King and Maxwell

CHAPTER 71

ALAN GRANT WAS NOT PLEASED by the day’s developments.

Sean King had been at Heron Air Service but had gotten away yet again.

The home of Trevor Jenkins had been broken into, and while nothing appeared to be missing, he couldn’t be sure of that.

He picked up the burn phone and made the call using an electronic filter to disguise his voice.

Sam Wingo answered on the first ring.

“Yes?”

“We have a problem, Wingo.”

“What is that?”

“Two problems, actually. King and Maxwell.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I asked you to stand down.”

“I am standing down. I haven’t moved since you called me last time.”

“But your friends have.”

“They are not my friends.”

“Do you want me to send a body part from your son to get my point across?”

“Listen, please, just don’t hurt him.”

“I know that you’re working with King and Maxwell so don’t try to bullshit me. And if you think I’m going to stand by and do nothing while they seek to find me, then you’ve made an egregious miscalculation.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Put them out of commission.”

“How?”

“I’ll leave it to your imagination. You can kill them if you want. I don’t really care. If I find them interfering one more time, Tyler gets delivered to you in a body bag. Are we clear?”

“Yes,” Wingo replied in a hushed voice.

Sean and Michelle pulled into the parking lot and climbed out of the car.

Sean said, “I’m really not sure how to approach Sam on this.”

“Don’t ask me. I’m down there with the punk from Pyongyang on the diplomacy scale.”

“Look, I didn’t mean it exactly like that.”

“You meant it exactly like that.”

Sean knocked on Wingo’s motel room door. “Sam, it’s us.”

“Come on in, the door’s unlocked,” Wingo called out. They opened the door and walked in. Michelle closed it behind them.

When she turned back around she saw that Sean had his hands in the air. She looked across the room.

Wingo was standing there, his gun pointed at them.

“Is there a problem?” asked Sean.

“I got a call. You two have been snooping around. They said if you keep it up, Tyler comes back in a body bag.”

Sean eyed the gun. “Sam, we told you what we were going to do. We agreed that was the best plan to get them back safely.”

“No, you agreed that was the best way. I didn’t really have a say.” He flicked the gun. “Now I do.”

Michelle said, “You’re playing right into their hands, Sam. If we all stand down, Tyler is never coming back.”

“Let me tell you what I do know. If we don’t stop he’s dead. If we do stand down, he might have a chance.”

“You don’t really believe that,” said Sean.

“Don’t tell me what I believe or don’t believe,” barked Wingo. “I am not going to let you give my son a death sentence.”

She said, “You already have, Sam, by doing what you’re doing.”

“We have leads,” added Sean. “Good ones. We’re getting closer.”

“You can say whatever you want to say. I have to think of my son.”

“And you don’t think we are?” said Sean. “The only reason we took this case was because of your son.”

Wingo glanced down for a moment. “Look, I’m not blaming you, okay? I know you’re trying to help. It’s just that I’m caught between a rock and a hard place.”

Michelle said, “Well, you made that situation. Not us. And certainly not Tyler. It was your choice to take this mission.”

Wingo’s features hardened. “You think I don’t know that? I’ve regretted that decision from the instant I made it.”

Sean sat on the edge of the bed. “So the answer is to just sit here and wait and hope these people who have already killed will let your son free? Is that your strategy?”

Wingo sat down heavily in a chair against the wall, but kept his gun on them.

“What choice do I really have?”

“What say we turn the tables on them.”

“How?”

“We’re sure Alan Grant is connected to this.”

“Okay, how does that help?”

“He has a family too.”

“So?”

Sean stared at him. “You’ve been pushed against the wall. You have no other way out. You’re a desperate man.”

“I’m not following you.”

“He’s threatened to kill your son.”

“Yeah he has,” snapped Wingo. “But what do I do about it?”

Sean said, “I’m tired of always reacting to these assholes. Let’s go on the offensive.”

“How?” asked Michelle.

Sean said, “Sam can threaten to kill Grant’s family.”

Michelle froze. Wingo looked confused.

“He’ll never believe that I would do that.”

“Are you desperate?”

“Of course I am.”

“Then desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“Even if I were inclined, how would I communicate with him?”

Sean pointed to Wingo’s phone. “With that.”

Michelle said, “Sean, we’re not harming Grant’s kids.”

“Of course not. I said threaten. That’s all.”

“But–” began Michelle.

“Let’s send the threat,” interrupted Sean. “And see what happens.”

Michelle got an understanding look on her face. She glanced at Wingo, who sat there still looking confused. But finally he put his gun away and held up his phone.

“Tell me how to do this.”

“First, we have to go somewhere,” replied Sean.