Parting Gifts, Part II
Title: Parting Gifts
Pairing: JA/JP
Rating: R for violence
Disclaimer: Of course I don't own these people. Slavery is outlawed. To the dismay of some, I suspect.
WARNINGS: My first RPF. If this is anywhere near the truth, I'm from the Gamma Quadrant.
Summary: Jared Padalecki lost his husband, Jensen Ackles, through neglect. Then the real nightmare begins when a group kidnaps Jensen and ransoms him for fifteen million dollars. The problem isn't paying the money: it's getting Jensen back alive and in one piece.
Title Page
Day Two, Part One
Doctor Hamilton exited Anna’s room, cautiously eyeing Jared with interest. “What happened to her?”
“Jensen and I had a fight tonight,” Jared answered as he closed Anna’s bedroom door. “She heard us and took off. It was almost an hour before we found her. Jensen thinks she might have taken a tumble near the left wall. There’s some new construction going on there, but I don’t know what it’s about.”
Hamilton gave a nod, “The cable company is installing new lines. Garcia’s little boy plays there with other kids.”
“I don’t know why Anna would go there, but Jensen nearly had a heart attack when he found her. I slipped him a pill so his ulcers wouldn’t act up again. I’m sorry, maybe he could’ve answered your questions better, but I was too worried. I wasn’t thinking straight either, with the argument and then Anna being hurt.”
“She’s asleep now. She has some minor bruising but nothing serious. I recommend she rest or as much as she can since tomorrow … well today is Christmas. Heaven knows, she’ll probably be up in three hours, demanding her presents.”
Jared willed himself to smile and nodded, “That’ll probably make Jensen very happy. The fight was so stupid, you know?”
“Holiday stress is nothing to laugh at,” Hamilton said soothingly. “I suggest you get some rest while you can.”
“I will. Thank you for coming so quickly.”
Justin let the doctor out and watched the man drive away before bolting back to Jared’s side.
“Did they say when they'll get here?” Jared asked.
“Two hours tops,” Justin answered in a low voice. “Until then we sit tight and don’t do anything stupid.”
Jared gave a hoarse laugh. “Too late for that. Too fucking late.”
“Sir, it’s almost five, why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll stand guard.”
Jared nodded and entered Anna’s bedroom. He curled his large frame around the little girl, with his back to the door. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and caught a scent of Jensen’s aftershave. He forcefully swallowed back a sob. The last thing Anna needed was to see her father have a complete breakdown. God knows she’s seen enough of his ugly side tonight.
Jared was in the hazy fog of falling asleep when he heard the bedroom door open slowly. He turned his head to catch Justin motioning familiar hand signs. Jared rose from the bed with great speed, pulling out his gun. Justin gave a single nod and moved down the hallway to his left. Jared's stance tightened as he trained the gun on the doorway. His breaths were deep and steady, and he didn’t blink much when sweat slowly slid down his face and neck.
Justin appeared again and gave two nods. Jared didn’t lower his gun as he approached the doorway. Suddenly two figures appeared behind his bodyguard. It took every bit of control for Jared not to shoot the strangers. With sharp breaths he lowered his gun. He didn’t realize until that moment he was capable of killing a human being. He took another glance towards his daughter before walking out into the hallway on trembling legs. The two men standing in front of Jared could have been easily mistaken for delivery men or electricians or any of dozen workers whose services would be required for someone like Jared. He suspected their generic look would've been an asset to someone in their profession and wondered if they actively cultivated it.
“Sir, Ferris' firm sent these men,” Justin said.
“My name’s Jeff Morgan. This is Steve Carlson,” the older man gave a nod to the stockier partner next to him. “I would’ve introduced myself earlier but we had to make sure your house was clean.”
“Clean of what?” Jared asked.
“Listening devices, remote cameras,” Jeff answered.
“What about Anna’s room?”
“We’ll do that right now,” Steve said and noiselessly slipped into the bedroom.
“Did you find any?” Justin asked.
Jeff nodded. “Two in the master suite; one in your office; one in the kitchen and the garage.”
“Bedroom?” Jared echoed. “They bugged our bedroom?”
“It’s not unusual, given a house this size.”
“How long?” Jared asked.
“No more than two weeks. The devices had their own power sources.”
“So you can trace them, right? I mean they must have serial numbers.” Jared said, his voice reflecting his hope.
“These are homemade,” Jeff said. “Well done too.”
“Professionals then,” Justin said. “Especially if they considered power surges and used batteries to protect the bugs.”
Jeff nodded, “They left nothing to chance.”
“But even the parts must have something you can trace,” Jared said.
“Probably, but the problem is we don’t have time.” Jeff explained. “It can take days, weeks if they used cash. And the usual timeline for kidnapping is seventy-two hours, maximum.”
The door to Anna’s bedroom opened and Steve stepped out. Jared flushed with anger when he saw a small black device in the man’s grasp.
“Behind the bookshelf.” Steve explained. “It’s got minimum range.”
“But they were thorough.” Jeff said. He turned to Jared, “I’m guessing the rooms I mentioned see the most traffic?”
Jared nodded, “We use the kitchen the most. I try to keep my business in my office. Jensen doesn’t like it when I work during home hours.”
Jared didn’t see Justin’s jaw flex but Jeff did.
“Why don’t you go back to sleep?” Jeff said and placed a friendly grasp on Jared’s weary shoulders. “It’ll take couple of hours for us to process everything.”
“What if the kidnappers call?”
“Then we’ll wake you, don’t worry. You have to stay levelheaded for what’s to come. And don’t forget Anna. She needs you more than ever to be her father. Trust me on this.”
Jared nodded and trudged into Anna’s room.
Justin didn’t make eye contact with either Jeff or Steve as his boss disappeared. His voice was subdued when he said, "It’s been hard for him. Jensen … well, he’s everything to Mr. Padalecki.”
“I’m sure he is,” Jeff said. “The office said you have evidence?”
Justin blinked, “Oh God, how could I forget?”
He handed the envelope with the bloodied necklace. “It was pinned on the girl.”
Steve took it. “I’ll get it to Eric. See what he can get out of it.”
“Call me when you get there.”
Steve nodded and ran down the back stairs, moving quietly but quickly. By unspoken agreement the two men went to Justin’s private quarters. Jeff noted the large bedroom, the galley kitchen and a small but well-equipped bathroom. The bodyguard opened the fridge and took out a beer.
“Is it okay if I have one?”
“Will it interfere with your job?”
Justin shook his head, “No, I don't usually drink. I just need something to calm me down.”
“I’m guessing you’re more of a Cuervo man.”
“Something like that,” Justin answered and popped open the can. He sat down on the sofa and looked at the beer as if it knew where his boss’ husband was being held. “Jesus, I knew something like this could happen but I never thought it would.”
He took a long drink and then said, “What do you think?”
“About the kidnapping?”
“No, about the fucking marble inlay in the master bathroom. Of course I’m talking about the kidnapping!”
“There are many components to a kidnapping. The act itself, the ransom, the motivation behind it, the kidnappers themselves and lastly, but most importantly, the victims.”
“Isn’t motivation usually money?”
“Not always, and with your boss that’s where it gets complicated. He’s one of the wealthiest men in America, and he’s openly living with another man. That attracts all sorts of attention, sometimes the wrong one. I’m not saying he caused this to happen but I can’t rule it out either. Not at this juncture, anyway.”
“I’m confused about Anna. Why let her go? They could have easily ransomed for both.”
“That’s easy, children confuses the issue. The kidnappers want this to remain on a professional level. You take a kid - you’re basically declaring war on a whole mess of people. There’s also greater likelihood that the parents will involve the authorities. There’s no way a parent can think clearly when their child’s at risk. So you free the child and only the adults remain on the playing field.
“That gives me hope. It means these guys are professionals. Professionals have a reputation to uphold, and if we play our cards right, we can get Mr. Ackles back safely.”
“Either that or the kidnappers are homophobic lunatics who don’t believe in killing children.”
Jeff nodded, “Maybe. But we also have to consider the necklace.”
“That was over the top.”
“It was, but it gets the point across. The point being they have Jensen Ackles and that he’s wounded. How badly, we don’t know. They meant to do that on purpose, Justin. That show of ownership gives them power, which, in turn, will leave us feeling unbalanced and vulnerable.”
“They succeeded.”
“Like I said, pros.” Jeff waited until Justin finished drinking. “I read the file on Mr. Ackles, but I want to hear what you think. The more I know about the man, the better I can perform when the kidnappers call.”
Justin hesitated, which didn’t surprise Jeff. No one liked to reveal intimate details about the victims under such conditions.
Justin cautiously began. “He’s not interested in other people’s expectations. He’s too busy trying to meet the ones he made for himself. Some people think he’s cold but he isn’t. He’s shy, believe it or not. And that’s because a man that handsome, well, people think that if they spend enough time or money on him, they can get a piece of him. I think he got wind of that early, and is sick of it, probably is sickened by it.
“He’s loyal, fiercely loyal. I know he’s had numerous offers from other men and women while he was married but he never said yes, and he made sure they understood he wouldn’t change his mind either.”
“So there were problems with the marriage.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You just said ‘was married’, Justin. And right now my people are in the hotel room where he was staying.”
Justin’s sigh was long and deep. “Yeah, the last few months were pretty bad. They were planning to adopt for over a year so when Anna came Jensen expected Mr. Padalecki to really focus on the family. Instead, he started this huge project in Manhattan back in February and it’s taking up all his time. Jensen ended up navigating the parental waters pretty much all by himself.”
“Was that stressful for Mr. Ackles?”
Justin shook his head. “Not at all. He’s a great dad. Couldn’t ask for a better father figure. I won’t lie to you. Anna was difficult at first but she warmed up to him pretty quick. And, by May, she was his shadow.”
“But it was a different story with Mr. Padalecki.”
Justin gave a careless shrug. “He was hardly around so it didn’t really matter. I’m not saying he was cruel to Anna. She certainly liked him, but Anna treated Jensen like a father. Though how that girl knows what a parent is is anyone’s guess.”
“And their neighbors? The people in Rancho Santa Fe?”
“The people around here are like fucking vultures when it comes to gossip. They noticed when Jensen started to eat out by himself, and that Mr. Padalecki was seen less and less around town with him. But he never let it get to him. He never bowed down to it, you know. Let it grind him like I’ve seen others do.
“He fought for their marriage, until tonight.”
“What happened tonight?”
“Mr. Padalecki told Jensen he was going to be out of town next week, basically missing all the New Year parties, including the one they were planning for their friends and families. Jensen just snapped and the two really went at it. I never saw either of them so angry before. Mr. Padalecki basically told Jensen to get out.”
“Did he mean it?”
Justin shook his head vigorously. “No, I know he didn’t, but I guess Jensen took it seriously this time.”
“What happened next?”
“I followed Mr. Padalecki to the H Bar but I called home to check. Kevin, the guy assigned to Jensen, told me he took Anna and stormed out. Kevin tried to follow but lost them when they got to San Diego.”
“Did you tell Kevin what happened?”
“No, no one else knows. Mr. Padalecki said Kevin could go on vacation, as he was supposed to. Anna’s doctor came by to check up on her but Mr. Padalecki managed to convince him that she had an accident.”
“It must have been hard for you to see this happen. I get the feeling you like your boss and your job.”
“He’s a good man. A bit brash, maybe too forthcoming but he’s no monster, and I know what monsters are like. I worked for few.”
“What can you tell me about Mr. Padalecki?”
“He likes making money. He also likes to spend it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mr. Ackles - just by looking at him you know he comes from a well-to-do family. He dresses nicely, knows what to say, knows which fork or spoon to use for which course. But he doesn’t flash his cash. I’m not saying Mr. Padalecki is a showboat, but when you look at him, you know he’s got serious money backing him up. Mr. Ackles dresses in respectable suits but nothing too fancy. You could find his clothes at a nice department store. Mr. Padalecki’s suits are all custom-made and it shows.”
“The guy’s a damn giant. His suits have to be custom-made.”
Justin broke into a smile. “Yeah, Jensen teases him about that all the time.”
“Anything else?”
“This is going to kill him, Jeff. If he doesn’t get Jensen back … I don’t know what he’ll do, and I make my living guessing my boss' actions.”
“Don’t bury the man yet. This is just getting started.”
“If you don’t mind me asking; how did you get into this business? You look more like a cop than a negotiator.”
“I was a sports major in college and did a little radio on the side. Blew out my knee senior year so I ended up doing jobs at various radio stations all along the western coast. Then the firm hired me because they liked my voice. As it turns out they gambled right. People trust me because I sound trustworthy.”
“I can understand that.”
“Probably sounds lame but it’s the truth. Look, why don’t you get some sleep? Things are just going to get more intense from here onwards and you might not be able to get any rest until this is finished.”
Jeff finished his cigarette before calling his partner.
“Tell me Eric found something.”
“He found a lot of something. Whether they’re useful or not is the question. How’s your end?”
“Things are very complicated here, more than we originally thought.”
“So there was trouble in paradise.”
“Definitely. From what Hartley tells me, they were sniping at each other for months before the blowout that drove Ackles to take their daughter and leave.”
“Wait a minute, you think Padalecki is somehow involved?”
“Maybe, maybe not. I’m not sure, but the timing sucks. It’s too much of a coincidence that the argument they had would force Ackles to leave without his bodyguard. And not five hours later he gets kidnapped?”
“That is ugly, but not unheard of in our business. Better than paying millions of dollars in alimony and child support payments. Not to mention the public humiliation.”
“And that’s where my theory falls apart,” Jeff said. “From what I understand Ackles was a real go-getter type. He wasn’t high maintenance either. I read the financial reports. He didn’t use much of Padalecki’s money when he had total access to it. Besides the usual gift giving, he stuck to his own bank account, which is pretty healthy.
“If they did get divorced he wouldn’t have taken Padalecki to the cleaners. Probably would have settled out of court, and most of that would be for Anna, I’d imagine.”
“So it is a coincidence?”
“No. Someone knew about their marital problems. Someone close enough to spy on them and leak the information to the kidnappers, not to mention planting the bugs in the house without getting caught. The place has a staff of eleven people, including security. Must look like a coffee shop during the day.”
“Someone in the staff then? Friends?”
“Staff, I think. The firm performs an annual sweep of Padalecki’s closest acquaintances and they are all financially stable as of October. He’s not the type to make enemies either. At least enemies who would want his husband and daughter dead.”
“But he’s a developer, Jeff. They’re bound to make enemies.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s what worries me. And here’s another ball-crusher. Justin Hartley’s in love with Ackles. He called the man by his given name but stuck to Mr. Padalecki when talking about his boss. I think it’s been going on for a while, at least over a year. He doesn’t strike me as one of those guys who falls in love at first sight.”
“Hold on, Eric’s gnawing my elbow. What?”
Jeff smiled as he heard the tech’s frantic pace of speech. Eric, bless him, was a brain but he could definitely use some polish when dealing with people.
“Let me put Kripke on,” Steve said. “I can’t understand a word he’s saying.”
“Dude!” Eric hollered. “Leave it to you to fuck up my Christmas!”
“Stop bitching or I’ll just give your present to Manners.”
“You wouldn’t dare! Okay, anyway, the envelope’s gold. Not made of gold but gold in the sense…”
“Eric, some time this year would be nice.”
“Okay, it doesn’t have any gum on the flap which made me curious. I did a little comparative work with the awesome database I pulled together and get this - it’s from Northern Italy: Torino to be precise. The company that makes it pretty much supplies all the upscale firms and businesses in the area with their stationary, and you can get’em at the local shops without a problem, but here? Not a chance. It’s totally a local thing.”
“So the kidnappers have gone global?”
“Could be or it’s something they picked up while they were skiing. Who knows?”
“Eric, you’re a damn miracle worker. Put Steve back on and I am sorry I ruined your vacation.”
“Not a problem, man. Kidnapping sucks major ass. I’ll be at work so relay anything you want examined.”
“Thanks.”
Jeff heard Steve give his thanks before taking the phone. “You heard that?”
“Damn interesting. I think the kidnappers just made their first mistake.”
“Me too. Go through the local news in the area. See if there were any crimes that made the headlines. Also, go through the usual channels and see if there were any high-profile kidnappings in Italy the last four years. This grab-n-run makes me think they either had practice or they were planning it for a long time. And if they were planning it then it makes sense somebody’s got info.”
“I’ll call you as soon as I get something.”
“It’s six: the kidnappers will probably contact us around nine.”
“Gotcha, I’ll try to get something by nine. Good luck.”
Jeff pocked his cell, smoked another cigarette while checking his gun. He withdrew extra clips from a leather pouch in the glove compartment. The first thing he noticed when he reentered the house was the scent of fresh coffee. He cursed silently but managed to walk at a leisurely pace into the kitchen.
“Good morning,” He said when he saw Jared huddled around the coffeemaker.
The man whirled around, eyes wide open in fear.
“You okay?” Jeff asked, using the gentlest tone possible.
“Jesus, I thought you went out or something.”
“No, I was sneaking a smoke in my car.”
Jared poured the coffee into his mug with shaky hands, but Jeff did nothing to help. He knew the last thing the man needed was to be treated like a child. A man’s ego was a brittle thing. You hurt it, you could very well shatter the man. Women were different. Hurt their ego and they curl up to lick their wounds, but unlike their male counterparts they don’t crawl off and hide. In fact, more often than not, they get pissed, and sooner than later are looking for payback. His stint as a member of his son’s PTA taught him a great deal about the opposite sex.
“I talked to the office about the evidence you gave us.”
“I handled the necklace, sorry about that,” Jared said and took a big gulp. He quickly made a face as the coffee must have burned his mouth.
“Don’t worry about it. We have your fingerprint and DNA on record.” Jeff replied kindly. He saw a tiny, stilted smile on Jared’s face and asked, “What’s so funny?”
“I remember when your firm asked Jensen for his fingerprints and DNA sample. He was so angry, I thought he’d call off the wedding.”
“I heard about that,” Jeff said. “It took four visits before he agreed, right?”
Jared nodded, “Jensen couldn’t understand why you guys would need such things.”
Jeff placed a comforting hand on the man’s shoulder as Jared put down his mug and cradled his head. He patiently waited until Jared was able to compose himself. “So the necklace was a present from you.”
“Yes, it was. I planned to get him a new car but he didn’t want one. He bought one parking space along with his condo. I told him he could sell his jeep but Jensen wouldn’t hear of it.
“He said it would be a bad form for a fundraiser to drive around town in a brand new BMW. He didn’t want to give the wrong impression. It was like that even after we got married. He never asked me for any money, even for his work. I asked him why and he said it’s like selling all your Girl Scout cookies to your mom. I told him my mom always buys at least ten boxes from Megan. He laughed but we never talked about it again.”
“I want you to tell me if anything was off. Not between you and Jensen but with the staff or somebody from town. Any strangers show up in the last month? Somebody from the cable company maybe?”
Jared shook his head. “I don’t keep track of such things. Jensen does and he didn’t mention anything like that.”
“Anything with the staff then?”
“No, they’re great, as usual. When Jensen gave them the Christmas week off with pay they were very happy.”
“Is that usual practice?”
Jared nodded, “Yeah, some years it’s a few days, but he was feeling generous I guess. We talked about it and I didn’t see any problem with it. The house is big but Jensen and I are pretty self-sufficient. And I think he wanted us to spend some quality time before I left.”
“The New York project?”
Jared nodded tersely, his posture suddenly tightening.
“Jared, did you have any problems with the construction there? Any … people making demands or threats even?”
“You mean organized crime?”
“Something like that, yes.”
“Honestly, no. I was expecting something out of Law and Order but it turned out pretty well. You have to understand, my father built the company in such a way that we don't have to depend on third party suppliers. We do everything, including manufacturing the material needed to build. Sure, some of the stuff have to be outsourced but my father made sure we had dependable contractors and supply lines.”
“That must have pissed somebody off.”
“You’d think, but from what I understand there’s a huge crackdown happening in New York right now, so the mob families are staying off the radar. I’ve had some tense meeting with the unions but nothing to make me think they were going to do anything extreme. And those guys, once they’re on your side, things go pretty smoothly.”
“How is the construction going?”
“We’re three weeks ahead of schedule. And as far as I know we’re not having any problems meeting the codes. We’re building a world-class structure there, Jeff. Something that would make the New Yorkers proud, especially after 9/11. And everyone who’s working there knows it. They’re not about to jeopardize something like the Ross Tower because they didn’t get the medical coverage they wanted.”
“Ross? Isn’t that…”
Jared flushed a dull red. “Yeah, it’s Jensen’s middle name. I didn’t tell him about it because I wanted it to be a surprise. He inspired me to build it, you know. It was a conversation we had after 9/11. Something he said struck me. You know about his jobs as a refugee counselor?”
Jeff nodded. “His dossier has his CV. It was a tough read.”
“I was paralyzed that day. Couldn’t think straight after the second Tower went down. Jensen came to the office, sent everyone home and took care of me. He got me through it, you know.”
“What did he say?”
Jared shook his head slowly. “Sorry, but that's something just between us.”
“Not a problem. So, the building’s going to be something?”
“It’s going to be beautiful. Especially during sunset and sunrise. My favorite description is ‘shimmering like gold on a riverbed.’”
Jeff smiled and shook his head. “Too much for a simple man like myself.”
“Tell me, how many of these have you dealt with?”
“Six, can’t tell you who. I’ve had five successes, one failure.” Jeff answered, not at all surprised by the sudden turn in the conversation. If anything, he expected Padalecki to question his expertise hours ago.
“What about the FBI? When are we contacting them?”
“The FBI’s stance is not to give into the kidnappers’ demands. In my experience that’s not always the best scenario.”
“That’s what I thought,” Jared said. He took another sip of the coffee before giving a hard look at the negotiator. “And if these guys are as good as you think they are, then they’re even more dangerous because the moment they figure out the Feds are involved, they’ll kill Jensen and move on.”
“Yeah, that’s what I think.”
“Why did they release Anna?”
“They wanted to give us a message. That they have the power to choose between life and death.”
“Bunch of fuckheads is what I’m hearing.”
Jeff’s smile grew. “And that’s what you need. Don’t think about anything else except getting Jensen back. Don’t think about talking to those fuckheads because that’s my job. Don’t think about what they did or are doing. Just focus on Jensen.”
“The carrot in front of the donkey, eh?”
“You got it.”
The men grew silent as they heard noise in the corridor outside the kitchen. Justin entered the room, bleary-eyed and unshaven.
“I see we all got our beauty sleep,” Jeff cracked.
“Don’t make fun of the man with a gun, especially before he had his first cup of coffee.” Justin drawled.
“Now that you’re both here, you can answer some questions,” Jeff said as Justin made himself comfortable next to Jared. “Anyone new in the staff?”
“Mrs. Cruz, she works under Mr. Yoshida, got sick so her daughter, Jamie, took over.” Jared said.
“Did Jamie ever go upstairs or your office?”
“No, Mrs. Cruz’s job was helping Mr. Yoshida. Her daughter did the same thing,” Justin answered.
“Are you sure?”
Jared looked at his bodyguard and shook his head. “No, that's not right. Couple of weeks ago, Jensen asked her to help him decorate the house for Christmas. They spent an entire morning doing up the place. He told me she had an eye for it. I think the daughter was a florist before she took over for Mrs. Cruz.”
“Anyone else? Some temp services because of the holidays?”
Both Justin and Jared shook their heads.
“You sure?”
Jared nodded, “Yeah, I’m sure. Jensen would’ve cleared with me first.”
Justin’s eyes slid to his boss but he remained stoically quiet. Jeff wanted to question the bodyguard but did not want to press the issue. He knew the man must be feeling conflicted with the information he had already revealed.
“Okay then, we need to check on this Jamie Cruz gal. Anyone got her address?”
“I have it on my computer,” Jared said.
“Best not to touch that right now. Do you have it on paper?”
“Um … Jensen made a printout of our Christmas card list and I think he included the staff. Let me see if the printout’s still around.”
Jeff waited until Jared was out of earshot before looking at Justin. “You have anything to tell me about the staff? Something you don’t want your boss to hear?”
“Jamie’s got a bit of a crush on me. She’s nice and all, but I’m not interested. I thought you should know.”
“Okay, tell me about her.”
“Nice girl, too preoccupied for my tastes but Jared’s right - she’s definitely inherited her mother’s gift for gardening. Jensen was more than happy with her taking over her mother’s position.”
“Do you know what happened to Mrs. Cruz?”
“No, just that she needed some personal time off. Her being sick is news to me.”
Jared entered the kitchen, reading a sheaf of paper in his hands. “It’s here. And knowing Jensen he probably double-checked to make sure we had the right addresses.”
Jeff took the list and made a call on his cell. “Steve? It’s me. I need some field work.”
“I can’t afford to leave now but Chris is back in town. I just got a call from him.”
Jeff closed his eyes and sighed. “The son of a bitch didn’t have the good grace to die in Mexico?”
“Nope,” Steve said, his voice filled with glee. “The son of a bitch is back in town and looking for some action.”
“Fuck it. I need an address checked out. It’s someone on the staff.”
“Okay, give it.”
“3114 Hollywell Avenue, apartment 3B. Name’s Jamie Cruz. Her mother’s on permanent staff but she needed some time off so Jamie took over.”
“Got it. Don’t worry about Chris. I can handle him.”
“You and Lucifer. Tell the bastard to call me as soon as he gets there. And for the love of God, tell him to be careful.”
“I will, but the big question is will the asswipe listen to me.”
Jeff finished the call and waited for the inevitable question.
“Who’s Chris?” Jared demanded.
“A colleague and a pain in the ass. Considered a god amongst his brethren when it comes to armaments. He’s been a field op for ten years and is probably the best one we’ve got on payroll. We’ve been trying to bring him into the office for nearly a year now but the bastard’s damn slippery. Considers suits to be one rung above chicken hawks.”
“What happened in Mexico?”
“Someone tried to kidnap a wife of a visiting diplomat. Chris was her bodyguard. He managed to get her out of trouble but ended up banging the broad. Needless to say our client wasn’t too happy with him. He had to sneak his way back into the U.S. because the husband put out a hit on the idiot.”
“He and Steve are friends?” Jared asked.
“Yeah, the two are inseparable. Steve’s the Zen stone in the relationship. You’d think Chris would’ve put a bullet in Steve’s head when they first met: instead they became best friends.”
“Military?”
“Yep, they served together. When Steve was discharged because of an injury, Chris just followed.”
“He sounds more like a dangerous stray than a friend.” Justin commented wryly.
Jeff nodded, “That’s not a bad assessment. But he’s damn good at what he does. Otherwise we wouldn’t have bailed him out of Mexico.”
Suddenly a noise emanated from Jeff’s jacket pocket. He quickly pulled out a small device and said, “Anna’s awake.”
“You bugged her room?” Jared asked incredulously.
“Why are you surprised? You don’t think I’d let you people wander around this place without knowing what you’re doing, did you?”
Justin busied himself with his coffee while Jared just gaped at Jeff.
“Mr. Padalecki, your daughter?” Jeff said, waving the handset.
“Son of a bitch!” Jared snarled before turning his heel and running out of the kitchen.
“That was impressive,” Justin said, his eyes crinkling into a smile.
“I aim to please. C’mon, I need to talk with Anna.”
“I don’t think she’ll be up for anything.” was Justin’s firm reply.
“Easy now. I’m not going to interrogate her. I just want to see if she’s capable of remembering what happened at the hotel.” Jeff replied. He knew the last thing he wanted was to antagonize Hartley. He needed an outsider’s point of view on the relationship between Padalecki and Ackles, and Hartley fulfilled that need quite nicely.
The two men entered the bedroom to witness Jared helping Anna put on her sweater. Jeff wondered if Jared was helping his daughter because she need it or because he needed to do something for his child.
“Hello, Anna,” Jeff said as he crouched down in front of her. “I’m a friend of Jensen. Jared told me there was some trouble so here I am.”
“You’re a friend?” Anna asked suspiciously.
“That I am. Jensen and I met few years ago during a weekend seminar. Something we have to do for our jobs.” Jeff said and pulled out his wallet. “Here’s a picture of us together.”
Anna stared at the photograph of the two men. “What did you do?”
“A little of this, a little of that,” Jeff answered easily. “Your dad’s a real good horseman, but … well, he kinda sucked at shooting. He loved swimming though. I hated it: can’t stand the smell of chlorine.”
“He’s a good swimmer. Pada Papa says so.”
“I agree. Look sweetie, you must be tired. If you want to talk to me about what happened to your daddy later, you can. Okay?”
Jared waited with trepidation as Jeff stood up to leave.
“There were two,” Anna said in a small voice. “And one of them was a policeman.”
Jeff crouched down again. “Really? How do you know?”
“Ms. Markham showed me a picture of a police officer in school. He even had the big belt and a gun.”
“I see. No wonder your daddy let him in. And the other?”
“Smelled funny.” Anna answered. “And his neck had a picture.”
“You mean a tattoo?”
“What’s a tattoo?”
“It’s like a drawing but people wear it on their skin instead of painting it on paper. That sounds weird, doesn’t it?”
Anna nodded, “I saw those before I had daddies.”
“That still sounds weird to me,” Jeff said, wrinkling his nose. “Anna, do you think you can draw this painting? Doesn’t have to be good, just something you remember.”
Anna chewed on her lips before nodding. “Pada Papa says I’m good at drawing.”
“I can see that,” Jeff said pointing at various artworks displayed throughout the room. “And let me tell you I am very jealous. I can’t draw to save my dog but do you know what I can do?”
“What?”
“I can make amazing waffles. Do you want to come downstairs with me? I can make breakfast for all of us and you can draw the weird tattoo thingy.”
Anna tucked Pooh under her right arm and gathered her drawing material from her desk. Jeff waited patiently as she prodded the dogs off her bed. With her entourage gathered around her, the small girl cautiously made her way to the kitchen.
Jared waited until Anna was out of earshot before asking, “Is that picture real?”
“No, I had it made before we arrived. I thought it might be a good way to break the ice with your daughter.” Jeff answered.
Jared’s face crumpled for a moment but said nothing. However, his expression brightened during breakfast as he watched Anna go through the simple rituals of eating and introducing Pooh to Jeff. Then the air became tense as Anna began drawing the tattoo.
Jeff fully expected a crude rendition; Anna’s drawing was anything but. The line, the swirls and foreign symbols were carefully recreated. When Anna finished she handed the paper to Jeff.
“This is remarkable,” Jeff said with awe in his voice.
“I drew a lot when I was young.”
The answer would’ve evoked laughter but Jeff saw the painful truth in her reply. She wasn’t young anymore. No, her childhood was sacrificed long before Ackles found and rescued her.
“The man who had that,” Anna said, pointing at the drawing, “he told me to stop crying in Romanian.”
“In Romanian?” Jeff was honestly surprised.
“Yes,” Anna replied with a frown before shaking her head. “But he’s not Romanian.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He spoke it wrong. Like when Mr. Yoshida calls me Anne-A. It’s not Anne-A. It’s A-nna.”
“But the language is very hard. Maybe he had a bad teacher.”
Anna thought carefully before shaking her head again. “No, I think he learned some words. Maybe sentences like I did when I came here.”
“Where is the bathroom and things like that?” Jeff asked.
Anna nodded. “I was surprised to hear him speak it.”
“I don’t doubt you. Thank you A-nna for this lovely drawing.”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“Sometimes people get tattoos because something important happened to them. In a way it’s like writing a secret in a diary, but instead it’s written on their skin. Maybe I can read this tattoo and figure something out about the men who took your daddy.”
Anna looked at Jared. “I tried my best, Papa. I tried so very hard to help Daddy but they wouldn’t let me.”
Jared hugged her. “I know baby. I’m so grateful you did. Sen-Sen Daddy would’ve been very proud of you.”
Jeff’s cell rang. He checked the caller I.D. and excused himself. He took a deep breath and answered, “Chris?”
“You sound ecstatic to hear from me.”
“Cut the bullshit. Where are you?”
“At Cruz’s apartment, and it’s bad. She hung herself. Left behind a suicide note too.”
“I thought something like that might happen. Fuck.”
“You want me to look for anything?”
“Does she have a laptop?”
“Yep, want me to link it to the lab so Eric can download?”
“Do it quickly and get out. Be careful.”
“That goes without saying. Do you want me to come by afterwards?”
“Yeah, I’m expecting a call by ten at the latest.”
“I’ll be there in an hour. Jeff, this shit stinks.”
“I won’t argue with that.” Jeff paused before asking. “Does it look like suicide?”
“I found enough meds in her cabinet to kill off an entire platoon so I’m gonna say no. Hanging isn’t totally unheard of but women like to use poison if given a choice.”
“Got it, thanks.”
Jeff exited the laundry room only to face Justin standing outside the door.
“She’s dead?” he whispered hoarsely.
Jeff nodded, “Looks like. And Chris doesn’t think it’s suicide.”
“Jesus, they killed her?”
“They’re mopping up after themselves is what they’re doing. I think you should call the rest of the staff to wish them happy Christmas or something, just to make sure nobody else’s been eliminated. And if you speak to Mrs. Cruz, tell her you couldn’t reach Jamie. That might make the mom look in on her daughter.”
“Not a problem. I’ll use my personal line.”
Jeff nodded his thanks and rejoined the Padalecki family in the kitchen. Jared noticed his pallor but didn’t ask any questions. Instead, he kept Anna busy with nonsense talk. An hour had nearly passed before Jeff spotted a compact figure with startlingly blond hair strolling through the back garden.
“He’s a friend,” Jeff said as he let Chris inside.
“Hiya,” Chris said with a smile that reached his eyes when he spotted Anna and Jared.
Jared gave a small nod but Anna actually smiled in response.
“You must be Anna. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Chris said as he stuck his hand out.
Anna blinked in surprise but gave a small handshake.
“So, is there some waffles left for me? I’m famished.” Chris said, looking around the kitchen.
“How’d you know we had waffles?” Jared asked.
“I can see from the mess that Jeff cooked, and the only decent thing he can make is waffles. Otherwise, the man could burn the house down if you leave him alone in the kitchen.”
Anna didn’t giggle but her eyes narrowed in silent laughter. Once again Jeff was reminded how much self-control the little girl already possessed. Five-years-old and she had enough manners to shame some of his adult acquaintances.
“So, where do you want me to set up?” Chris asked breezily as he scarfed down the cold leftovers.
“In Mr. Padalecki’s office,” Jeff said and lobbed his car keys at Chris.
“Give me twenty,” was the reply.
Both Jared and Jeff directed their attention on Anna until Justin returned to the kitchen alongside Chris.
“I called everyone to wish them a merry Christmas,” Justin said. “They want to say thank you again, Mr. Padalecki, for giving them the time off.”
Jared gave a small nod and a puzzled glance at Jeff.
“Justin, why don’t you take Anna upstairs and help her open some of her presents.” Jeff said, giving a glance at his watch. It was 8:47AM.
“Of course.” Justin answered.
Anna gave the men a searching glance before taking Justin’s hand. She turned to Jared and said, “Please Papa, make the bad men give Daddy back.”
“I will. I promise,” Jared said, his voice wavering badly.
The two men entered the office and watched as Chris finished hooking up the office telephone to a small laptop. Jared took a deep breath when he saw the various computers and technical material spread out all over his desk. He locked the office door and collapsed on the large sofa facing an impressive fireplace.
“I can’t do this,” he whispered. “Fuck, Anna is holding it together better than me.”
“I’m sorry to tell you but you got no choice,” Jeff said.
Jared gave a small nod. “I knew you were going to say that.”
“Just think about Jensen. That’s all you need to do.”
“Okay.” Jared whispered. Then he looked at Jeff with a teary squint. “You know Jensen’s going to blow a gasket when he finds out we categorized him as a carrot. The man’s an overachiever: he probably would’ve preferred broccoli.”
Jeff gave a bark of laughter. “I’ll be long gone by then so you’re going to have to deal with that all by yourself.”
Before Jared could reply his office phone rang.
Jeff let it ring twice before answering. “Padalecki’s residence. May I help you?”
“We sent an e-mail.”
“Thank you.”
The line went dead. Jared stared at the phone then transferred his stunned gaze towards Jeff.
“That’s it?”
“Check your e-mail.”
Jared scrambled to his computer desk and turned on the Mac. His fingers froze on the keyboard when he logged onto his e-mail account. Jeff saw the list of new messages but only one interested him. He entered commands on the laptops hooked onto Jared’s computer before opening the e-mail. It contained an URL address. He clicked on it and waited while the web page loaded.
“It’s looks like a live feed,” Jeff said.
The screen opened and revealed a small room with a T.V. at the upper left corner. Suddenly a man sat in front of the television with what looked like a paper cup and a plate filled with food.
“Jensen, oh thank God, that’s Jensen.” Jared whispered as he watched his husband eat.
“What program is that?” Chris asked as he tried to figure out the show on television.
“Looks like … it’s Disney’s Christmas Parade,” Jared answered.
Jeff turned on the television sitting neglected in the corner and switched channels until he came upon the parade. He compared the two programs. They were the same.
“We have proof of life,” Jeff said as he rested a firm hand on Jared’s trembling shoulders. But he refrained from saying anything else as the man wept openly.
Part I * Part III
Pairing: JA/JP
Rating: R for violence
Disclaimer: Of course I don't own these people. Slavery is outlawed. To the dismay of some, I suspect.
WARNINGS: My first RPF. If this is anywhere near the truth, I'm from the Gamma Quadrant.
Summary: Jared Padalecki lost his husband, Jensen Ackles, through neglect. Then the real nightmare begins when a group kidnaps Jensen and ransoms him for fifteen million dollars. The problem isn't paying the money: it's getting Jensen back alive and in one piece.
Title Page
Day Two, Part One
Doctor Hamilton exited Anna’s room, cautiously eyeing Jared with interest. “What happened to her?”
“Jensen and I had a fight tonight,” Jared answered as he closed Anna’s bedroom door. “She heard us and took off. It was almost an hour before we found her. Jensen thinks she might have taken a tumble near the left wall. There’s some new construction going on there, but I don’t know what it’s about.”
Hamilton gave a nod, “The cable company is installing new lines. Garcia’s little boy plays there with other kids.”
“I don’t know why Anna would go there, but Jensen nearly had a heart attack when he found her. I slipped him a pill so his ulcers wouldn’t act up again. I’m sorry, maybe he could’ve answered your questions better, but I was too worried. I wasn’t thinking straight either, with the argument and then Anna being hurt.”
“She’s asleep now. She has some minor bruising but nothing serious. I recommend she rest or as much as she can since tomorrow … well today is Christmas. Heaven knows, she’ll probably be up in three hours, demanding her presents.”
Jared willed himself to smile and nodded, “That’ll probably make Jensen very happy. The fight was so stupid, you know?”
“Holiday stress is nothing to laugh at,” Hamilton said soothingly. “I suggest you get some rest while you can.”
“I will. Thank you for coming so quickly.”
Justin let the doctor out and watched the man drive away before bolting back to Jared’s side.
“Did they say when they'll get here?” Jared asked.
“Two hours tops,” Justin answered in a low voice. “Until then we sit tight and don’t do anything stupid.”
Jared gave a hoarse laugh. “Too late for that. Too fucking late.”
“Sir, it’s almost five, why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll stand guard.”
Jared nodded and entered Anna’s bedroom. He curled his large frame around the little girl, with his back to the door. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and caught a scent of Jensen’s aftershave. He forcefully swallowed back a sob. The last thing Anna needed was to see her father have a complete breakdown. God knows she’s seen enough of his ugly side tonight.
Jared was in the hazy fog of falling asleep when he heard the bedroom door open slowly. He turned his head to catch Justin motioning familiar hand signs. Jared rose from the bed with great speed, pulling out his gun. Justin gave a single nod and moved down the hallway to his left. Jared's stance tightened as he trained the gun on the doorway. His breaths were deep and steady, and he didn’t blink much when sweat slowly slid down his face and neck.
Justin appeared again and gave two nods. Jared didn’t lower his gun as he approached the doorway. Suddenly two figures appeared behind his bodyguard. It took every bit of control for Jared not to shoot the strangers. With sharp breaths he lowered his gun. He didn’t realize until that moment he was capable of killing a human being. He took another glance towards his daughter before walking out into the hallway on trembling legs. The two men standing in front of Jared could have been easily mistaken for delivery men or electricians or any of dozen workers whose services would be required for someone like Jared. He suspected their generic look would've been an asset to someone in their profession and wondered if they actively cultivated it.
“Sir, Ferris' firm sent these men,” Justin said.
“My name’s Jeff Morgan. This is Steve Carlson,” the older man gave a nod to the stockier partner next to him. “I would’ve introduced myself earlier but we had to make sure your house was clean.”
“Clean of what?” Jared asked.
“Listening devices, remote cameras,” Jeff answered.
“What about Anna’s room?”
“We’ll do that right now,” Steve said and noiselessly slipped into the bedroom.
“Did you find any?” Justin asked.
Jeff nodded. “Two in the master suite; one in your office; one in the kitchen and the garage.”
“Bedroom?” Jared echoed. “They bugged our bedroom?”
“It’s not unusual, given a house this size.”
“How long?” Jared asked.
“No more than two weeks. The devices had their own power sources.”
“So you can trace them, right? I mean they must have serial numbers.” Jared said, his voice reflecting his hope.
“These are homemade,” Jeff said. “Well done too.”
“Professionals then,” Justin said. “Especially if they considered power surges and used batteries to protect the bugs.”
Jeff nodded, “They left nothing to chance.”
“But even the parts must have something you can trace,” Jared said.
“Probably, but the problem is we don’t have time.” Jeff explained. “It can take days, weeks if they used cash. And the usual timeline for kidnapping is seventy-two hours, maximum.”
The door to Anna’s bedroom opened and Steve stepped out. Jared flushed with anger when he saw a small black device in the man’s grasp.
“Behind the bookshelf.” Steve explained. “It’s got minimum range.”
“But they were thorough.” Jeff said. He turned to Jared, “I’m guessing the rooms I mentioned see the most traffic?”
Jared nodded, “We use the kitchen the most. I try to keep my business in my office. Jensen doesn’t like it when I work during home hours.”
Jared didn’t see Justin’s jaw flex but Jeff did.
“Why don’t you go back to sleep?” Jeff said and placed a friendly grasp on Jared’s weary shoulders. “It’ll take couple of hours for us to process everything.”
“What if the kidnappers call?”
“Then we’ll wake you, don’t worry. You have to stay levelheaded for what’s to come. And don’t forget Anna. She needs you more than ever to be her father. Trust me on this.”
Jared nodded and trudged into Anna’s room.
Justin didn’t make eye contact with either Jeff or Steve as his boss disappeared. His voice was subdued when he said, "It’s been hard for him. Jensen … well, he’s everything to Mr. Padalecki.”
“I’m sure he is,” Jeff said. “The office said you have evidence?”
Justin blinked, “Oh God, how could I forget?”
He handed the envelope with the bloodied necklace. “It was pinned on the girl.”
Steve took it. “I’ll get it to Eric. See what he can get out of it.”
“Call me when you get there.”
Steve nodded and ran down the back stairs, moving quietly but quickly. By unspoken agreement the two men went to Justin’s private quarters. Jeff noted the large bedroom, the galley kitchen and a small but well-equipped bathroom. The bodyguard opened the fridge and took out a beer.
“Is it okay if I have one?”
“Will it interfere with your job?”
Justin shook his head, “No, I don't usually drink. I just need something to calm me down.”
“I’m guessing you’re more of a Cuervo man.”
“Something like that,” Justin answered and popped open the can. He sat down on the sofa and looked at the beer as if it knew where his boss’ husband was being held. “Jesus, I knew something like this could happen but I never thought it would.”
He took a long drink and then said, “What do you think?”
“About the kidnapping?”
“No, about the fucking marble inlay in the master bathroom. Of course I’m talking about the kidnapping!”
“There are many components to a kidnapping. The act itself, the ransom, the motivation behind it, the kidnappers themselves and lastly, but most importantly, the victims.”
“Isn’t motivation usually money?”
“Not always, and with your boss that’s where it gets complicated. He’s one of the wealthiest men in America, and he’s openly living with another man. That attracts all sorts of attention, sometimes the wrong one. I’m not saying he caused this to happen but I can’t rule it out either. Not at this juncture, anyway.”
“I’m confused about Anna. Why let her go? They could have easily ransomed for both.”
“That’s easy, children confuses the issue. The kidnappers want this to remain on a professional level. You take a kid - you’re basically declaring war on a whole mess of people. There’s also greater likelihood that the parents will involve the authorities. There’s no way a parent can think clearly when their child’s at risk. So you free the child and only the adults remain on the playing field.
“That gives me hope. It means these guys are professionals. Professionals have a reputation to uphold, and if we play our cards right, we can get Mr. Ackles back safely.”
“Either that or the kidnappers are homophobic lunatics who don’t believe in killing children.”
Jeff nodded, “Maybe. But we also have to consider the necklace.”
“That was over the top.”
“It was, but it gets the point across. The point being they have Jensen Ackles and that he’s wounded. How badly, we don’t know. They meant to do that on purpose, Justin. That show of ownership gives them power, which, in turn, will leave us feeling unbalanced and vulnerable.”
“They succeeded.”
“Like I said, pros.” Jeff waited until Justin finished drinking. “I read the file on Mr. Ackles, but I want to hear what you think. The more I know about the man, the better I can perform when the kidnappers call.”
Justin hesitated, which didn’t surprise Jeff. No one liked to reveal intimate details about the victims under such conditions.
Justin cautiously began. “He’s not interested in other people’s expectations. He’s too busy trying to meet the ones he made for himself. Some people think he’s cold but he isn’t. He’s shy, believe it or not. And that’s because a man that handsome, well, people think that if they spend enough time or money on him, they can get a piece of him. I think he got wind of that early, and is sick of it, probably is sickened by it.
“He’s loyal, fiercely loyal. I know he’s had numerous offers from other men and women while he was married but he never said yes, and he made sure they understood he wouldn’t change his mind either.”
“So there were problems with the marriage.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You just said ‘was married’, Justin. And right now my people are in the hotel room where he was staying.”
Justin’s sigh was long and deep. “Yeah, the last few months were pretty bad. They were planning to adopt for over a year so when Anna came Jensen expected Mr. Padalecki to really focus on the family. Instead, he started this huge project in Manhattan back in February and it’s taking up all his time. Jensen ended up navigating the parental waters pretty much all by himself.”
“Was that stressful for Mr. Ackles?”
Justin shook his head. “Not at all. He’s a great dad. Couldn’t ask for a better father figure. I won’t lie to you. Anna was difficult at first but she warmed up to him pretty quick. And, by May, she was his shadow.”
“But it was a different story with Mr. Padalecki.”
Justin gave a careless shrug. “He was hardly around so it didn’t really matter. I’m not saying he was cruel to Anna. She certainly liked him, but Anna treated Jensen like a father. Though how that girl knows what a parent is is anyone’s guess.”
“And their neighbors? The people in Rancho Santa Fe?”
“The people around here are like fucking vultures when it comes to gossip. They noticed when Jensen started to eat out by himself, and that Mr. Padalecki was seen less and less around town with him. But he never let it get to him. He never bowed down to it, you know. Let it grind him like I’ve seen others do.
“He fought for their marriage, until tonight.”
“What happened tonight?”
“Mr. Padalecki told Jensen he was going to be out of town next week, basically missing all the New Year parties, including the one they were planning for their friends and families. Jensen just snapped and the two really went at it. I never saw either of them so angry before. Mr. Padalecki basically told Jensen to get out.”
“Did he mean it?”
Justin shook his head vigorously. “No, I know he didn’t, but I guess Jensen took it seriously this time.”
“What happened next?”
“I followed Mr. Padalecki to the H Bar but I called home to check. Kevin, the guy assigned to Jensen, told me he took Anna and stormed out. Kevin tried to follow but lost them when they got to San Diego.”
“Did you tell Kevin what happened?”
“No, no one else knows. Mr. Padalecki said Kevin could go on vacation, as he was supposed to. Anna’s doctor came by to check up on her but Mr. Padalecki managed to convince him that she had an accident.”
“It must have been hard for you to see this happen. I get the feeling you like your boss and your job.”
“He’s a good man. A bit brash, maybe too forthcoming but he’s no monster, and I know what monsters are like. I worked for few.”
“What can you tell me about Mr. Padalecki?”
“He likes making money. He also likes to spend it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mr. Ackles - just by looking at him you know he comes from a well-to-do family. He dresses nicely, knows what to say, knows which fork or spoon to use for which course. But he doesn’t flash his cash. I’m not saying Mr. Padalecki is a showboat, but when you look at him, you know he’s got serious money backing him up. Mr. Ackles dresses in respectable suits but nothing too fancy. You could find his clothes at a nice department store. Mr. Padalecki’s suits are all custom-made and it shows.”
“The guy’s a damn giant. His suits have to be custom-made.”
Justin broke into a smile. “Yeah, Jensen teases him about that all the time.”
“Anything else?”
“This is going to kill him, Jeff. If he doesn’t get Jensen back … I don’t know what he’ll do, and I make my living guessing my boss' actions.”
“Don’t bury the man yet. This is just getting started.”
“If you don’t mind me asking; how did you get into this business? You look more like a cop than a negotiator.”
“I was a sports major in college and did a little radio on the side. Blew out my knee senior year so I ended up doing jobs at various radio stations all along the western coast. Then the firm hired me because they liked my voice. As it turns out they gambled right. People trust me because I sound trustworthy.”
“I can understand that.”
“Probably sounds lame but it’s the truth. Look, why don’t you get some sleep? Things are just going to get more intense from here onwards and you might not be able to get any rest until this is finished.”
Jeff finished his cigarette before calling his partner.
“Tell me Eric found something.”
“He found a lot of something. Whether they’re useful or not is the question. How’s your end?”
“Things are very complicated here, more than we originally thought.”
“So there was trouble in paradise.”
“Definitely. From what Hartley tells me, they were sniping at each other for months before the blowout that drove Ackles to take their daughter and leave.”
“Wait a minute, you think Padalecki is somehow involved?”
“Maybe, maybe not. I’m not sure, but the timing sucks. It’s too much of a coincidence that the argument they had would force Ackles to leave without his bodyguard. And not five hours later he gets kidnapped?”
“That is ugly, but not unheard of in our business. Better than paying millions of dollars in alimony and child support payments. Not to mention the public humiliation.”
“And that’s where my theory falls apart,” Jeff said. “From what I understand Ackles was a real go-getter type. He wasn’t high maintenance either. I read the financial reports. He didn’t use much of Padalecki’s money when he had total access to it. Besides the usual gift giving, he stuck to his own bank account, which is pretty healthy.
“If they did get divorced he wouldn’t have taken Padalecki to the cleaners. Probably would have settled out of court, and most of that would be for Anna, I’d imagine.”
“So it is a coincidence?”
“No. Someone knew about their marital problems. Someone close enough to spy on them and leak the information to the kidnappers, not to mention planting the bugs in the house without getting caught. The place has a staff of eleven people, including security. Must look like a coffee shop during the day.”
“Someone in the staff then? Friends?”
“Staff, I think. The firm performs an annual sweep of Padalecki’s closest acquaintances and they are all financially stable as of October. He’s not the type to make enemies either. At least enemies who would want his husband and daughter dead.”
“But he’s a developer, Jeff. They’re bound to make enemies.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s what worries me. And here’s another ball-crusher. Justin Hartley’s in love with Ackles. He called the man by his given name but stuck to Mr. Padalecki when talking about his boss. I think it’s been going on for a while, at least over a year. He doesn’t strike me as one of those guys who falls in love at first sight.”
“Hold on, Eric’s gnawing my elbow. What?”
Jeff smiled as he heard the tech’s frantic pace of speech. Eric, bless him, was a brain but he could definitely use some polish when dealing with people.
“Let me put Kripke on,” Steve said. “I can’t understand a word he’s saying.”
“Dude!” Eric hollered. “Leave it to you to fuck up my Christmas!”
“Stop bitching or I’ll just give your present to Manners.”
“You wouldn’t dare! Okay, anyway, the envelope’s gold. Not made of gold but gold in the sense…”
“Eric, some time this year would be nice.”
“Okay, it doesn’t have any gum on the flap which made me curious. I did a little comparative work with the awesome database I pulled together and get this - it’s from Northern Italy: Torino to be precise. The company that makes it pretty much supplies all the upscale firms and businesses in the area with their stationary, and you can get’em at the local shops without a problem, but here? Not a chance. It’s totally a local thing.”
“So the kidnappers have gone global?”
“Could be or it’s something they picked up while they were skiing. Who knows?”
“Eric, you’re a damn miracle worker. Put Steve back on and I am sorry I ruined your vacation.”
“Not a problem, man. Kidnapping sucks major ass. I’ll be at work so relay anything you want examined.”
“Thanks.”
Jeff heard Steve give his thanks before taking the phone. “You heard that?”
“Damn interesting. I think the kidnappers just made their first mistake.”
“Me too. Go through the local news in the area. See if there were any crimes that made the headlines. Also, go through the usual channels and see if there were any high-profile kidnappings in Italy the last four years. This grab-n-run makes me think they either had practice or they were planning it for a long time. And if they were planning it then it makes sense somebody’s got info.”
“I’ll call you as soon as I get something.”
“It’s six: the kidnappers will probably contact us around nine.”
“Gotcha, I’ll try to get something by nine. Good luck.”
Jeff pocked his cell, smoked another cigarette while checking his gun. He withdrew extra clips from a leather pouch in the glove compartment. The first thing he noticed when he reentered the house was the scent of fresh coffee. He cursed silently but managed to walk at a leisurely pace into the kitchen.
“Good morning,” He said when he saw Jared huddled around the coffeemaker.
The man whirled around, eyes wide open in fear.
“You okay?” Jeff asked, using the gentlest tone possible.
“Jesus, I thought you went out or something.”
“No, I was sneaking a smoke in my car.”
Jared poured the coffee into his mug with shaky hands, but Jeff did nothing to help. He knew the last thing the man needed was to be treated like a child. A man’s ego was a brittle thing. You hurt it, you could very well shatter the man. Women were different. Hurt their ego and they curl up to lick their wounds, but unlike their male counterparts they don’t crawl off and hide. In fact, more often than not, they get pissed, and sooner than later are looking for payback. His stint as a member of his son’s PTA taught him a great deal about the opposite sex.
“I talked to the office about the evidence you gave us.”
“I handled the necklace, sorry about that,” Jared said and took a big gulp. He quickly made a face as the coffee must have burned his mouth.
“Don’t worry about it. We have your fingerprint and DNA on record.” Jeff replied kindly. He saw a tiny, stilted smile on Jared’s face and asked, “What’s so funny?”
“I remember when your firm asked Jensen for his fingerprints and DNA sample. He was so angry, I thought he’d call off the wedding.”
“I heard about that,” Jeff said. “It took four visits before he agreed, right?”
Jared nodded, “Jensen couldn’t understand why you guys would need such things.”
Jeff placed a comforting hand on the man’s shoulder as Jared put down his mug and cradled his head. He patiently waited until Jared was able to compose himself. “So the necklace was a present from you.”
“Yes, it was. I planned to get him a new car but he didn’t want one. He bought one parking space along with his condo. I told him he could sell his jeep but Jensen wouldn’t hear of it.
“He said it would be a bad form for a fundraiser to drive around town in a brand new BMW. He didn’t want to give the wrong impression. It was like that even after we got married. He never asked me for any money, even for his work. I asked him why and he said it’s like selling all your Girl Scout cookies to your mom. I told him my mom always buys at least ten boxes from Megan. He laughed but we never talked about it again.”
“I want you to tell me if anything was off. Not between you and Jensen but with the staff or somebody from town. Any strangers show up in the last month? Somebody from the cable company maybe?”
Jared shook his head. “I don’t keep track of such things. Jensen does and he didn’t mention anything like that.”
“Anything with the staff then?”
“No, they’re great, as usual. When Jensen gave them the Christmas week off with pay they were very happy.”
“Is that usual practice?”
Jared nodded, “Yeah, some years it’s a few days, but he was feeling generous I guess. We talked about it and I didn’t see any problem with it. The house is big but Jensen and I are pretty self-sufficient. And I think he wanted us to spend some quality time before I left.”
“The New York project?”
Jared nodded tersely, his posture suddenly tightening.
“Jared, did you have any problems with the construction there? Any … people making demands or threats even?”
“You mean organized crime?”
“Something like that, yes.”
“Honestly, no. I was expecting something out of Law and Order but it turned out pretty well. You have to understand, my father built the company in such a way that we don't have to depend on third party suppliers. We do everything, including manufacturing the material needed to build. Sure, some of the stuff have to be outsourced but my father made sure we had dependable contractors and supply lines.”
“That must have pissed somebody off.”
“You’d think, but from what I understand there’s a huge crackdown happening in New York right now, so the mob families are staying off the radar. I’ve had some tense meeting with the unions but nothing to make me think they were going to do anything extreme. And those guys, once they’re on your side, things go pretty smoothly.”
“How is the construction going?”
“We’re three weeks ahead of schedule. And as far as I know we’re not having any problems meeting the codes. We’re building a world-class structure there, Jeff. Something that would make the New Yorkers proud, especially after 9/11. And everyone who’s working there knows it. They’re not about to jeopardize something like the Ross Tower because they didn’t get the medical coverage they wanted.”
“Ross? Isn’t that…”
Jared flushed a dull red. “Yeah, it’s Jensen’s middle name. I didn’t tell him about it because I wanted it to be a surprise. He inspired me to build it, you know. It was a conversation we had after 9/11. Something he said struck me. You know about his jobs as a refugee counselor?”
Jeff nodded. “His dossier has his CV. It was a tough read.”
“I was paralyzed that day. Couldn’t think straight after the second Tower went down. Jensen came to the office, sent everyone home and took care of me. He got me through it, you know.”
“What did he say?”
Jared shook his head slowly. “Sorry, but that's something just between us.”
“Not a problem. So, the building’s going to be something?”
“It’s going to be beautiful. Especially during sunset and sunrise. My favorite description is ‘shimmering like gold on a riverbed.’”
Jeff smiled and shook his head. “Too much for a simple man like myself.”
“Tell me, how many of these have you dealt with?”
“Six, can’t tell you who. I’ve had five successes, one failure.” Jeff answered, not at all surprised by the sudden turn in the conversation. If anything, he expected Padalecki to question his expertise hours ago.
“What about the FBI? When are we contacting them?”
“The FBI’s stance is not to give into the kidnappers’ demands. In my experience that’s not always the best scenario.”
“That’s what I thought,” Jared said. He took another sip of the coffee before giving a hard look at the negotiator. “And if these guys are as good as you think they are, then they’re even more dangerous because the moment they figure out the Feds are involved, they’ll kill Jensen and move on.”
“Yeah, that’s what I think.”
“Why did they release Anna?”
“They wanted to give us a message. That they have the power to choose between life and death.”
“Bunch of fuckheads is what I’m hearing.”
Jeff’s smile grew. “And that’s what you need. Don’t think about anything else except getting Jensen back. Don’t think about talking to those fuckheads because that’s my job. Don’t think about what they did or are doing. Just focus on Jensen.”
“The carrot in front of the donkey, eh?”
“You got it.”
The men grew silent as they heard noise in the corridor outside the kitchen. Justin entered the room, bleary-eyed and unshaven.
“I see we all got our beauty sleep,” Jeff cracked.
“Don’t make fun of the man with a gun, especially before he had his first cup of coffee.” Justin drawled.
“Now that you’re both here, you can answer some questions,” Jeff said as Justin made himself comfortable next to Jared. “Anyone new in the staff?”
“Mrs. Cruz, she works under Mr. Yoshida, got sick so her daughter, Jamie, took over.” Jared said.
“Did Jamie ever go upstairs or your office?”
“No, Mrs. Cruz’s job was helping Mr. Yoshida. Her daughter did the same thing,” Justin answered.
“Are you sure?”
Jared looked at his bodyguard and shook his head. “No, that's not right. Couple of weeks ago, Jensen asked her to help him decorate the house for Christmas. They spent an entire morning doing up the place. He told me she had an eye for it. I think the daughter was a florist before she took over for Mrs. Cruz.”
“Anyone else? Some temp services because of the holidays?”
Both Justin and Jared shook their heads.
“You sure?”
Jared nodded, “Yeah, I’m sure. Jensen would’ve cleared with me first.”
Justin’s eyes slid to his boss but he remained stoically quiet. Jeff wanted to question the bodyguard but did not want to press the issue. He knew the man must be feeling conflicted with the information he had already revealed.
“Okay then, we need to check on this Jamie Cruz gal. Anyone got her address?”
“I have it on my computer,” Jared said.
“Best not to touch that right now. Do you have it on paper?”
“Um … Jensen made a printout of our Christmas card list and I think he included the staff. Let me see if the printout’s still around.”
Jeff waited until Jared was out of earshot before looking at Justin. “You have anything to tell me about the staff? Something you don’t want your boss to hear?”
“Jamie’s got a bit of a crush on me. She’s nice and all, but I’m not interested. I thought you should know.”
“Okay, tell me about her.”
“Nice girl, too preoccupied for my tastes but Jared’s right - she’s definitely inherited her mother’s gift for gardening. Jensen was more than happy with her taking over her mother’s position.”
“Do you know what happened to Mrs. Cruz?”
“No, just that she needed some personal time off. Her being sick is news to me.”
Jared entered the kitchen, reading a sheaf of paper in his hands. “It’s here. And knowing Jensen he probably double-checked to make sure we had the right addresses.”
Jeff took the list and made a call on his cell. “Steve? It’s me. I need some field work.”
“I can’t afford to leave now but Chris is back in town. I just got a call from him.”
Jeff closed his eyes and sighed. “The son of a bitch didn’t have the good grace to die in Mexico?”
“Nope,” Steve said, his voice filled with glee. “The son of a bitch is back in town and looking for some action.”
“Fuck it. I need an address checked out. It’s someone on the staff.”
“Okay, give it.”
“3114 Hollywell Avenue, apartment 3B. Name’s Jamie Cruz. Her mother’s on permanent staff but she needed some time off so Jamie took over.”
“Got it. Don’t worry about Chris. I can handle him.”
“You and Lucifer. Tell the bastard to call me as soon as he gets there. And for the love of God, tell him to be careful.”
“I will, but the big question is will the asswipe listen to me.”
Jeff finished the call and waited for the inevitable question.
“Who’s Chris?” Jared demanded.
“A colleague and a pain in the ass. Considered a god amongst his brethren when it comes to armaments. He’s been a field op for ten years and is probably the best one we’ve got on payroll. We’ve been trying to bring him into the office for nearly a year now but the bastard’s damn slippery. Considers suits to be one rung above chicken hawks.”
“What happened in Mexico?”
“Someone tried to kidnap a wife of a visiting diplomat. Chris was her bodyguard. He managed to get her out of trouble but ended up banging the broad. Needless to say our client wasn’t too happy with him. He had to sneak his way back into the U.S. because the husband put out a hit on the idiot.”
“He and Steve are friends?” Jared asked.
“Yeah, the two are inseparable. Steve’s the Zen stone in the relationship. You’d think Chris would’ve put a bullet in Steve’s head when they first met: instead they became best friends.”
“Military?”
“Yep, they served together. When Steve was discharged because of an injury, Chris just followed.”
“He sounds more like a dangerous stray than a friend.” Justin commented wryly.
Jeff nodded, “That’s not a bad assessment. But he’s damn good at what he does. Otherwise we wouldn’t have bailed him out of Mexico.”
Suddenly a noise emanated from Jeff’s jacket pocket. He quickly pulled out a small device and said, “Anna’s awake.”
“You bugged her room?” Jared asked incredulously.
“Why are you surprised? You don’t think I’d let you people wander around this place without knowing what you’re doing, did you?”
Justin busied himself with his coffee while Jared just gaped at Jeff.
“Mr. Padalecki, your daughter?” Jeff said, waving the handset.
“Son of a bitch!” Jared snarled before turning his heel and running out of the kitchen.
“That was impressive,” Justin said, his eyes crinkling into a smile.
“I aim to please. C’mon, I need to talk with Anna.”
“I don’t think she’ll be up for anything.” was Justin’s firm reply.
“Easy now. I’m not going to interrogate her. I just want to see if she’s capable of remembering what happened at the hotel.” Jeff replied. He knew the last thing he wanted was to antagonize Hartley. He needed an outsider’s point of view on the relationship between Padalecki and Ackles, and Hartley fulfilled that need quite nicely.
The two men entered the bedroom to witness Jared helping Anna put on her sweater. Jeff wondered if Jared was helping his daughter because she need it or because he needed to do something for his child.
“Hello, Anna,” Jeff said as he crouched down in front of her. “I’m a friend of Jensen. Jared told me there was some trouble so here I am.”
“You’re a friend?” Anna asked suspiciously.
“That I am. Jensen and I met few years ago during a weekend seminar. Something we have to do for our jobs.” Jeff said and pulled out his wallet. “Here’s a picture of us together.”
Anna stared at the photograph of the two men. “What did you do?”
“A little of this, a little of that,” Jeff answered easily. “Your dad’s a real good horseman, but … well, he kinda sucked at shooting. He loved swimming though. I hated it: can’t stand the smell of chlorine.”
“He’s a good swimmer. Pada Papa says so.”
“I agree. Look sweetie, you must be tired. If you want to talk to me about what happened to your daddy later, you can. Okay?”
Jared waited with trepidation as Jeff stood up to leave.
“There were two,” Anna said in a small voice. “And one of them was a policeman.”
Jeff crouched down again. “Really? How do you know?”
“Ms. Markham showed me a picture of a police officer in school. He even had the big belt and a gun.”
“I see. No wonder your daddy let him in. And the other?”
“Smelled funny.” Anna answered. “And his neck had a picture.”
“You mean a tattoo?”
“What’s a tattoo?”
“It’s like a drawing but people wear it on their skin instead of painting it on paper. That sounds weird, doesn’t it?”
Anna nodded, “I saw those before I had daddies.”
“That still sounds weird to me,” Jeff said, wrinkling his nose. “Anna, do you think you can draw this painting? Doesn’t have to be good, just something you remember.”
Anna chewed on her lips before nodding. “Pada Papa says I’m good at drawing.”
“I can see that,” Jeff said pointing at various artworks displayed throughout the room. “And let me tell you I am very jealous. I can’t draw to save my dog but do you know what I can do?”
“What?”
“I can make amazing waffles. Do you want to come downstairs with me? I can make breakfast for all of us and you can draw the weird tattoo thingy.”
Anna tucked Pooh under her right arm and gathered her drawing material from her desk. Jeff waited patiently as she prodded the dogs off her bed. With her entourage gathered around her, the small girl cautiously made her way to the kitchen.
Jared waited until Anna was out of earshot before asking, “Is that picture real?”
“No, I had it made before we arrived. I thought it might be a good way to break the ice with your daughter.” Jeff answered.
Jared’s face crumpled for a moment but said nothing. However, his expression brightened during breakfast as he watched Anna go through the simple rituals of eating and introducing Pooh to Jeff. Then the air became tense as Anna began drawing the tattoo.
Jeff fully expected a crude rendition; Anna’s drawing was anything but. The line, the swirls and foreign symbols were carefully recreated. When Anna finished she handed the paper to Jeff.
“This is remarkable,” Jeff said with awe in his voice.
“I drew a lot when I was young.”
The answer would’ve evoked laughter but Jeff saw the painful truth in her reply. She wasn’t young anymore. No, her childhood was sacrificed long before Ackles found and rescued her.
“The man who had that,” Anna said, pointing at the drawing, “he told me to stop crying in Romanian.”
“In Romanian?” Jeff was honestly surprised.
“Yes,” Anna replied with a frown before shaking her head. “But he’s not Romanian.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He spoke it wrong. Like when Mr. Yoshida calls me Anne-A. It’s not Anne-A. It’s A-nna.”
“But the language is very hard. Maybe he had a bad teacher.”
Anna thought carefully before shaking her head again. “No, I think he learned some words. Maybe sentences like I did when I came here.”
“Where is the bathroom and things like that?” Jeff asked.
Anna nodded. “I was surprised to hear him speak it.”
“I don’t doubt you. Thank you A-nna for this lovely drawing.”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“Sometimes people get tattoos because something important happened to them. In a way it’s like writing a secret in a diary, but instead it’s written on their skin. Maybe I can read this tattoo and figure something out about the men who took your daddy.”
Anna looked at Jared. “I tried my best, Papa. I tried so very hard to help Daddy but they wouldn’t let me.”
Jared hugged her. “I know baby. I’m so grateful you did. Sen-Sen Daddy would’ve been very proud of you.”
Jeff’s cell rang. He checked the caller I.D. and excused himself. He took a deep breath and answered, “Chris?”
“You sound ecstatic to hear from me.”
“Cut the bullshit. Where are you?”
“At Cruz’s apartment, and it’s bad. She hung herself. Left behind a suicide note too.”
“I thought something like that might happen. Fuck.”
“You want me to look for anything?”
“Does she have a laptop?”
“Yep, want me to link it to the lab so Eric can download?”
“Do it quickly and get out. Be careful.”
“That goes without saying. Do you want me to come by afterwards?”
“Yeah, I’m expecting a call by ten at the latest.”
“I’ll be there in an hour. Jeff, this shit stinks.”
“I won’t argue with that.” Jeff paused before asking. “Does it look like suicide?”
“I found enough meds in her cabinet to kill off an entire platoon so I’m gonna say no. Hanging isn’t totally unheard of but women like to use poison if given a choice.”
“Got it, thanks.”
Jeff exited the laundry room only to face Justin standing outside the door.
“She’s dead?” he whispered hoarsely.
Jeff nodded, “Looks like. And Chris doesn’t think it’s suicide.”
“Jesus, they killed her?”
“They’re mopping up after themselves is what they’re doing. I think you should call the rest of the staff to wish them happy Christmas or something, just to make sure nobody else’s been eliminated. And if you speak to Mrs. Cruz, tell her you couldn’t reach Jamie. That might make the mom look in on her daughter.”
“Not a problem. I’ll use my personal line.”
Jeff nodded his thanks and rejoined the Padalecki family in the kitchen. Jared noticed his pallor but didn’t ask any questions. Instead, he kept Anna busy with nonsense talk. An hour had nearly passed before Jeff spotted a compact figure with startlingly blond hair strolling through the back garden.
“He’s a friend,” Jeff said as he let Chris inside.
“Hiya,” Chris said with a smile that reached his eyes when he spotted Anna and Jared.
Jared gave a small nod but Anna actually smiled in response.
“You must be Anna. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Chris said as he stuck his hand out.
Anna blinked in surprise but gave a small handshake.
“So, is there some waffles left for me? I’m famished.” Chris said, looking around the kitchen.
“How’d you know we had waffles?” Jared asked.
“I can see from the mess that Jeff cooked, and the only decent thing he can make is waffles. Otherwise, the man could burn the house down if you leave him alone in the kitchen.”
Anna didn’t giggle but her eyes narrowed in silent laughter. Once again Jeff was reminded how much self-control the little girl already possessed. Five-years-old and she had enough manners to shame some of his adult acquaintances.
“So, where do you want me to set up?” Chris asked breezily as he scarfed down the cold leftovers.
“In Mr. Padalecki’s office,” Jeff said and lobbed his car keys at Chris.
“Give me twenty,” was the reply.
Both Jared and Jeff directed their attention on Anna until Justin returned to the kitchen alongside Chris.
“I called everyone to wish them a merry Christmas,” Justin said. “They want to say thank you again, Mr. Padalecki, for giving them the time off.”
Jared gave a small nod and a puzzled glance at Jeff.
“Justin, why don’t you take Anna upstairs and help her open some of her presents.” Jeff said, giving a glance at his watch. It was 8:47AM.
“Of course.” Justin answered.
Anna gave the men a searching glance before taking Justin’s hand. She turned to Jared and said, “Please Papa, make the bad men give Daddy back.”
“I will. I promise,” Jared said, his voice wavering badly.
The two men entered the office and watched as Chris finished hooking up the office telephone to a small laptop. Jared took a deep breath when he saw the various computers and technical material spread out all over his desk. He locked the office door and collapsed on the large sofa facing an impressive fireplace.
“I can’t do this,” he whispered. “Fuck, Anna is holding it together better than me.”
“I’m sorry to tell you but you got no choice,” Jeff said.
Jared gave a small nod. “I knew you were going to say that.”
“Just think about Jensen. That’s all you need to do.”
“Okay.” Jared whispered. Then he looked at Jeff with a teary squint. “You know Jensen’s going to blow a gasket when he finds out we categorized him as a carrot. The man’s an overachiever: he probably would’ve preferred broccoli.”
Jeff gave a bark of laughter. “I’ll be long gone by then so you’re going to have to deal with that all by yourself.”
Before Jared could reply his office phone rang.
Jeff let it ring twice before answering. “Padalecki’s residence. May I help you?”
“We sent an e-mail.”
“Thank you.”
The line went dead. Jared stared at the phone then transferred his stunned gaze towards Jeff.
“That’s it?”
“Check your e-mail.”
Jared scrambled to his computer desk and turned on the Mac. His fingers froze on the keyboard when he logged onto his e-mail account. Jeff saw the list of new messages but only one interested him. He entered commands on the laptops hooked onto Jared’s computer before opening the e-mail. It contained an URL address. He clicked on it and waited while the web page loaded.
“It’s looks like a live feed,” Jeff said.
The screen opened and revealed a small room with a T.V. at the upper left corner. Suddenly a man sat in front of the television with what looked like a paper cup and a plate filled with food.
“Jensen, oh thank God, that’s Jensen.” Jared whispered as he watched his husband eat.
“What program is that?” Chris asked as he tried to figure out the show on television.
“Looks like … it’s Disney’s Christmas Parade,” Jared answered.
Jeff turned on the television sitting neglected in the corner and switched channels until he came upon the parade. He compared the two programs. They were the same.
“We have proof of life,” Jeff said as he rested a firm hand on Jared’s trembling shoulders. But he refrained from saying anything else as the man wept openly.
Part I * Part III