Page 76 of The Night Belongs To Fireman

Fred might be temporarily blinded and mute, but he wasn’t deaf. And he was pretty good at reading people. His immediate assessment of the man, based on his voice and the way he was tied up—amateur. This kidnapper was in over his head, things hadn’t gone as planned, and he was jittery and anxious.

Fred could use that. Maybe he could calm the guy down, make him think they were on the same side. He wasn’t sure how yet, but the first step was to be able to talk.

He nodded, trying to look nonthreatening. Maybe his appearance would help in that regard, since he wasn’t a Superman type like Vader.

“You understand that I’m in charge here? You’ll do what I tell you to do? I have a knife. And other weapons.”

Fred nodded again. A knife was definitely something to fear, especially in the hands of someone who was anxious and trying to prove he was in charge.

Face it, Fred. At the moment he is in charge.

“As long as we’re on the same page. Me boss, you slave. Think this knife can slice through the gag without nicking you?” He gave a high-pitched laugh. “Because I’m not exactly a knot expert and I did a number on this thing.”

Fred braced himself as the chill of metal slid across his cheek. The man sawed at the cloth, and he felt a flick of quicksilver pain. A trickle of blood rolled down his jaw.

“Oops.” The kidnapper snickered. “Didn’t mean to do that. I hope Tree doesn’t mind a little blood on his carpet.”

Tree? What kind of a name was Tree? Fred had a feeling he’d be better off resolving this situation now, before Tree or other backup arrived. As soon as the cloth fell away from his mouth, he coughed and spat up some cotton fibers. “Water,” he croaked. “Please.”

“Why should you get water? Do you think the poor wild animals get water? Not during a drought they don’t.”

Huh? Okay, that was different. Was this guy some sort of wild animal lover? What did that have to do with Fred? Information. He needed more information. Fred had a sudden memory of Rob Kessler in his black sedan, announcing that he was an information addict. Keep the guy talking. “Really, they don’t?”

“Of course they don’t. How could they? That’s the meaning of the word ‘drought.’”

“Right.” Fred tried to clear his throat, but it was so dry. It felt as if he’d been at the dentist getting wads of cotton stuffed in his mouth. “That’s a good point.”

“Like you care. I know what you are. You’re a fireman.”

Fred nodded cautiously. He wasn’t sure what firefighting had to do with thirsty animals, but the dude was on some kind of crazy mental tangent.

“Do you even care about the animals injured during all those brushfires?” Fred felt the man’s restless energy as he paced back and forth. He moved freely in the space, giving Fred the sense that there wasn’t much furniture.

“Of course I do.”

“But you don’t go out there for the animals, do you? It’s all about the people. And their houses and their ranches and their property.”

“Is that why I’m here? Because I’m a firefighter?” Was it possible that he’d actually been the target of this weirdo kidnapper?

“Dream on. You’re not that important. You’re just a bonus. That coward Rachel Kessler’s the one who’s going to pay.”

He knew her real name. Fred tightened his fists in their bonds, but he fought back his fear. He didn’t need emotion interfering with his thinking right now.

“Who are you?” He asked. “How do you know Rachel?”

“I know Rachel. I know she hides behind her mother’s last name and her father’s money. I have no respect for Rachel.”

For the first time, Fred felt a real chill run through him. The man’s voice vibrated with contempt and even hatred, and from the way he said Rachel’s name, clearly he knew her on a personal level. “But how do you know her?” He repeated. “What’s your name?”

That question earned him a stinging slap across the face. “Who said you could ask questions?”

“Sorry,” Fred muttered, trying to make it sound sincere even though he was seething. Anyone who slapped a bound man had no right to call anyone else a coward. Not that he intended to point that out. “I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on here. Maybe I can help. It sounds like you really care about animals. I do too.”

He wanted to add that Rachel did too, but figured he’d better steer clear of her name for now, since it seemed to set the man off.

“You’re already helping, like it or not. This wasn’t the plan, but maybe it’ll work out better this way.”

“What are you trying to accomplish?” Fred tried to keep his tone of voice curious rather than skeptical, but it was hard. He honestly didn’t see how kidnapping Fred Breen would help this guy’s cause in any way.

“What we are going to accomplish is simple. And there’s no way we can fail. Rachel Kessler might be a coward, but I know her weak points. She’s afraid of being trapped, so that was my first choice. That didn’t work out, but I think we have a higher power at work here. She likes you. I’ve seen you two together. I’ve seen her laughing with you, I’ve seen how she looks at you when you’re not even paying attention. What’s it like to have a rich girl like her wrapped around your finger?”

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