21. Calling the shots
The Script of Evil series books start with "Meet the Devil" and this is book 2, "The Mystery unfolds". Important role players migrate from the two book Entrapped series ; "The Phantoms" and "The Disturbing...".
Jack jumps into action. “Kadin and Rene, quickly come to the sleeping room. Billy, go and wait for me in the sitting room. Look through the peephole and see if you recognize someone at the front door.”
Jack grabs shorts and puts it on over his pajama shorts and also a T-shirt and jacket before he goes to the hidden safe in their cupboard. He takes out his 9mm Parabellum, pushes in the magazine and cocks it and then put it away behind his back where it is hidden under his jacket.
He turns and looks at Rene and Kadin and speaks earnestly: “I am going to have a look and if Billy recognizes those monsters at the front door, I am going to surprise them on the spot. Lock yourselves in the room and don’t open before someone gives three knocks three times as a code. Doesn’t matter what we do or say, you only come out when you hear the knock code or else push the silent alarm’s button for Atlas Armed Security and don’t come out before Atlas arrives, okay?”
Kadin grabs Jack by the arm before he goes out. “Father, if it is an old man with a large hump on his head and a bushy beard, don’t look into his eyes. He will bewitch you.”
Jack frowns. “What ..?”
“We haven’t told you yet. The man steals your thoughts easily. Promise you won’t look in his eyes.”
Jack is bewildered but pacifies her. “Okay, Kadin. I’ll do as you say. But now, lock the door and don’t come out even if anyone says you must. Wait for the code. And if someone tells you to open without knocking, then push the silent alarm’s button without hesitation.”
Rene intercedes and pushes Kadin lightly deeper into the room. “Go and sit at the panic button in the meantime, my darling”
Rene whispers furtively in his ear: “Think about the children. Promise me you won’t become mad again.”
She looks deep into his eyes and they change from cruel to tender before he kisses her and turns around and she locks the bedroom door.
The bell rings again. Jack meets up with Billy at the front door and Billy whispers: “There are two men, Uncle, but I don’t know them. One looks slightly familiar but I don’t know from where. But they are definitely not part of the villains as far as I can make out. Those men that tortured me looked and talked like foreign Indians. These two are middle-aged, white men and look like South Africans.”
Jack peeps through the hole. “Who are you and what are you doing here.”
The man on the right side puts his hand in his inner pocket and holds his police identity card in front of the peephole. The photo and name correlate with what Jack sees when the man answers. “I am detective Alex Bond from the Murder and Robbery squad Humewood police station and this is my colleague, Nico de Jager.”
“How can I help you?”
“We must see Kadin Bosch urgently, Sir. She is living here, not so? Are you her father? Is she here now?”
Jack and Billy frown at each other before Jack answers: “At this stage, I trust no one, Alex, and you will have to explain what is going on or there will be trouble, do you understand?”
“Your daughter’s friend, Billy, had been kidnapped and detained and was released only after she negotiated with the kidnappers this morning in the library, Sir. We have been informed and asked for help by a friend of them who contacted us last night. Kadin had confided in him and told him about the ordeal and we followed her clandestinely and protected her up to the library where Billy was released. We planned to follow the villains when they leave the library and arrest them but unluckily we lost them. We now urgently want to talk to Kadin and her friend because they can help us to catch these criminals and detain them. Please open the door so that we can talk, Sir.”
“How the hell did you lose them?
“We will explain when you open the door, please.”
Jack looks at Billy as if to make sure and Billy wants to nod but then a light in his brain ignites. “Now I remember where I saw the man on the right side. He was in the library also this morning. Uncle, it makes sense what he says. He had been in the library the whole time. The wizard hypnotized us and when we came by, that man looked at us inquisitively when he hastily passed us on his way to the exit. It makes sense, Uncle.”
Jack wishes he knows the whole story. He doesn’t trust the whole thing completely. He will have to be very careful and ready to take out his pistol quickly if necessary and initially keep them at a safe distance.
He opens the door and studies the two men while he unlocks the safety gate.
“How do you do? I am Jack Bosch, Kadin’s father. Come in and tell me what the heck is going on, please. This is Billy. We were busy attending to his back.”
Jack steps sideways but doesn’t extend his hand and pulls Billy back to a safe distance between them and the men. He gestures for them to take place on the soft sofa next to each other. “Please sit over there and then tell me everything that you know.”
The men nod in agreement and sit down while Jack closes the door. Alex sinks deep into the soft cushions of the sofa and leans back while Nico sits at the front as if he is anxious and this irritates Jack. He especially has chosen the sofa for them because it is difficult to jump upright from its low sitting position quickly. It seems that Nico knows why he did that. Jack sums them up quickly. Alex’s age shows clearly but Nico is sturdy and looks extremely fit for a middle-aged man.
Jack touches Billy’s shoulder. “Billy, turn around and show them your back.”
Billy obeys and turns around. Shocked Alex pulls in his breath. “Goodness, my boy. They ravaged you severely. We must get you to a doctor as soon as possible to nurse that wounds and takes photos of it. It will be valuable evidence when we catch and detain those monsters. You will have to go to the Humewood police station to lay charges against them for kidnapping and abduction. I hope you are remembering their faces and can identify them when we show you photos.”
“Yes, I will definitely, Uncle.”
“Beautiful! This is good news. We will take you through a lot of special photos, and then we will see.”
Alex looks at Jack. “We will be glad if this can be done today. As speedily as possible, Jack.”
Jack concurs. “I shall take him myself to the doctor and then I will bring him from there. He protected my daughter throughout the whole ordeal and their safety is now my responsibility until such time you have caught the devils.”
Alex understands. “Okay Jack, but where is Kadin? We want to see her also, please.”
Something bothers Jack. “Alex, you say you are colleagues, but I’ve only seen your ID and Nico is very quiet and anxious on the tip of the sofa as if he is ready to jump up.”
Jack looks straight at Nico. “Nico, I want to see your ID card now as well.”
Nico shakes his head. “Why is it important, Jack? Alex asked you a question. Where is your daughter?”
The two men defiantly glare at each other before Jack speaks: “You are not his colleague, Nico, you’ll have to explain and be quick.”
Nico smiles. “Relax Jack. I can see you are uneasy and with good reason too. You are correct. I’m not Alex’s colleague but we work together because I am also after the men that crossed Kadin and Billy’s path. It is of utmost importance that I get them.”
Alex tries to explain: “Jack, sorry that I gave you a wrong impression …”
Nico rudely interrupts: “What Alex is trying to say is that he gets his instructions from me. I’m playing the fiddle and they dance to my tune.”
Jack glares at Nico defiantly: “You are now in my house and here I play the fiddle and you play second fiddle.”
Nico replies brazenly: “The only reason why I am here is that booklet is in Kadin’s room. She must bring it to me and I will vanish like mist in the sunlight. Jack, do the world a massive favor. Give me the booklet and forget about my existence. The less you know the better.”
Jack is still unsatisfied: “How do I know it is the right thing to do?”
Nico smiles and gave a sarcastic reply: “Does Alex look like a corrupt member of the police? Further, I am a real South African like you; don’t you trust your own people?”
“How will I know? You refuse to tell us what is going on. Why is the booklet so important to you? What if I refuse to give it to you? What then?”
Nico stands up and instantly looks into the barrel of the 9mm Parabellum and it is Jack that gives the instructions. “Go and sit down, Nico, and make yourself comfortable deep in the sofa. You are going nowhere before I get a reasonable explanation. I said here I am playing the tune.”
He points with his eyes in the direction of the pistol.
Billy can’t believe this scene that is unfolding right in front of his eyes. Kadin’s father isn’t fooling around. He is clearly the main fiddle player.
And now he is ready to call the shots!