Page 88 of Billion-Dollar Ransom
“ARE YOU PREPARED to take this transaction seriously?” One asked.
“We are forwarding visual confirmation of the ransom,” Nicky said. “The documentation will follow shortly. Now we’d like proof of life for the hostages.”
“No.”
“You can’t seriously believe that we’ll release the money without some indication that you are holding up your end of the deal.”
“That’s exactly what I believe, Agent Gordon. What choice do you have?”
“At least show us the children. You’ll get everything you’ve asked for.”
One sighed. Processed through the voice-disguising synthesizer, it sounded like a computer glitch. “Do you wish to end this discussion now?”
“I just want to bring the Schraeder family home safe.”
“Your words are guaranteeing the opposite. But maybe the failure is on my end. Maybe I haven’t convinced you that I am capable of following through. Fair enough, Agent Gordon. So pick one.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Pick one of the children.”
Everyone in the Sandbox wore an expression of pure terror. Nicky could have sworn she saw James Haller’s soul leave his body.
She tried to salvage the moment. “If I pick one of the children, you’ll show them alive and unharmed?”
“No,” One said in a tone of gleeful malice. “I want you to pick one of the children so that when that child’s face is destroyed with a shotgun blast, you’ll know I’m serious.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Nicky saw Randolph Schraeder try to contain his rage and fail. Spectacularly.
“Stop antagonizing him, you stupid bitch!” Schraeder bellowed from his screen.
Then he leaned forward as if to speak directly to the kidnapper.
“Listen to me, whoever you are,” he said, this time without the thunder in his voice.
“This is Randolph Schraeder. Ignore the feds. I oversee this operation. And I am prepared to pay you right now, no questions asked. Just tell me where to send my plane.”
One ignored him. “So who will it be, Agent Gordon? Brave little Cal? Or sweet young Finney? Would you find it useful to hear them cry first?”
“She doesn’t speak for me!” Schraeder shouted. “Didn’t you hear me tell you to ignore her? Do not touch one hair on the heads of my children! I’ll give you anything you want!”
But One heard exactly none of that, because Nicky had given Hope the signal to mute Randolph a split second before he called her a stupid bitch. The billionaire was, for all intents and purposes, screaming into the void.
James Haller must have realized this, because he hurried outside the Sandbox to call his client directly in a kind of sidebar.
On-screen, Randolph looked furious when one of his assistants pushed a phone in his face, insisting he take it.
He refused at first but eventually gave in and took the call, turning his back to his computer camera.
Well, that’s one good thing about having Haller here, Nicky thought. Wrangling Randolph must be a full-time job.
“There’s no reason to do that,” Nicky said to One with as much calm as she could summon. One had to know she wouldn’t flinch, no matter how horrifying the threat.
One had to understand that Nicky Gordon was the only obstacle between him and the billion dollars.
There was a great and terrible silence on the line.
Nicky scanned the faces of everyone in the Sandbox: Mike Hardy.
Jeff Penney. Hope Alonso. Ross Lindbergh.
If one of them was the mole, she couldn’t tell; none of the faces betrayed a thing.
Randolph Schraeder turned back to the screen as James Haller rushed into the room.
As if One were waiting for the return of the entire party, his synthesized voice finally spoke again.
“Here is what will happen. The billion will be delivered to a former military airstrip in the Antelope Valley, about an hour north of Los Angeles. The billion will be placed on the tarmac no later than three a.m., otherwise Schraeder’s wife and children die .
The billion will be left unattended, otherwise the wife and children die .
If I detect police presence anywhere near the airstrip, the wife and children die .
If anyone tries to follow the pickup aircraft, the wife and children die .
If there are tracking devices on the ransom, they die .
If these conditions are met to my satisfaction, the hostages will be released and their locations shared with Mr. Schraeder.
“Do you understand these instructions and agree to follow them?”
Now it was Nicky Gordon’s turn to be quiet, because this was not her money. There was only one person in this room who could agree to these terms.
Randolph Schraeder said: “Pay the sons of bitches.”