Arthur Hailey - Evening News

Turning to Baudelio, Miguel ordered, "Get the prisoners ready to move. First we go by truck. After that, everyone will walk.”

Jessica, now only feigning unconsciousness, heard it all.

In hitting her, Baudelio had actually done a favor. The blow's jolting effect had brought her borderline awareness suddenly into focus.

She now knew who she was and memory was returning. But instinct cautioned her to keep that knowledge, for the moment, to herself. She knew she had been frightened and panicked a few minutes ago, but now must try to keep her thinking orderly. First: Where was she? How had she got here?

Answers accumulated . . . Everything was coming back. The Grand Union supermarket and the report conveyed to her about Crawford and an accident-obviously a lie. Then in the parking lot, the brutal seizure of herself, Nicky and . . .

Nicky! Had he been harmed? Where was he now?

Still striving to maintain control, she remembered glimpsing Nicky briefly on some kind of bed, tied down . . . and so was Angus. Oh, poor Angus! She'd seen them while she struggled with the man and cut his face . . . Was she still in that same place? She didn't think so. More important, was Nicky with her? Barely opening her eyes, keeping her head low, she shifted to look. Oh, thank god! Nicky was right alongside! His eyes were opening and closing; he was yawning.

And Angus? Yes! Angus was beyond Nicky, eyes closed, but she could see that he was breathing.

Which raised the question: Why had the three of them been taken? She decided the answer to that would have to be postponed.

More immediately: "ere were they? Jessica's quick glimpses of this place had shown her a small semi darkened room, windowless and lit by an oil lantern. Why no electricity? She and the other two were seated on what felt like a dirt floor and she thought she could feel insects, though she tried not to think about them. It was incredibly hot and sticky here, which puzzled her since September this year had been unusually cool and no change was forecast.

So . . . because this was a different place from where Nicky and Angus had been tied down, how had they got here? Had she been drugged? The thought caused her to recall something else: the pad over her nose and mouth after she had been pulled into the van on the Grand Union parking lot.

She remembered nothing more that happened in the van; therefore she had been drugged, probably the other two as well. For how long. Half an hour, she estimated-an hour at the most. The memory of the skirmish on the parking lot was too close for it to be more.

So the likelihood was, they were still not far from Larchmont, which meant somewhere in New York State, New Jersey or Connecticut. Jessica considered Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, then dismissed them. Both were too far away . . . Voices interrupted . . .

”The bitch is faking,” Miguel said.

”I know,” Baudelio replied.”She's fully conscious and thinks she's cunning. She's been listening to what we're saying.,,

Miguel extended his right shoe and shoved it hard into Jessica's ribs.”On your feet, bitch! We have places to go.”

The shoe made her wince and because there seemed no advantage in pretending, Jessica lifted her head and opened her eyes. She recognized both men looking down at her-the one whose face she had cut, the other whom she had caught sight of briefly in the van. Her mouth was dry and her voice raspy, but she managed to say, "You'll be sorry for this. You'll be caught. Punished.”

"Silence!” Miguel used his foot again, this time to kick her stomach.”From now on, you will speak only when questioned.”

From beside her, she heard Nicky stir and say, "What's happened? Where are we?” She sensed in his voice the same panic she had experienced herself.

It was Angus who answered softly, "It looks to me, old son, as if we've been kidnapped by some pretty nasty people. But keep your cool! Be strong! Your Dad'll find us.”

Jessica, still fighting pain from the savage kick, felt a hand placed on her arm and heard Nicky's voice say gently, "Mom, are you okay?”

Tears sprang to her eyes at the thought that Nicky's concern should be for her. Turning her head, she tried to nod reassuringly, only to see Nicky being kicked viciously too. In a moment of horror she thought: What was all this doing to him?

Miguel shouted, "That silence rule means you too, idiot boy! Remember it!”

"Oh, he'll remember.” It was Angus, his voice dry and cracked, but he managed to impart contempt.”Who could forget a piece of human offal, so brave he'll kick a helpless woman and a boy?” The old man was struggling to rise.

Jessica breathed, "Angus, don't!” She knew that nothing at this moment could improve their situation; hard words would make it worse.

Angus had trouble balancing and rising to his feet. In the meantime Miguel looked around him and seized part of a tree branch lying on the floor. He crossed to Angus and belabored him savagely about the head and shoulders. The old man fell back, one eye closed where the wood had struck him, grunting with the pain.

"All of you will use that as a lesson!” Miguel barked.”Keep silent!” He turned to Baudelio.”Get them ready to go.”

Socorro had returned carrying a water jug in a wicker cover and a length of coarse rope.

”They should have water first,” Baudelio said. He added with a hint of petulance, "That is, if you want them kept alive.”

"First tie their hands,” Miguel ordered.”I want no more trouble.”

Scowling, he left the hut. Outside, as the sun ascended, the humid heat was overpowering.

* * *

Jessica was growing increasingly puzzled about their location.

A few minutes ago she, Nicky and Angus had been moved from what Jessica now realized was a crudely constructed hut and were in the grimy back portion of an open truck, along with a miscellaneous cargo of crates, boxes and sacks. After being marched out of the hut with their hands tied behind them, the three were partially lifted, partially shoved roughly over the truck's tailgate by several pairs of hands. Then a half-dozen motley-dressed men, who could have been farmhands except they carried guns, had boarded also, followed by the man Jessica labeled mentally "Cutface,” and another man whom she remembered vaguely having seen before. After that the tailgate was raised and fastened.

While it was all happening she had concentrated on their surroundings, trying to see as much as she could, but it hadn't helped. There were no other buildings in view, nothing but dense woodland all around, and the dirt track to the hut could scarcely be called a road. She attempted to see the truck's license plate, but if there was one the lowered tailgate covered it.

Physically, Jessica felt better for having received water. Before leaving the hut, Nicky and Angus had been given water too, by a sour-faced woman whom Jessica also remembered seeing briefly before-she believed during her initial struggle with Cutface.

Trying to appeal as one woman to another, Jessica whispered softly between mouthfuls fed to her from a battered tin cup.”Thank you for the water. Please!-will you tell me where we are and why?”

The response was harsh and unexpected. Putting down the cup, the woman administered two hard slaps, forehand and backhand, to Jessica's face, each time sending her reeling sideways. The woman hissed, "You heard the order. Silencio! Speak again and you will go without water for a day.”

After that, Jessica stayed silent. So did Nicky and Angus.

The same woman was now in the front seat of the truck, next to the driver who had just started the engine. Also in front was the man who had kicked Jessica and Nicky and beaten Angus. Jessica had heard one of the others call him Miguel and he appeared to be in charge. The truck began to move, bouncing unevenly over rugged ground.