Jonas Saul - The Hostage

“Your reference to Rod is spot on. How could you tell we were agency men?” He waited for her to respond. “My name is Hank Frommer. I’m the new main man for the Sophia Project now that Rod has retired.”

“Never heard of it,” Sarah said as she took a larger sip of wine.

Shit, fuck!

The men circled the table. It couldn’t be. Rod had said she was covered. It would never come back to haunt her unless she became too public. Vivian had stopped sending her messages. She’d gone on no expeditions of any kind in Toronto.

“You’ll have to come with us. There’s been a problem. We need to clear it up.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Then she thought for a second and asked, “What kind of problem?”

“I don’t think you understand. Rod Howley filed a report clearing you of all suspicion of any psychic ability. I know he lied. You have no choice but to come with me. Stand up and come willingly. I want this to be a pleasant experience for all of us. Otherwise, we will take you by force.” He swept his arms out at his men like he was displaying a prize on the Price Is Right. “I know you’re unarmed except for that butter knife. If you decide to use that knife, I will have you incarcerated for many years for assault on a Federal Officer. That will give us plenty of time to get to know one another.” He stepped closer and put his hand out. “Stand up now. You are coming with us as you are officially property of the United States of America.”

Sarah felt everyone in the restaurant watching the action unfold. Their waiter stood fifteen feet behind Hank. The tension around them seemed to increase by the second as everyone waited to see what Sarah would do.

Drake winked at her.

It broke her concentration. In his wink, she read, I got this.

She nodded ever so slightly and let go of the butter knife. She moved her chair back and grabbed her wine for one more sip. Then she stood and scanned the faces of the men surrounding her.

She addressed Drake. “I’m sorry our dinner was so rudely interrupted. I recommend we reschedule.”

Drake pushed his chair out and stood with his beer in his hand. Hank’s men closed in on Drake as a warning.

“It’s okay, dear. How about tomorrow? We’ll find a location where these men can’t harass us. Sound good?”

“Lovely. It’s a date then.”

Drake spun on his heels, beer bottle held high. In that second, Sarah tossed her wine in Hank’s face. Drake’s beer bottle broke on the first guy’s face and cut into the faces of the two men beside him.

Sarah dodged Hank’s grasp, grabbed the knife and jammed it into the thigh of the man beside her. He shouted and dropped to the carpeted floor. She grabbed the top of her chair and swung it hard and fast at Hank who at that same moment stepped toward her. The chair broke across his chest and jaw, and he staggered back.

She bolted for the rear of the restaurant, surprisingly, with Hank on her heels. She hit the kitchen door and kept running, knowing Hank would be close behind.

In the alley at the back of the restaurant, she ran into the dark Toronto night.

Hank wouldn’t fire on her to kill her.

She had no idea where she was going or what she’d do. Normally she’d find a bus or a train and escape Toronto, but because of Drake, she couldn’t.

She had to go back and see what was happening to him, but she couldn’t do that either. He’d be angry that they wasted their efforts at escape only for her to come back.

It was time to talk to Vivian. It was time to set things right. Sarah’s life needed a save now so she could have one. A happy one.

Vivian owed her. Vivian owed her Drake. She owed her peace, but most of all, Vivian needed to save Sarah’s life as Sarah had made things right for Vivian.

And she knew exactly how to get Vivian to talk.

Sarah turned around and started back toward the restaurant and Hank Frommer.

It was time to stop the insanity and she intended to show the American government everything she was.

How powerful she could be.

It was time for the world to see Sarah Roberts and for Sarah Roberts to see the world.

She only hoped she was making the right decision.

Her hand went numb. Before passing out in the street, Sarah cried out, “Vivian?”

Sarah opened her eyes. She jumped to her feet and looked up and down the street. No cars approached.

“What just happened to you? Are you okay?” a man asked from her right.

She spun in that direction and saw Hank. He held a weapon, aimed at the ground.

“I asked, what just happened to you?”

“If this is what it takes,” Sarah whispered under her breath. “Then let’s do this. But Vivian, don’t let me down here. I need you.”

“Who are you talking to?” Hank asked.

Sarah started toward him. As she drew closer, he raised his weapon.

“Be careful, Sarah,” he warned. “No more hero stuff. My jaw still aches, but it’s my patience that’s suffering.”

She stopped four feet in front of him and offered her wrists. “If you’re worried, then cuff me.”

He looked at her proffered arms and then back at her. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why fight and then come willingly?”

“Because you’ll never go away. If you people don’t understand me, I’ll give you a chance to, and then, maybe, you’ll go away and leave me alone.”

“You serious?” Hank lowered his weapon again.

Sarah nodded.

“Rod told me to be careful, that you never bluff. I was instructed to take you at your word, even if I find it dangerous.” He started walking and said over his shoulder, “Follow me.”

Sarah kept close. “What’s going to happen to Drake?”

“Nothing. We aren’t concerned in filing petty charges when a man wants to protect his woman. My men are prepared for violence. Drake got the better of us.”

“Some of your men were really hurt back there,” Sarah said, her tone one of disbelief.

“How secret do you think my organization would be if we legally pursued infractions on my men? Sitting in court, trying to explain our presence there and what caused Drake, or you, to attack us. We run things behind a veil, and that means everything.”

Hank approached a black H2 Hummer. A driver hopped out and opened the back door. Hank motioned for Sarah to get in.

She turned to look at the restaurant.

Sorry, Drake. I promise we’ll have dinner again soon.

The back seat of the Hummer was a virtual prison. The doors were thick and bars separated the front from the back. The driver must have driven a Hummer since he was a child the way he handled the wheel.

At first she couldn’t tell where they were headed, but figured the airport soon enough. After fifteen minutes, Sarah recognized the fence surrounding the airport. The driver pulled up to a guarded entrance and was waved through. Seconds later, the driver stopped beside a Lear jet.

“This is it,” Hank said. He turned in his seat to address Sarah. “Are we going to have a problem?”

“No.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

The door beside her clicked. She got out and walked up the steps into the airplane.

After taking a seat halfway down, she asked, “Where are we flying to?”

Hank had stepped in behind her and was talking to the pilots. He stopped talking and turned to her. “To a unique facility where we will talk. That’s it. You tell me what you do and how you do it.” He stepped closer and sat in a chair opposite hers. “I’ll need a demonstration. Then we’ll talk again. If what you do serves our aims, we will discuss the future. If it doesn’t, I’ll have these pilots fly you wherever you want to go and you’ll never hear from the Sophia Project again. Sound good to you?”