Hostage

Kevin came up behind him, and made a hissing sound.

'What is this?'

'It's a security system. Jesus, look at this stuff.'

Dennis studied the view of the master bedroom. The camera appeared to be looking from the upper left ceiling corner above the door through which he had just entered. Dennis went out and looked up into the corner. He saw nothing.

Still inside the room, Kevin said, 'Hey, I can see you.'

Dennis rejoined his brother. The monitors were above a long keyboard set with button pads, LED windows, and red and green lights. Right now, all of the lights glowed green. Rows of buttons were lined along the right side of the keyboard, the buttons labeled MOTION SENSORS, INFRARED, UPSTAIRS LOCKS, DOWNSTAIRS LOCKS, and ALARMS. Dennis felt creeped out. He turned back to the door and slowly pushed it. The door swung easily, but with a feeling of weight and density. A heavy throwbolt was set into the door so that it could be locked tight from the inside. Dennis rapped on the door with his knuckles. Steel.

He turned back to his brother.

'What the fuck is going on here? They've got this place stitched up like a bank.'

Kevin was on his knees at the back of the closet, partially buried by a wall of hanging clothes. He slowly rocked back on his heels, then turned around holding a white cardboard box about the size of a shoe box. Dennis saw that the wall behind the clothes was like a small metal garage door that could be raised or lowered. It was raised, and more white boxes were stacked behind it.

Kevin held out the box.

'Look.'

The box was filled with hundred-dollar bills. Kevin pulled out a second box, then a third. They bulged with money. Dennis opened a fourth box. Money.

Dennis and Kevin looked at each other.

'Lets get Mars.'

JENNIFER

Jennifer was worried. Her father's breathing was raspy. His eyes jerked spastically beneath their lids like eyes do when someone is having bad dreams. She placed a pillow from the couch beneath his head, and sat beside him, holding the ice to his head. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound was red and inflamed, and an ugly bruise was spreading across his face.

Thomas nudged her knee, and whispered.

'Why won't he wake up?'

She glanced at Mars before she answered. Mars had pulled her father's desk chair across the room and was sitting so that he could watch the police.

'I don't know.'

'Is he going to die?'

Jennifer was worried about that, too, though she didn't want to say. She thought that her father might have a concussion, though the only thing she knew about concussions for real was that the catcher on her high school baseball team had gotten a concussion during a game when he had blocked home plate and a bigger player had bowled him over. Tim had to go to the hospital that night and missed two days of school. Jennifer was scared that her father needed a doctor, too, and might get worse without medical attention.

'Jen?'

Thomas nudged her again, his voice an insistent whisper.

'Jen?'

She finally answered, and tried to look upbeat.

'I think he has a concussion. That's all it is.'

The phone on her father's desk rang. Mars glanced over, but made no move to answer it. The phone stopped ringing just as Dennis and Kevin reappeared from the rear of the house. Dennis walked over and stared down at her father, then her. The expression on his face creeped her out. Kevin was staring, too.

Dennis squatted beside her.

'Your old man, what's he do for a living?'

'He's an accountant.'

'He does taxes for other rich people, he handle their money, what?'

'Duh. That's what accountants do.'

Jennifer knew she was taunting him, and she was ready for his anger, but Dennis seemed to consider her. Then he glanced at Thomas before smiling.

'What's your name?'

'Jennifer.'

'What's your last name?'

'Smith.'

'Okay, Jennifer Smith. And your old man?'

'Walter Smith.'

Dennis looked at Thomas.

'How about you, fat boy?'

'Eat me.'

Dennis grabbed Thomas's ear.

Thomas blurted out his name.

'Thomas!'

'Fat boy Thomas, you give me shit, I'm gonna beat your ass. Are we clear on that?'

'Yes, sir.'

Dennis let go of Thomas's ear.

'That's a good fat boy.'

Jennifer wished that he would just leave them alone, but he didn't. He smiled at her and lowered his voice.

'We're going to be here a while, Jennifer. Where's your bedroom?'

Jennifer blushed furiously, and Dennis smiled wider.

'Now don't think nasty thoughts on me, Jennifer. I didn't mean it like that. You look cold, wearing just the bikini top. I'll bring you a shirt. Cover up that fine body.'

She averted her eyes and blushed harder.

'It's upstairs.'

'Okay. I'll bring you something.'

Dennis told Mars to come with him, and then the two of them left. Kevin went to the window.

The phone rang again, but Kevin ignored it. The ringing went on forever.

Thomas nudged her knee again.

When she looked at him, his face was deathly white with pink blotches at the comers of his mouth. That was the face he got when he was angry. She knew he didn't like being called a fat boy.