Ransom

Liam sat in his patrol car, eyeing down the crowded streets of Huntington Beach with tired eyes. Matt sat by his side, sipping from his steaming coffee every few seconds. He was growing impatient, but Liam continued to tell him to wait. Even though Liam was driving the patrol car, that didn’t mean Matt didn’t want to leave. They were waiting for a man of middle age to walk into the thrift store right across the street from them. He was an ideal suspect in this little boy’s disappearence and Liam promised the pleading parents he would catch this man.

He could see their facial features in his mind still, which forced a shock of anger to flow through him. His knuckles whitened at the force he gripped the steering wheel, making Matt arch his eyebrows in confusion. It had been nearly two hours and there was no sign of the older man. What would make him so angry now? When Liam noticed his weird behavior, he quickly unclenched the leather wheel and smiled warmly at Matt. It was the swollen red eyes of the mother that cried for his help. It was the anger and worry in the father’s face that forced him to do his best.

It was the care and love that these families had that made Liam want to put in more than one hundred percent. He wanted to find the child that had gone missing and bring them home safe and sound. Matt broke Liam’s thoughts by groaning angrily. He leaned back in his seat roughly, making it creak with his weight. Liam smiled warmly before letting his eyes meet the streets once more. He grabbed the binoculars from the center console and pressed them to his eyes, hoping he could catch even a glimpse of this monster.

He perked up quickly when he saw a man scurrying through the crowd, obviously nervous and jittery. He looked behind him every few seconds and walked at an unusually fast pace, making him the number one target. Liam looked from the picture he had received and back, growling lowly at the man. Matt jumped up when Liam shoved his driver’s door open quickly. He got out as well, asking, “You see him?”

“He’s heading in there now!”Liam jogged across the busy streets, reaching his hand back toward his glock.

Matt was quick to follow him, pulling his 40 Caliber hand gun from his belt. They jogged through the car stocked street and waited for the man to enter the store. They leaned against the cement wall behind them, acting as if they were taking a break before the man took one last look around him. He cautiously stepped into the store, which signaled both Matt and Liam to follow right behind him. Liam swiftly pulled his gun from it’s holster before flicking the safety off with his thumb. In his other hand, he reached behind his suit, tugging roughly on his badge.

Surely a gun being waved around in a family friendly store is going to stir up some screams and fear. As they stepped in they followed after the man, watching as he made his way to the register. He pulled out a pallet of baseball cards and smiled nervously at the clerk. Again, he looked over his shoulder and caught sight of Matt and Liam. Without a second glance, he took off, leaving the baseball cards and the clerk at the counter. Liam motioned for Matt to go around the store and meet the man halfway. Liam was intent on going after the man himself.

They both parted ways, taking off in a split second. Liam shouted at the man, ordering him to freeze and to surrender, but the man was persistent on running from them. People scattered and watched as the man ran out the back door. Liam followed just a few feet behind him, gaining on his heels every second. Before he could leap for the man, Matt emerged from around the corner, aiming his weapon in the man’s face. All the colour drained from him when he saw the loaded hand gun in his direction.

Liam leaped for the man, taking him to the ground in a second. His face grated against the hot cement, forcing his skin to peel back and bleed slightly. He yelped in pain when his arms were bent back behind his back in order to proceed with the arrest. Liam, with a cruel sense of humor, turned the man’s arm so far back, it popped in his shoulder. He cried out for Liam to stop, but he knew better. This man would pay for what he did, if not by the official’s hands, then by god’s. The man did not fight, but questioned why he was being arrested in the first place.

Liam placed his gun and badge back in place before pulling a pair of stainless steel handcuffs from his belt. He cuffed the man tightly, hearing his groans of pain from the sharp steel. Both Matt and Liam grabbed the man’s arms, pulling him to his feet in seconds. He looked from both of the Detective’s, pleading and offering cash for his release. He tried to play innocent, but they both knew how that worked. They always heard the same thing. Every day, every time. Liam looked over at Matt, giving him a smart smirk.

“I’ll let Matt here read you your rights. But as of right now, we can keep you in jail for persuading an officer with money.”They walked their way to the police car and Matt threw open the back door.

He began to read the middle aged man his rights as Liam cracked his knuckles. He was more than willing to strike this man because of what he had done, but it was only a matter of time before they caught up with the young boy.

“Why am I being arrested?!”He breathed.”I haven’t done anything!”

“If you didn’t do anything, then why did you run?”Matt slammed the door shut, leaving the man’s pleas to go silent.

“Good job, Matt.”Liam patted his partner on the back before climbing into the driver’s seat of the car.

When Matt got in as well, Liam looked over at him with a sly grin.

“And you wanted to leave.”He chuckled.

“I’m not a patient man, Liam.”Matt smiled.”You out of all people know this.”

“That’s why I’ll be the one to interrogate this asshole when we get back.”Liam took off down the road, traveling back to the police station where the assailant would be interrogated until night fall.

When they arrived, they pulled the man from the back seat with ease. Matt pushed him up the stairs to the entrance, forcing him to fall to his knees. With an angry growl, Matt pulled him up by the arm and pushed him, sending him to greet the entrance door with a thud. Matt chuckled cruelly before walking him into the station. Liam followed right behind them, allowing Matt to take him to get his mug shot taken care of. He stepped up to the desk and smiled warmly at Stacie, the desk clerk for the hard working men.

“How are you, Stacie?”He pulled the picture of the man from his pocket and placed it on the desk.

“Already?”She chuckled softly.”I was expecting a fight, a little gun fire. Something.”

“Not today, sweetheart. Take him into the interrogation room. I’ll meet him in there in five. Don’t offer him anything, just let him rot ‘til I get there.”Liam started his walk away as Stacie agreed with him.

Liam took care of certain paper work and shoveled a stack of papers into his arms before scanning the room for Matt. Matt wanted to be there when Liam went into the room, just in case it didn’t go as planned. Liam would be the one to be gentle and nice, but if that hadn’t worked, Matt would force his bad temper on the man, forcing him to give away the boy’s whereabouts or who was behind the whole thing. Liam started his way toward Matt’s office, but stopped upon hearing him talking to someone. He peaked through the cracked door, finding him on his cell phone.

He must have been arguing, because his temper was clearly shown. He spoke with his hands, clenching his fists every so often. Liam broke the conversation and knocked, pushing it open with ease. With an angry glare, Matt finished the conversation before hanging up. Liam laughed to himself and leaned against the poorly painted walls of his office. With a smile, he said, “Having some trouble?”

“Fucking Valary, man.”Matt wiped his face down before placing a hand on his hip.”Things just aren’t going well right now.”

“Hey, I understand. It’s the economy, Matt. Don’t worry about it. Things will get better.”Liam offered some good advice, but it was hard getting through to Matt sometimes.

“You don’t know.”Matt shook his head.”You still have your house. You have your bank accounts and all that shit.”

He slammed an angry fist on his desk and growled lowly to himself. Matt had been having trouble with his marriage for the past couple of months, but Liam didn’t butt in. He had asked Nicole to take Valary out here and there, to offer their help and consideration, but they strongly refused each time. The best they could do was take the two out here and there, offer them a good time and hope that things would only get better as time went by. Liam frowned slightly, knowing Matt was surely upset about everything.

Liam stepped next to him, placing a large hand on his shoulder. He quietly said, “Remember, I’ll help you out no matter what.”

“There’s not enough help in the world for me, Liam.”He smiled weakly.”It’s the marriage, the bills. Money, in general. We’ll get through it though. We always do.”

“See. Think of it like that. You and Valary just need a day out, you know?”Liam smiled.

“Let’s just take care of this asshole. I need to go home and think some things over.”Matt walked away from Liam, stopping at his door.

Liam scratched his head, breathing deeply. He tried multiple times to get Matt to talk about his problems, but as of now it was all sinking in slowly. There was going to be a day when he snapped and Liam hoped he wasn’t around when he did. Matt looked back at him, asking, “You coming?”

Liam followed after Matt, making their way toward the room where the man they had just caught had been placed in. Liam looked over the papers in his hands, finding the name he had been searching for this whole time. Kyle Morrginson. Kyle was forty eight years old, currently unemployed and was the lead suspect in Johnny’s disappearence. Liam looked over at Matt, smiling before walking into the room. Kyle had been handcuffed to the table to insure that he was unable to escape if he wanted to.

Liam slammed down the papers on the table, gaining his attention quickly. Kyle looked up at him, his eyes pleading and crying to be let go. Liam pulled out three photo’s of Johnny and scattered them in front of him. With an angry tone, he asked, “Look familiar to you? Little boy, eight years old, missing.”

“I don’t know who this -”He began.

“You know exactly who this is, Kyle.”Liam spat.”You’ve worked the Johnson’s yard and pool for years. The day they let you go you get upset. Maybe a little angry. How are you supposed to pay the bills? How are you supposed to get food on your table? Only one solution, right? They’re a wealthy family. Paid you well for your work. Why not take their child and demand a ransom, huh? Sounds like a plan to me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”Kyle choked.

His eyes welled in tears, but tears never stopped Liam before. He wanted this man to cry his eyes out and know what he did was wrong. He wanted this man to get close to his breaking point and snap. He wanted this man dead.

“You’re our main suspect in the missing case of Johnny Johnson, Kyle. How do you respond to that?”Liam pulled out the metal chair, spinning it so he could sit backwards.

He rested his arms on the chair, smiling dubiously in Kyle’s direction. Judging by his actions and facial expressions, Liam could tell he was not used to this type of thing. It would only be a matter of time before he snapped. He would ether admit to the kidnapping of this little boy, or he would spill who had. He knew something, but Liam wasn’t sure what.

“I can’t! I didn’t do anything!”He began to breath heavily, making that smile on Liam’s lips grow wider.

“You can deny all you want, Kyle.”Liam stood, making his way in his direction.

He slammed his hands down on the table, pushing himself closer than ever toward Kyle’s face. His colour drained once more, forcing sweat beads to pop along his hair line. He choked on his breath as Liam stated, “Looking at what we have you on and the evidence behind it, you’re looking at five years. Kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child; should I go on?”

“Okay.”He whimpered quietly.

His eyes went from Liam to the tinted window. He must have known Matt was watching the whole time.

“Okay.”The tears fell from his eyes as he stopped.

Liam waited for him to continue. He waited for something. He seemed to have grown nervous, but what else could you expect out of this whole situation? This man would be going to jail ether way.

“I took him.”He cried.”Johnny’s in - in my home. In m - my basement.”

“Was that hard?”Liam clenched his fist, fighting back the urge to punch out this man.

Liam waved his hand, signaling more officials to take the ride down to his house. Liam stood up, but angrily grabbed the legs of Kyle’s chair. With an angry stare, he grew uncomfortably close to Kyle. In an enraged whisper, he added, “If anything is wrong with that little boy, I will make damn sure you rot in the worst jail for the rest of your life. I will make sure you are every one of those god damn psychopath’s bitch for as long as you live.”

“He’s okay.”His gaze fell upon the window once more, but Liam wouldn’t have it.

“He better be, Kyle.”He released his chair before gathering his paper work once more.

He walked through the door and was greeted by Matt. He patted him hard on the back, but wasn’t as happy as Liam would think. Matt wasn’t very patient and had a bad temper, but he hated to see children in the danger line of anything. Liam noticed that beads of sweat had formed along his hair line and dripped down his face slowly. He grew confused, but shrugged it off his shoulders.

“Son of a bitch is goin’ to jail.”Matt smirked.”Good job, Liam.”

He started his walk away and Liam dug his hand into his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone, but before leaving to call his wife, he looked over at the other officers’.

“If Johnny isn’t at that house you put the meanest motherfucking cop we got in there with him. Beat it out of him if you have to. If you get the boy, call his parents right away. I want them together as soon as possible. No bullshit in between. I‘m headed home, so call me if you need me.”They only nodded in agreement as he took off toward his car.

He stepped inside, watching as Matt lit a cigarette before getting into his own car. He eyed him down carefully, wondering if everything was finally coming down on him. For the past few months he had been fighting a lot of things, especially with his job. His temper flares higher and he seems stressed, but today was no different. Liam slammed his car door shut and slid open his cell phone. He just needed to hear Nicole’s voice. It would make his day that much sweeter. He had taken the rest of the day to go home, because there’s nothing better than the comfort of your own family.

He could picture his little girl running up to the door, welcoming him with a large hug and giggle. Nicole would be at the door, watching as Liam pulled his daughter into a fatherly hug. He dialed home before starting up his car. As he pulled out, that sweet, symphonic voice answered the phone with, “Hey, baby.”

“How are my girls?”He smiled.

“We’re doing good. Ashlee, say hi to daddy!”He could hear the phone muffle as it was passed down to his little girl.

“Hi,”She spoke softly.”daddy.”

“Hi baby girl.”He pressed the phone between his ear and shoulder before taking the next street.

“How’s your day going?”Nicole got back onto the phone and he only laughed.

“Pretty quick.”He grinned.”I’m comin’ home, darlin’. I miss my girls.”