Page 79 of The Presidents Shadow

BELINDA LOOKS SURPRISED and confused to see the two men who enter the van. Maddy, on the other hand, is not at all shocked to see that one of them is the repugnant Robert McCarthy. She doesn’t know the other one, but he has the same sneering mouth and blazing eyes as the sleazy detective.

“Sorry we had no seats available in first class, ladies,” says McCarthy, almost as if he’s being serious. “I hope business class was acceptable.”

While McCarthy doesn’t laugh or even smile, his companion—whom Maddy has already silently nicknamed the Stooge, supplies a nauseating, loud guffaw.

“We thought you two divas could use a little fresh air,” says McCarthy.

The Stooge chimes in. “And if you need a bathroom break, you’ve got the whole forest.” He gestures to the open trailer entrance. Yes, it is wooded and green. Maddy assumes they’ve parked on the side of some highway.

“I’ve got to take a wicked piss myself,” says the Stooge.

“Hold on,” says McCarthy. “Let’s do the other thing first.”

The other thing? Maddy is genuinely terrified and knows that Belinda must be as well.

Then both men kneel down—McCarthy near Belinda, the Stooge next to Maddy.

As soon as the men come close, Maddy notices that both kidnappers are wearing something strange on the sides of their ears. Small white electrodes are protruding from just above their sideburns.

Each man’s device is attached in the back with a slim gray wire. The devices themselves emit a tiny blue flash every few seconds. Maddy does the one-Mississippi count and discovers that the blue light appears every four seconds. What’s this all about?

Communication orders from a central location?

Whom are they getting their instructions from?

Carla Spector? Someone even more heinous?

McCarthy and the Stooge get to work. They are each holding a small hypodermic needle. The Stooge forces Maddy’s head onto the floor.

Seeing her savior about to be attacked, Belinda seems to have had enough. She bends her knees and aims her bound feet at McCarthy, giving him a kick that does nothing more than knock him aside.

“Bitch!” he screams. Then he looks at the Stooge. “Let’s do it!”

At that moment both men plunge their syringes into their victims’ necks.

The two young women quake uncontrollably, and within moments they both pass out.