Courting Disaster Part 27

Paavo tried to move his wrists and loosen the rope that bound them, but they'd been tied too tight, so tight they were feeling cold, as if the blood supply had been cut off. He relaxed, trying to stop the tingling sensation from continuing.

As he'd suspected, saying Hannah had arrived was simply Eugene Leer's ploy to draw Gail back. They were afraid she might talk, and when they saw Paavo, their fears were confirmed. Gail was a liability now, wife or not.

He and Gail had been taken to the boat docked behind the restaurant. Belowdecks was an eating area with beds on one side, and on the other what was obviously a nursery set up for transporting babies. Beyond the living area were tables filled with charts, maps, and radio equipment. Toward the bow of the boat was an engine room. He and Gail had been led in there, and their wrists and ankles tied. He could hear footsteps as the two men walked around on deck and he wondered if they were getting ready to leave the wharf.

If so, to where?

He couldn't allow himself to think of Angie waiting for him. It had been all he could do to convince Leer and Zeno he'd go with them quietly-for them not to fire their weapons. Each man had looked nervous and scared, and that was the most dangerous type to face.

Gail stared at the wall, tears trickling down her cheeks. She knew these men, and her reaction was chilling.

"The worst part," she said softly, "is thinking of all that I should have done, and didn't."

"You mean when they held the guns on us? There wasn't much we could do."

"No. That's the least of it. I'm thinking of earlier. I'm thinking of Hannah. She always considered me her boss-a kindly boss, I hope, but nothing more. To me, though, she was a daughter. Everyone thinks I never had a child, but that's not true. I did have a child once, and I gave her up for adoption. She was born a month before Hannah.

"People always talk about the adopted child, how they wonder who their mother was and why she gave them up. No one talks about the mother. Do they really think it's possible to carry a child for nine months and then simply forget it was ever born? Do they think the mother picks up her life and goes on as if those months never happened? Do they think there's no heartache involved?"

He didn't respond; he didn't need to.

"For a while," she said, "I fantasized that Hannah was that daughter-both girls were born in Los Angeles, after all. I looked into it. Hired a private eye. I learned my daughter had died. She'd gotten in with a bad crowd in L.A. A gang. She was murdered. No one was ever charged; no one ever will be.

"Her adopting parents were good people, but apparently they never understood Cindy. From the time she turned thirteen, she was rebellious, and over the years it only grew worse. By age seventeen, she was dead."

"I'm sorry," Paavo said.

"I could see that Hannah was a good girl, but she had no one to help her when she was down. I tried to be there for her, but at the same time, I held back. Afraid to open myself, to get too close, you know? And now...now it's too late."

He didn't want to hear that. "Don't give up, Gail. We'll get out of this."

She shook her head. "We aren't the first ones this has happened to. I know what my husband is capable of. I've always known, I'm afraid. There are others who were never heard from again. Fish food I think is the term they use."

Paavo needed to stop her despair, to give her a reason for fighting. "You watched Hannah and Tyler together. How did you feel about him?"

"I didn't trust him. He was too smooth, too charming. I'd seen him with lots of women, and Hannah, frankly, wasn't his type. She was nice, quiet, and plain."

"Plain?" Paavo said. That wasn't the impression he had of her. Strangely, he'd never actually met her despite knowing so much about her.

"Yes." Gail smiled. "But she has a sweet honest innocence that can be charming to some men. Michael Zeno was one. Before meeting her, all he'd wanted to do was run his restaurant and cook. That's what he loved. He got involved with Eugene because of Hannah, wanting money to impress her, to win her love. I feel worse about him than anyone else."

Angie paced. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so worried about Paavo. Early in their relationship, he'd often told her she wouldn't be able to handle him being a Homicide inspector-not with the long hours, the danger, the need to be on call 24/7. She swore he was wrong, that she could not only cope, but also accept it because he loved what he did, was the best cop in the city, and she was proud of him.

Now, though, she wondered if she'd spoken too soon. What if he was hurt? Or worse?

She could scarcely breathe. If something happened to him, could she ever forgive this city and the people in it for putting him in danger-or herself for having him take a phone call meant for her?

She had already dressed in her yellow Dior, matching high-heeled sandals, her hair and makeup perfect. She kept thinking, When I finish this task, he'll be here. But he never was.

Her parents arrived. They were early, but wanted to spend a little time with her and Paavo before taking them to the party.

Finally, she'd find out where it was going to be held. Right now, though, it didn't matter.

"So," Salvatore said, looking around as he followed Serefina into the apartment, "where's the happy groom?" At Angie's forlorn expression, he asked, "What's the matter? Has he got cold feet already? It's not even the wedding yet."

"He...he's late," Angie said.

"Late? I don't believe it!" he bellowed. "And here I was trying to like him!"

"So he's a little late," Serefina chastised Sal. "It's no crime. Is it, Angelina?"

Angie's throat seemed to close and she couldn't answer.

Seeing her expression, Sal proclaimed, "n.o.body jilts my little girl. Not when I've got anything to say about it!"

"I'm not being jilted," Angie cried. "It's just a party. Paavo had some business to take care of. I'm sure he'll be here as soon as he finishes it."

"Are you?" Sal eyed her closely.

She fought tears. "No."

He opened his arms and she ran to him. "What happened? A fight?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid something's happened to him. He wouldn't do this. He'd call. I don't understand it."

"Madonna mia!" Serefina pressed her hands together as if in prayer. "If he could, he'd be here. I know it in my heart. Salvatore, do something!"

"Me?" He gasped.

Angie took great, gulping swallows of air, trying to keep her head clear, trying to stop the tears that threatened. Where is he? The question came from deep inside her. Where?

She left Sal's side and went to the windows, trying to think. He went to see Gail Leer; they were near the Athina...

She must have been right-that Gail was the so-called "mastermind" of the whole operation, and now she had Paavo.

Hannah knew Gail and the others well. Angie needed to talk to her.

She knocked on Stan's door, but no one was home. Of course not-they were going to get a babysitter and go out so Stan could lay it on the line with Hannah if he kept his nerve. Maybe they changed their minds and took the baby with them.

She went back to her apartment.

"We'll help you look for him, Angelina," Serefina said. "Just tell us where to begin."

"I have no idea," she said morosely.

She tried Paavo's home and cell phone again, then watched the minutes slowly tick by as she paced.

Her father tried to put his arms around her and hold her the way he did when she was a little girl and upset or frightened. But she was a woman now, so instead of curling up on his lap, after a while she squared her shoulders and stepped to the window, lost in thought.

A knock sounded on her door. It was Stan and Hannah. His apartment door was also open. "Did Kaitlyn cry so much the babysitter brought her to you?" Stan asked.

"What are you talking about?" Angie looked from one to the other.

He paled. "The baby. She's here, isn't she?"

Hannah's ashen face peered over his shoulder.

"No."

"They've taken her!" Hannah cried, growing more hysterical with each word. "Someone must have been watching us, and when they saw us leave without the baby, they knew they could easily take her. G.o.d, what shall we do?"

He gripped her arms. "Take it easy. The babysitter might have just decided to go for a walk, for some reason." He didn't sound convinced. "Did you see or hear anything, Angie?"

"Nothing. But something else has happened," she said, as Sal and Serefina joined her. "Gail Leer phoned. Paavo went to see her, and now he hasn't returned, either."

"They're on the boat," Hannah cried. "They're taking my baby!"

Chapter 30.

As Angie drove toward the Athina with Stan and Hannah, she spotted Paavo's Corvette parked not far from Jefferson Street. "We're on the right track!" she cried, then screeched to a halt just past his car, pulling into a red zone.

A set of his car keys lay in her purse, just as he kept a set of hers. She used them now to open his trunk.

In it was a case with an AR-15 a.s.sault rifle. Since crooks in the city were now heavily armed, some in the police department thought the cops should be as well. Snipers and SWAT team members always had semiautomatic weapons, but the idea of similarly arming other members of the police force didn't sit well with the heavily anti-gun populace of the city. The SFPD took the task on as a "pilot program" and only armed those few inspectors and officers who were most likely to come across desperate criminals. Like murderers.

Angie had seen where Paavo hid the key to the gun case, and slipped it out from under the car's ashtray. She unlocked the case. The semiautomatic was in several pieces.

Angie picked up two and studied them.

"What are you doing?" Hannah asked, eyeing the steel.

"I saw a program about these on the Discovery Channel. They showed how to put them together and how they worked. I was interested because I knew Paavo had one." She tried putting one piece onto the other, and when it didn't fit she turned it around and tried again.

Stan's eyes bugged out. "You don't know how to use such a thing!" He jumped back when she began to bang two pieces together on the sidewalk.

"There's a first time for everything, Stanfield," she said. "If I have to use this, I will."

"Are you sure?" Hannah asked.

"Whoever ruined my engagement party is toast!" As much as she tried to make a joke and told herself Paavo was fine, she couldn't keep it up. Her voice turned low and deadly, her eyes glistened, even as the words caught in her throat. "And if some b.a.s.t.a.r.d has hurt Paavo, G.o.d help him...or her."

"I've never seen a gun that looks like that," Stan said nervously.

She held up her handiwork. The AR-15 looked like a gun, sort of. One piece was left over and after studying it, she gave up and slipped it into the pocket of the long black wool coat she'd put on over her party dress. She'd chosen the coat to protect her dress. Somehow, she was going to find Paavo and get to their party, no matter what. She refused to think of any alternative.

"It's good enough," Angie said as she shoved the ammunition magazine into the chamber and tucked the rifle under her coat, hidden yet snug against her side.

Watching her, Stan turned several shades of green. Hannah seemed fascinated.

"It's too dangerous, Angie," Stan cried. "Call the police and let's go home."

"Don't be scared, Stan."

Both Angie and Hannah spoke at the same time, then glanced at each other, stunned.

They marched toward the restaurant, Angie, Hannah beside her, and Stan lagging at the rear. Angie watched Hannah warily-a flicker of suspicion about her still lingered. Hannah might have six inches on her, but Angie had determination.

They decided to check out the Athina first. Hannah unlocked the front door and, leaving it wide open, went inside. In moments, she was back out. "No one's there, but the fishing boat is docked."

Staying close to the restaurant, they tiptoed toward the wharf. Angie was the first to peek around the building to the boat.

"I see movement on the boat," she whispered.

"Oh, my!" Stan looked ready to faint.

Hannah peeked. "It's Michael Zeno. He won't hurt me. I'll go talk to him and see what I can find out. Paavo, Gail, and Kaitlyn are here somewhere. I know it."

"Be careful, Hannah!" Stan cried.

"I will," she said simply.

"We'll be here watching and listening," Angie said. Her plan was that as soon as she knew where Paavo was, she'd call Yosh to bring in the SWAT team. Angie pressed her back to the restaurant, the AR-15 heavy at her side, her heart pounding. Stan huddled beside her. She could feel him shaking. Or was that her own body?

Serefina was in tears.

"You'll have to go to the party, explain to everyone why Angie and the cop aren't there," Sal said. He was so angry he worried that he'd damage his heart again. "I'll admit he's a good cop, but if he's stiffed the party because he's working, I'll kill him with my bare hands!"

"Me? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to help Angelina. It sounded like there's danger and I don't want her to get hurt. I should be there to protect her."

"You?" Serefina cried. "Are you crazy?"

He stood tall. "I've done some police work with Paavo. I know all about it. The only problem is, I don't know the restaurant or boat they were talking about."

"I do. Angelina told me. It's near the Aquatic Park."

"Ah, that's right near..." Sal had gotten so used to not uttering the name in case Angie happened to walk in on them he stopped himself even now.

"That's right. Why is this happening today, Salvatore?" Serefina did cry now. "The party looks so beautiful! It's so different, so unique, so...clever! I've dreamed of how thrilled and surprised Angelina will be when she sees it, and now..."