”
“So why the late-night call?”
“Look, we have a new problem.” He paused and reconsidered whether he should keep this news to himself or share it. But it was clear that he was far too physically removed to do anything himself. He had no choice but to spell it out and let things fall where they may. “I’m thinking about pulling the four of you out because of it,” he said. “I wanted to speak to you first before I decide.”
Jack was troubled by the news. He remained silent, waiting for the explanation. Nathaniel continued. “That boy we heard mentioned in the Metcalf conversations.…”
“Michael? What about him?”
“Metcalf kidnapped him.”
“Yes, we suspected that already.”
“He was taken about five or six hours ago.”
“I’m not sure I understand this anymore. What does this boy have to do with any of this and why would you want to pull us back?”
Nathaniel swallowed once as he debated sharing the bad news again. “You won’t like it.”
“Come on, Nate. I’m not liking much of anything lately. How could this get any worse?”
“This whole thing started out as a potential breach. I just found the hole.” He laughed. “Cavern, more like. Maybe even the entire Grand Canyon. I really shouldn’t say any more.”
Jack remained quiet for a number of seconds before replying. “Uh…what, who? Anyone we know?”
“It’s no one any of us knew about. I just can’t let you and Lucas get hung out if this thing implodes.”
“Geordie sent us out here to help contain this. I’ve cleaned up messes before, and so has Lucas.”
“Not like this one.”
“No, not like this one. You’re right, but we won’t be going anywhere until we do everything we can. It’s what we do. Who is the breach?”
Jack was determined to stay to the end. Lucas was too, Nathaniel supposed. He would do the same if the positions were reversed.
“That young man, Michael. His father contacted me a few hours ago. Me. Over here in Paris.” Nathaniel threw up one of his arms.
“Oh shit.”
“Yeah, oh shit is right. His son gets kidnapped but he doesn’t go to the police. Not this guy. This guy, Richard Crowder, sends a cryptic note to my hotel in the middle of the night, knowing I’d have to call him back after reading it.”
Jack released a nervous laugh.
Nathaniel laughed with him, pondering how to explain it all. “The note said it all. He knows what happened on the mountain was no accident, and he pegged me and Kaito as being behind it.”
“He actually wrote that?”
“Yes.”
“Do you still have the note?”
“I burned it in the fireplace.”
Jack remained quiet.
“So I called this guy, Richard, and denied all knowledge, of course, but I have a hunch they still believe I’m the one driving whatever Kaito’s been up to.”
“What did they want?”
He laughed lightly. “They want me to get their son released. That’s all. Can you believe that? They know Metcalf has him and they called me to get him released.”
“I don’t understand. How could they possibly connect you to any of this?”
Nathaniel let out a real laugh. “It’s damn silly, really. That boy, Michael, was hiding in the apartment when Metcalf’s daughter was abducted. He heard everything and later called Metcalf directly about what he heard.”
“Christ!” Jack spewed. He was clearly upset by this new development. He chewed on Nathaniel’s words before responding. “There’s something you’re not telling me, Nate. How the hell did they connect you to this?”
“They saw me with Kaito on Friday, up in Canmore.”
“Yeah? So? That’s not any reason to connect you.”
It was Nathaniel’s turn to pause. “They overheard our conversation. Kaito and I were discussing what he was doing. I may have said some things.…”
“Things?”
“Yeah. Things.”
“Damn it, Nate! What the hell are we supposed to do now? Lucas and I already have our hands full over here.”
Jack’s outburst startled Nate. “Well, the way I see it, Metcalf doesn’t want any of this going public and thinks this boy has some info. He may be trying to contain it himself.”
“Info about what? That’s what worries me. This really stinks now.”
“And if I don’t get that boy back home, his parents are certain to go public with what they know.”
“And what would they go public with, exactly?”
“Whatever Michael knows and told them. That Lucinda Carter did not fall off that mountain on her own.”
“Maybe so. But what proof do they have?”
“I really don’t want to wait to find out. They found me pretty bloody fast.”
“How much time do you think we have?”
“Not much. The Crowders won’t wait long for me to do something about their son. And one more thing.…”
“What’s that?”
“His mother, Michelle Crowder, is a reporter.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“Yeah. More shit. The pile just keeps on growing.”
“Do you know where this boy is being held, at least? Maybe we could, I don’t know…intervene somehow?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea where he is. Somewhere in Alberta would be my guess. That’s where the Crowders called from.”
“Hold on a second.” He paused a moment. “You said Richard and Michelle Crowder?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The way Jack’s voice dropped, he suspected Jack was writing the names down somewhere.
“From Calgary?”
“No. They live in Okotoks.”
Jack was silent again for a moment. “So what steps do you suggest Lucas and I take from here?”
He chuckled nervously. “It’s time to pick up Kaito.”
“Grab Kaito?” he asked with a tone of impossibility woven deep. “He’s surrounded with security.”
“Yeah, I know. Geordie’s not very happy and wants him picked up now.”
“God, Nate. I’m not going anywhere near Kaito while he has goons smothering him.”
“Antonio and Myles can get close. It’s what these guys are good at,” Nathaniel said.
“Myles, maybe. Antonio’s usually buried inside one of our tin cans for the entire operation.”
“I think you’re underestimating him. These gadget men are field-trained just like the rest. If we pick up Kaito, maybe then we have negotiating power with Metcalf. I don’t know what is going on between these two, but if we can leverage Metcalf with Kaito somehow to release the boy, we may be able to work ourselves out of this one.”
“Well, I really think you’re overestimating what we can do. There’s only four of us. Those boys of his are probably just waiting for a reason to pop off a few.”
“Then you and Lucas better come up with some ideas.”
“You say that like we have a big bag of tricks and ideas just sitting around for situations like this.”
“What else can I say, Jack? Geordie wants this finished, and my neck’s on the line. You two were brought out to help, so I’m asking you to do everything you can to wrap this up. What
the hell can I do from Paris?”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”
“Damn sure I’m right. This is getting way out of hand, and I don’t know what else I’m can do. I don’t know why I’m even involved in any of this really, now that I think about it.”
Jack chuckled before he replied. “Well, you’re in it deep. Just like the rest of us.”