Case #10 - The Gangster Conspiracy




CHAPTER ONE

"I'm not so sure this was such a great idea ... " Jake Perry said hesitantly
as he placed his ice skate-clad foot on the smooth, cold surface of the
Gottlieb Skating Rink.

Katie Spencer was already on the ice, gliding along gracefully as if she were
a figure skater during warm-up sessions for a competition""she was an avid ice
skater dating back to when she was a little girl with her mother (who was a
fine skater herself). "Oh c'mon, Jake ... " she said lightheartedly as she
approached her uneasy boyfriend, " ... you promised me we would do this after
we had to go to Slider's Bar & Grill for that 32 oz. porterhouse special."

"Hey, it's not everyday you get a juicy steak that size for the price of a
regular 16 oz.," he said in his defense for Jake was an ardent steak
connoisseur. "Besides, you enjoyed your meal."

"Oh sure ... after having to talk our way through that rowdy bunch of dateless
hooligans watching some silly basketball game on TV," she said rather glumly
for that was not her ideal setting for a nice romantic Valentines Day dinner.

"For your information it was the Knicks beating the pants off the Celtics,"
Jake added for he was also a big Knicks fan.

"Yeah, you spent more time watching that game than you did talking with me,"
she said glumly.

Holding her arms gently, Jake looked deeply into Katie's hurt green eyes. "I'm
sorry for this bumpy night ... I should've been thinking of you more."

Staring back at him, a smirk then came across her face and she grabbed Jake's
arms, pulling him onto the ice. "Whoa! ... " he yelled in a mild panic as he
struggled to stay upright while being careful not to drag Katie down onto the
cold ice for she was wearing a nice red dress underneath her brown wool coat.

"Just relax and stand up straight ... " she said calmly, soothing his anxiety
for not surprising, this was Jake's very first time ice skating.

After doing just that, to his unexpected surprise, he didn't fall as he began
to skate""with Katie's assistance of course. "Wow ... I never thought I could
actually ice skate!" he said excitedly for he dreaded coming here and risked
looking like a bumbling idiot.

"See, that wasn't so hard ... " Katie said assuringly.

Feeling more confident now, Jake let go of one of her hands and began to skate
a little faster. "I hear that your school is having a college fair this week,"
he said as he was curious what his girlfriend intended to do after high
school.

"Yeah ... I haven't pinpointed where I want to go just yet, but I do have
three or four universities in mind."

"I do hope one of them is SUNY," Jake said expectantly as that was the local
state college in Albany.

"It is ... " Katie reassured him, " ... but I'm leaning more towards Snowden
University right now."

"Snowden? ... I've never heard of that school," Jake exclaimed in puzzlement.

"It's named after the town it's in ... in Pennsylvania."

"Pennsylvania!? ... but that's like five hundred miles away!" he yelled in
frustration.

"Keep your voice down ... " Katie warned softly for there was other people
close by and she didn't want them to hear about her college plans.

"Sorry ... " he replied apologetically as he lowered his booming voice. "But
why go down there?"

"I heard that Dr. Jennifer McNeil had just relocated there and is now teaching
a class in forensics science ... """a reference to one of Katie's most admired
professors for she had read several of her books"" " ... and besides, I'll be
closer to the FBI Academy where I could check out enrollment over there after
college."

"Why do you have to join the FBI in order to save the world? ... You do that
already right now," he said jokingly for he was masking his true feelings deep
inside.

"I know you're upset, but as I said, I'm not making any definite plans yet ...
" Katie stopped and faced him now, holding him closer to her.

Looking into her beautiful green eyes, he softened up as he usually does
whenever she gives him her persuasive look. Moving closer, Jake went to kiss
her when he suddenly slipped on the ice, falling backwards and taking Katie
with him!

Landing on top of him broke her fall, but the same couldn't be said about Jake
as he groaned in stinging pain against the frigid surface of the ice. "You
okay?" she asked in jest, but with a serious concern.

"Yeah ... nothing that a body cast can't fix ... " he quipped through the
soreness riding up and down his back. She giggled a bit at his expense.

Standing back up, she extended her hand out to help him. "No, that's okay ...
" he said, waving her hand away, " ... I'll just crawl back to the edge."

"I guess this means that your endeavor at ice skating is now over? ... " she
asked in humor, watching her boyfriend down on all fours. If only Mike could
see him now ...

Resuming her skating, Katie did wonder about what her relationship with Jake
would be like if she did move away to college. The future was like this
monolith approaching ever so slowly that she had to pass through, and what was
on the other side frightened her just a bit ...

CHAPTER TWO

After dropping off Katie at her house, Jake still felt very stiff from his
tumbling on the ice that he'll have to sit out on his weekly basketball game
he plays over at the YMCA with some of the guys. All in all, it was a
satisfying evening for anytime he's with Katie, he feels like the luckiest man
on earth. If he hadn't crossed paths with her (on that fateful Halloween
night), who knows where he would've ended up on the self-destructive route he
was walking on.

Instead of heading home right now, he decided to go to Sharkey's Billiards to
play a relaxing game of pool. Entering the modest-sized establishment, the
place was practically deserted of patrons""even the usual ones that he's
played with were not even present. He realized they must be out with their
sweethearts for Valentines Day.

"I thought I might find you here, Jake ... " a voice spoke out in the
distance.

Jake noticed a man sitting at the bar""he then got up and walked over to him.
As he approached, Jake got a better look at this mystery man and his blue eyes
went wide with shock as he recognized him. "What are you doing back here? ...
" he said in a hushed tone as the man stopped right in front of him.

"What, no 'hello ... how're doing?' ... " he replied to Jake's statement as a
sort of an insult.

"If the police know that you're back, they'll have you arrested in a second,"
Jake spoke this time with more bitterness in his tone.

"Let's talk outside ... the air is better out there," he said and escorted a
tense-looking Jake out the front door.

The air outside may have been healthier than that stuffy pool hall, but it
certainly was frigid as the coldness was making Jake's minor injury aggravate
again. He still couldn't believe that Reno Buldoc, a man he once considered as
a mentor, was standing right in front of him after an ill-fated incident
regarding a string of gas station robberies, of which he was the lead suspect
in them.

"How long has it been ... three years?" Reno said as he placed his hands over
his mouth to keep them warm.

"Four, actually ... " Jake corrected him, keeping a steely gaze on his former
mentor. "What do you want?"

"Ah, nothing like cuttin' to the chase ... you always was direct," Reno
commended his onetime protégé. "What I'm about to say cannot be shared by
anyone ... "

Crossing his arms over his chest in an effort at keeping warm, Jake replied
coolly, "I'm listening ... "

"Over the past month, I've been secretly brokering a deal with the other gang
leaders in the tri-city area to organize them into one super-gang, if you
will."

Jake was taken aback at what he just heard. "They'd never go for that ...
there's too much bad blood between them."

"On the contrary, my naà¯ve friend ... I was able to successfully appeal to
them by laying out the mutual benefits of uniting against the authorities,
whereas separate we're all weak, but together we can be a powerful entity ...
all they need is a leader with a vision to make that happen."

"And you're that leader ... " Jake replied as if he knew the answer.

"Of course, why else would I come back to this stink hole the police have
infested? Even the hideout at the abandoned train station has been boarded up.
Jake, with your help we can take back this town just like the old days, but I
can't complete my master plan without yours and Mike's influence here in
Schenectady."

"You're forgetting one important thing ... I'm through with the gang, and so
is Mike," Jake said resolutely as he stood his ground.

"Really? ... " Reno stated in astonishment. "And just what made you decide to
do that?"

"I have my reasons ... " Jake said guardedly for he didn't want dragging Katie
into this.

"I see ... that's too bad," Reno replied dejectedly.

"If you really think this 'master plan' of yours is gonna work, then you're
the one who's naà¯ve ... " Jake said heatedly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I
need to go home where the weather and the company is much warmer."

Jake began to walk off, then stopped and looked back at his former friend. "I
won't tell the cops you're back out of respect for the code, but if I were
you, Reno ... I'd seriously think about disappearing again, and for good this
time."

Watching him leave, Reno had a slight smirk over his goatee-shaved face. "Oh,
you'll be helping me alright Jake Perry, whether you like to or not ... "

CHAPTER THREE

In the now-deserted hallways at St. Mary's Academy after classes were over for
the day (and the week), Katie spotted Stacey Campbell and Janice Butler
exiting out of the cafeteria""which doubled as the site for the daylong
college fair.

"Waiting till the last minute in choosing what college you want to go?" Katie
said teasingly at her two friends as she joined them towards the main exit.

"I don't need a college fair to know where I intend to go ... " Stacey said
haughtily as she had already made her decision years ago""the New York School
of Fashion in Manhattan, where her mother had attended. "I was just there for
moral support in helping Janice out."

"Give me a break ... " Janice quipped sharply at her sometimes-snooty friend,
" ... I was just picking up some applications to look over them with my
parents."

"So, what institutions fancy you?" Katie asked her with all interest.

"My dad, of course, wants me to go to Notre Dame as he's been drilling that in
me ever since the third grade ... says it's good to keep up the Butler
tradition," she griped in reference to her father's alma mater. "And my mom
wants me to stay here and go to one of the local colleges. The thought of her
losing her only daughter I think terrifies her."

"I know what you mean ... " Katie agreed heartily, " ... my dad feels
apprehensive about the real possibility of me moving away, and Jake is nervous
as well, but he'd never openly admit that."

"Well ... Mike is perfectly fine with me going down to the city ... " Stacey
said proudly of her boyfriend's support.

"Yeah, like he'd have a say if he disapproved," Janice replied wryly for even
though Stacey loved wearing skirts most of the time, she symbolically wears
the "pants" in the relationship""even to a tough guy like Mike Pulaski.

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" Stacey asked Katie as they all reached
the exit door.

"Yeah, I do ... Karen's folks are visiting from Michigan for the weekend, and
Dad wants to have the family over for dinner tonight," she replied a bit
sullen as the thought of being around "grown-up" company all evening was not
exactly her idea of a good time. "You guys heading out?" she asked obviously.

"That new rock group""'Dougan Five'""is playing at the Zodiac tonight, so
we're having a girl's night and check them out," Stacey replied with
enthusiasm. "Why don't you just fake it that you're not feeling well, and just
sneak out?" she suggested deceptively.

"Won't work anymore, not after Dad caught me doing that back when I was
secretly going out with Jake. Besides, I do have a bit of a headache coming
on, and the pounding sound of electric guitars is the last thing I need for
it."

The girls arrived at the school parking lot out back, where Stacey's brother's
old car was located. She took possession of it ever since she got her driver's
license last year, but was allowed to use it mainly for commuting to school,
running errands, and the occasional night out.

After everyone was seated inside the silver Toyota Corolla, Stacey slowly
drove the vehicle out of the lot and onto the connecting street""unaware that
she was being watched from afar ...

CHAPTER FOUR

Laura Perry punched out her time card as another week of work was finally
over. She was employed as a legal secretary for the Marsters & Walsh Law firm,
which specialized in real estate and housing. The small parking lot outside
was devoid of cars""save for her blue Hyundai Elantra parked under one of the
overhead lights""as she spent another long day working overtime, helping out
with yet another dispute regarding the selling of a house.

Her nyloned feet pinched in the three-inch heeled navy blue pumps she wore
with her matching pinstriped suit, underneath the black wool overcoat she had
buttoned up. She had received a foot massager as a birthday gift from her
younger brother, Jake, and she intends to use it tonight over a cup of warm
lemon tea, while spending a nice quiet evening watching HGTV""her favorite
channel.

At the age of twenty-four, Laura didn't have a boyfriend nor was she dating
anyone at the moment for she was a bit timid in her personality, despite the
fact that she was very nice-looking. She found most men to be too overbearing
and macho, which was a major turn off for her. Besides, working long hours at
her job and providing for Jake (who lived with her), made her too busy to seek
out a relationship anyway. Laura was the type of person who was very content
with her solitude.

Reaching her car, she stuck the keys into the door lock, when the sound of
another vehicle was suddenly heard coming from behind her. Turning her head
towards it, she saw this dark-colored van move right alongside of her, and the
side door flying open. Before she had anytime to react, two pairs of strong
arms reached out and grabbed her, pulling her quickly inside the van as it
kept on moving""albeit a bit slowly at the moment""then turned right around
and sped off again out of the lot.

Laura struggled mightily in the confined interior of the van as her two
ski-masked assailants kept her pinned down on the carpeted floor""one of them
held his gloved hand forcefully over her mouth to keep her quiet. A third
person then appeared and fastened a wide strip of cloth over her panicked
hazel eyes.

In a flash, her hands were bound behind her back and ankles secured with
plastic ties. A wad of cloth was shoved into her mouth once the hand was
removed, followed immediately by a large strip of duct tape swathed over it,
holding it in place.

Laura was then released and she just lied there in her trussed-up state,
weeping softly as she was absolutely terrified at why she was abducted. Four
unknown persons (including the driver of the van) didn't look good for her at
all if they intended to have their way with her.

"Never imagined that Jake would have a fine lookin' sister!" one of them spoke
up excitedly as the others mumbled in agreement.

I'm kidnapped because of Jake ... !? she thought dreadfully, wondering if any
of these goons were somehow connected with the street gangs he used to
associate with.

CHAPTER FIVE

The music being played at the Zodiac club was indeed blasting as the rock
group "Dougan Five" was bringing the house down to the swarm of excited
teenaged fans. Stacey and Janice were sitting at the lengthy juice bar located
in the back portion of the main room, enjoying the loud song.

Janice has always been a more conservative dresser, being raised in a strict
catholic family, and her outfit suggested that even though she enhanced it
somewhat for tonight's festivities. She wore a green turtleneck form-fitting
sweater under a black velvet vest with a decorative gold design on it, black
jeans, and black ankle-high boots with a short block heel.

Stacey, on the other hand, was fully clad in her usual "dressed to kill" look
as she sported a long-sleeved leopard print top, black leather skirt (resting
above the kneecaps), and black knee-high boots with a seductive five-inch
stiletto heel.

"I see that no one's asked you to dance," Janice observed once the song
finished playing as not one boy in the entire place approached her, especially
by the way she was dressed.

"That's one of the drawbacks while dating an ex-gang member ... fear of
retaliation," Stacey answered back for even though Mike was a tough guy on the
surface, he was just the opposite when it came to his girl, but of course that
little secret was safe from everyone.

Stacey had noticed Mike feeling a bit agitated over the past couple of days,
but wouldn't say why for he said that it was nothing to be concerned about.
That was another drawback in dating Mike as he sometimes acts very guarded,
not even letting her in. If their relationship was allowed to continue, Mike
will need to learn to trust her more and not keep pushing her away.

Some brown-haired boy wearing a leather jacket, holding a tall drink in his
hand, leisurely walked right by them, when suddenly he stumbled and managed to
spill some of his beverage on Stacey's blouse.

She shrieked out in anguish as the large spot of the drink seeped into the
fabric, giving it a dull brown color. "You clumsy idiot!" she yelled at him
and hopped off her stool, storming off towards the ladies room. Janice went to
follow, but stopped as Stacey spoke to her, "Just stay and watch over the
purses, I'll be right back ... "

Walking down the hall, Stacey was still fuming as she hoped that delinquent
didn't ruin her new top for she just bought it. Upon entering the restroom,
she was immediately seized by someone standing from behind her, pulling her
arms backwards. She went to cry out when a thick strip of cloth was suddenly
shoved into her mouth by another person standing in front of her, a tall
red-haired teenager from what she could see, and was tied securely in back of
her head, muffling her screams.

Stacey tried kicking at the big girl, but the slender female bent down and
held her booted legs firmly. She quickly applied a plastic tie around her
ankles, binding them together. The tall redhead and the other woman, a short
blonde , grabbed her hands, placing them behind her back, and fastened her
slender wrists together with another plastic tie.

Stacey writhed fitfully in the rigid grasp of the red-haired woman holding her
as she watched the blonde now roll over a large plastic garbage bin next to
her. She was then heaved up off the floor and placed inside the cramped space
of the container. The round lid was then positioned over it and snap-tight
shut, sealing the alarmed teenager inside.

The redhead held open the restroom door as the other woman pushed the
container out quickly. They both headed for the end of the hallway over to the
emergency exit. As they reached the door, the blond girl heard a sound, then
turned and happened to see Janice appear at the other end of the hall. Just
then, the lid to the bin suddenly popped off and Stacey stood up, thrashing
wildly against her bonds. She too spotted Janice and cried out to her through
the bulky gag in muffled wails.

"Oh my god ... Stacey!" Janice cried as she stood there in complete shock at
seeing her friend all distressed.

The blonde had retrieved the lid and tried pressing it down on top of Stacey,
forcing her back into the container, while the redhead managed to get the door
open. "Let's get out of here!" she screamed at her companion and began pulling
the container outside.

After hesitating for a moment, Janice began sprinting towards the exit as she
saw that duo""with their hostage in tow""depart the building. Reaching the
door, she heard what sounded like a car door closing shut, then the roaring
noise of a car engine fired up. A moment later, a large sedan drove past her,
heading towards the main road.

"Stacey!!! ... " Janice yelled out in torment as tears formed in her
distraught brown eyes ...

CHAPTER SIX

"That was close ... " the blonde expressed in relief while driving the car
just under the speed limit, to deter any attention from the cops.

"Too close ... otherwise we would've been forced to try and take that other
girl as well, which could've risked ruining the entire plan," the redhead from
the backseat replied as she grappled with Stacey to keep her down on the seat
in order to conceal her from any prying eyes around while they traveled on a
busy street.

"Well, we got her clean enough so that should satisfy the boss ... "

* * *

Janice stood just outside the emergency exit door of the club still in
disbelief at was just transpired""Stacey ... kidnapped right in front of her
eyes. It felt so surreal, like she was watching some scene on one of those
crime dramas on TV""but this was real, and Stacey's life was in danger.

Her first instinct was to call the police, but hesitated for a moment as
another thought came to mind ... Grabbing her cell phone from her small purse,
she speed-dialed a number and waited anxiously. "Hello, is Katie there? ... "

* * *

The sedan slowly drove up to the entrance of the old Cascade Theater located
outside of town, which had been closed down and abandoned for twenty-three
years now. Despite the numerous 'no trespassing' signs posted around the
rusted steel fence, the building has now become the new headquarters of Reno's
fledging super-gang.

Stopping the car at the front of the large building, the redhead opened the
rear door and pulled Stacey out as she still continued to resist. She dragged
the petite girl to her feet and made her way to the entrance with her blonde
companion following close behind.

Entering through the dilapidated spacious interior, they made their way over
to the where the offices were situated. The lighting inside was sparse as a
small generator provided what little electricity it could produce, not to
mention it was also rather chilly as Stacey continued to shiver through her
lightweight top. A couple of gang members stood nearby, one of them smiled at
the sight of the stunning captive being lugged away. The blonde opened a door,
and they both entered a modest-sized room where Reno sat with his booted feet
up behind a ramshackle desk.

He rose up and walked over to them as the redhead pushed Stacey to the center
of the room. Despite the fact that she was scared out of her mind, Stacey
tried her utmost best at being brave in front of these ruffians. Reno stopped
right in front of the helpless beauty, stroking her slim neck softly""she
twitched at his unwanted touch.

"My, my, my ... " he said hungrily as he looked up and down her lithe body, "
... Mike certainly hasn't lost his taste in women." Stacey's brown eyes widen
at the mention of his name, and speculated if it was because of him that she
was brought here against her will. "Very nice indeed ... " he continued
admiring her.

He went back to the desk, picking up a small video camera, and pointed it at
his lovely immobile subject. "Smile for your boyfriend ... or not," Reno said
wickedly with a devilish smirk as he began recording.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Mike Pulaski sat at the computer in his small apartment that he shared with
his cousin for he thoroughly enjoyed surfing the Web whenever he had some free
time between working at the auto body shop and seeing Stacey. He did keep his
internet search habits clean ever since Stacey made him promise to do so for
he was so much in love with her, he would do practically anything for her ...
because she was worth it.

While browsing a site that advertised classic hot rods, which was a dream of
his to own one day, the small letter envelope symbol flashed up at the lower
right corner of the screen indicating that he had an email message. He opened
the Outlook browser and saw a new message was highlighted, which simply said
"Stacey ... " The return address was one he didn't recognize, perhaps it was
from one of her friends and she wanted to send a sweet little message to him.
Mike smiled for Stacey was very thoughtful like that.

After opening the message, it instructed "click the attachment ... ", and sure
enough there was a link to what looked like a video file for it was rather
large in size. Clicking it, he sat back expecting to see his girlfriend giving
him some kind of love greeting""maybe as a little thank you for the romantic
evening they spent together on Valentines Day just a couple of days ago.

As the video program loaded up, a picture was then displayed and Mike saw his
beloved on the screen, except she wasn't looking all happy for him like he was
assuming. He sat up in his seat with an alarmed look on his face as he saw
Stacey instead with a gag fixed over her mouth looking absolutely terrified!
Her pleading eyes looked directly at him and his heart ached at seeing her
like that for he wished that he could jump right through the screen and save
her.

After a few more seconds of being tortured to have to watch his girlfriend
being held captive like that, the camera shifted around and Mike then saw a
face he recognized all too well ... Reno Buldoc!

"As you can see ... " Reno spoke to him, " ... we have your most prized
possession from what I've heard, and she's a mighty tasty dish at that ... "
Mike clenched his fists in seething anger for he also wished he could reach
into the screen and strangle that weasel. "Now, she will be returned safe and
sound to you as long as you comply to my request you emphatically shot down
the other day, otherwise ... well, I don't want to explain it in front of her
as she's by now having a panic attack, why upset the poor girl than she
already is ... " Reno said all the while being wickedly sarcastic as he seemed
to have no sympathy whatsoever for poor Stacey.

Mike still continued to sit there with a hateful look on his face. "Meet me at
Sharkey's Billiards at nine tonight sharp, and Mike ... come alone if you wish
nothing horrible happen to your sweet innocent girlfriend here." The camera
was then re-directed back to Stacey with Reno now standing next to her looking
a bit lustfully at her, then the transmission abruptly ended returning the
screen to black.

It was almost five minutes later before Mike showed any signs of life for he
was still reeling from shock at what just happened. Rising slowly from his
seat, he went to the kitchenette and grabbed the cordless phone hanging on the
wall. He punched in a number and waited ... "Jake ... Reno's got Stacey," he
said in a very controlled voice as he detached his emotions, which he often
does in times of stress.

"I see ... " Jake spoke rather plainly on the other end, " ... I just found
out myself that he took Laura as well ... "

Mike's blue eyes widen at hearing that bit of unexpected news for it seemed
that Reno now had both of them right where he wanted ...

CHAPTER EIGHT

Katie's mind was in a whirlwind ever since Janice phoned her, telling her that
"something" had happened to Stacey, and judging by the sorrowful tone of her
voice it didn't sound good. Convincing her folks to leave was easy enough as
she explained that Stacey and Janice were stranded and needed a ride home.
Taking Karen's brown Ford Taurus, Katie drove straight to the Zodiac.

Janice was waiting outside the main entrance holding Stacey's jacket and purse
as she soon spotted Katie approaching her. "Oh, Katie ... thank god you're
here!" she cried out, hugging her tightly.

Katie was even more fearful as she didn't see Stacey around. "Janice, what
exactly happened to Stacey?" she asked her distraught friend directly.

"She was kidnapped while going to the restroom ... " Janice explained as
basically as she could.

"What?! ... " Katie exclaimed in complete shock.

"I saw her tied up while being taken away by a man and a woman, and they drove
off right after that," Janice explained as she still saw the image of Stacey
pleading to her. "I shouldn't have left her ... If I went to the restroom with
her, she could've been still here ... " she continued feeling awfully guilty.

"Hey ... it's not your fault what happened ... " Katie spoke reassuringly, "If
you had gone with her, you might've ended up being taken as well." Janice
looked at her knowing she was right, but it still didn't make her feel any
better. "Can you describe to me what these two people looked like?"

Janice thought hard as she recalled that incident in the hall. "It wasn't
brightly lit in there, but I did notice them wearing a red bandanna tied
around their arms, if that helps." Katie suddenly had this foreboding look on
her face as that scared Janice even more so. "What is it? ... " she asked
warily.

"That marking on their arms means that they're members of the Empire gang in
Albany," Katie replied. "But that doesn't make any sense ... " she continued,
" ... why would they be operating here away from their turf, as they like to
call it?"

Janice then had an alarmed look on her face, "You don't think this has
anything to do with Mike? ... What with him an ex-gang member now."

Katie thought hard at what her bright friend just suggested, and it made
sense. "If Mike is somehow connected with Stacey's abduction, then I know just
the person to call ... " Grabbing her cell phone, she speed-dialed a number.
"Jake ... it's me! Listen, I'm at the Zodiac with Janice and she told me that
Stacey was snatched from here."

"Yeah ... I know about that, Mike just told me ... " Jake replied back.

"You know? ... So when were you going to tell me this?!" Katie said heatedly
that Jake would keep something very important like this from her.

"Calm down ... " he pacified her quickly, knowing how temperamental she can
get, " ... I was gonna call you as soon as I heard back from Mike ... he's out
searching for her right now."

"Well, you can count me in as well then, I'll meet you over at your place."

"NO ... !!" he screamed loudly, which hurt her ear from the high volume. "I
mean, please don't ... Mike is doing everything he can to get her back. Just
please go home, and I promise I'll call you the minute I hear anything, okay?
... "

Katie remained silent for a moment as she thought carefully. "Alright ... I'll
go home, but you better make sure you call me regardless of what you hear."

"I will ... " he replied simply, and hung up the phone.

Katie turned hers off as Janice was waiting in anticipation. "So, we're just
gonna go home then?"

"You are, but I'm not ... " Katie answered back quickly. "I suspect that Jake
knows more than he's saying ... "

"No way ... " Janice rebutted. "I know it's not my fault what happened to
Stacey, but if there's something I can do to help bring her back, then I'm
going with you."

Katie saw the determined look in Janice Butler's brown eyes for it surprised
her as she always seemed so affable, but this was a grave situation, and that
often brings out different aspects of people""she should know herself. "Okay
... but you follow my lead, got it?"

"No problem, you're the detective ... " she responded gladly.

CHAPTER NINE

Staking out in front of Laura's apartment building was not exactly the evening
Katie planned on, but at least it got her out of the house for the thrill of
investigating a mystery was a lot more exciting than to have to endure another
boring conversation back at her place.

Janice sat beside her very quietly in Karen's car while crossing her arms over
her chest to keep warm. She had driven Stacey's car, which was at the club,
and dropped it off at her house for the time being""Katie didn't want to alarm
Stacey's mom just yet until they knew something more of what's really going
on.

The one odd thing Katie did notice since arriving there was the absence of
Laura's car in the parking lot, for she usually stays home at night. Janice
theorized that she probably went out to a movie, or perhaps had a date. Katie
was open to that suggestion, but the way this crazy evening was playing out so
far, anything was possible ...

The light in the upstairs room, which was Jake's, suddenly shut off! Katie
prepared herself for it looked like her boyfriend was heading out
somewhere""just as she suspected.

Jake stepped out of the building and headed straight for his black Grand Am
parked on the side of the street. A few seconds later he drove off""Katie
started the engine and began following him at a safe distance. She hated
having to do this behind his back, but she wasn't going to just sit and wait
by the phone when her best friend was held prisoner somewhere""even Jake would
know that.

After driving for several minutes around town, Jake pulled in the parking lot
of Sharkey's Billiards""she recalled that as one of his hangouts. However, she
strongly assumed that he wasn't going there to shoot some pool tonight.

Parking the car across the street, Katie turned off the engine and watched him
enter the building. Seeing that this place was an adult establishment made
Katie upset for she couldn't go in there""her 18th birthday wasn't for another
four months. A smirk then came over her face as she turned to Janice ...

"What? ... " she replied uneasily.

* * *

Jake immediately spotted Reno sitting at a corner of the place among the
packed house as it usually was on a Friday night. Walking closer, he also
noticed Mike was sitting with him. Even though it appeared that Reno was
alone, Jake knew otherwise for he alleged that members of his posse were most
likely spread out, blending in with the customers.

"Jake ... happy you could join us, please sit ... " Reno gestured to an open
seat next to Mike. Sitting down slowly, he cast the exact same cold expression
as his friend had.

Reno smiled happily for he wasn't the least bit worried of what he had riled
up between his two former comrades. "Now, let's get down to business ... "

* * *

Janice cautiously entered the seedy business after being screened by a burly
man checking ID's at the door. She had just turned eighteen last month and was
nominated to act as surveillance for Katie. Even though she stated
emphatically at the club that she wanted to help, being in this godforsaken
place made her considered changing her mind. She sat at the bar, and the
bartender immediately took notice of the red wristband on her, indicating that
she was under twenty-one.

"What can I get you?" he asked brusquely to the timid-looking teen girl.

"Uh ... diet coke, please ... " she responded softly that she was almost
inaudible to the noise all around her.

The bartender tended to her drink when Janice's cell phone started to ring.
Retrieving it, she answered it quickly, "Yeah, I got in all right, but I don't
like this place at all ... " She looked very nervous as a man sitting three
seats from her was staring at her appreciatively.

"Relax, you're in a public place ... " the voice of Katie spoke at the other
end, " ... do you see Jake anywhere around?"

Scanning through the multitude of patrons, she spotted him not too far off in
a corner. "Yeah, I see him, he's with Mike and some other guy I don't
recognize."

Katie strongly suspected that "other" guy was most likely responsible for
Stacey's abduction. "See if you can get a clean picture of him ... "

Janice discreetly raised her cell phone towards their table, and managed to
get a decent shot of Reno despite the lack of lighting over there. "Okay, I
got it ... now can I leave?" she said anxiously.

"I need you to move in a little closer to them, and listen in on what they're
saying ... " Katie suggested to her new "assistant."

Janice groaned at that request for she really wanted out of there, but she did
make a promise to help find Stacey ... After paying for her soda, she got up
off her stool and made her way gingerly to an empty table near them, all the
while keeping a low profile for Jake would recognize her if he saw her.
Fortunately his back was facing her, and Janice sat down with her back to him.

"Reno ... I can't guarantee of getting full support for your 'cause' no matter
how attractive you make it sound ... " Mike said worryingly for he felt his
back up against a wall with Stacey's life hanging in the balance.

"That's not my problem ... " Reno answered evenly, " ... you both have
twenty-four hours to convince them, otherwise ... consequences will be dealt."

Jake's nostrils flared and he moved closer to him. "Just know this ... if you
in any harm my sister and Stacey, there won't be a safe place for you
anywhere."

"Spare me the dramatics, they're quite clichéd ... " Reno dismissed him
casually, " ... just concentrate on your tasks before you." He then waved them
off, gesturing that their conversation was now over.

Jake and Mike both got up, still not taking their hateful eyes off Reno. He
waved them off again like they were children. Mike patted Jake on the shoulder
and they turned to leave.

"I gotta go to the restroom first, so I'll meet you outside," Mike said and
left.

Jake was making his way for the exit, when he glanced over to his right and
saw a girl sitting alone. "Janice? ... " he said unsure at first, but then got
a better look at her. She kept her head down, trying to avoid eye contact with
him. "What are you doing here?"

She then looked up at him with a guilty look on her cute face. His expression
then changed to that of exasperation. "Katie ... "

* * *

Standing in the parking lot outside, Katie kept pacing around to keep warm in
the freezing temperatures when she saw Janice with Jake escorting her out of
the building. He immediately spotted her and headed straight towards her.
Great, now I have to hear this ...

"I thought I told you to go home!" he said angrily at her while Janice sat by
idly watching them quietly.

"I don't have to explain myself to you ... Stacey is my friend more than
yours, and I'm going to do what I can to get her back!" she yelled in response
just as loud to him.

Jake's eyes rolled in deep frustration as he didn't know whether to hit her or
kiss her. "It's more than just Stacey, okay ... Laura was taken as well!"

Katie stood there in stunned silence at hearing that and understood Jake's
despair. "I'm very sorry ... " she said calmly now, " ... I had no idea."

"Now do you see what I'm up against ... I don't want to risk losing you too
... "

Katie moved closer to him, holding his arm gently as she saw the sadness in
his eyes. "Jake, I understand your concern, really ... but please let me help
you."

He shook his head in response, "I can't ... not this time. This situation is
far too dangerous even for you. Mike and I will get them back one way or
another. You have to trust me on this ... "

Katie looked hurtful at him, but refused to back down. "You know I can take of
myself ... " she said firmly.

"Katie ... go home now, or I'll call your dad and tell him where you are,"
Jake threatened for he really wished he didn't have to, but she left him with
no choice in the matter.

Looking at him in defeat, she sighed softly. "Fine ... I'll go quietly," then
turned away and began walking off, not looking back at Jake, who stared at her
with regret in his blue eyes.

Janice followed Katie close behind, trying to keep up with her as they both
crossed the street. Getting inside the car, Katie started it up and began to
drive off as she quickly noticed Jake heading back to the billiard in the
distance ...

CHAPTER TEN

Katie was still upset from her heated discussion with Jake, while Janice
remained very quiet during the drive. Just then, she suddenly turned the car
into an empty parking lot at some building and stopped the vehicle. "Let me
see that snapshot of our mystery man," Katie requested as she went back to the
business of being a detective again.

Pulling her phone out, Janice went into the file where photos were stored and
brought up the picture. Katie studied the darkened image, but could clearly
make out a discernible face""he certainly didn't look friendly particularly
with that distinctive goatee, adding a bit of Machiavellian aspect to him.
"Did you happen to get a name? ... " Katie asked hopefully.

"Reno Buldoc ... " Janice replied from memory. "From what I could hear, he
wanted Jake and Mike to make contact with their old gang buddies into joining
him for something."

"Sounds like he wants to control the gang turfs for his own power-hungry
ambitions ... " Katie theorized.

"He gave them until tomorrow night for them to deliver on his demands," Janice
added as she also remembered that little detail.

"That doesn't give us much time to find Stacey and Laura ... " Katie trailed
off.

"I gather we're not going home then as you said you were?" Janice said a bit
wryly.

"Please ... Jake would have to hogtie me first in order to make me go home ...
" Katie responded with some sarcasm, which she was fortunate that he didn't
attempt that. "What I still can't understand is how on earth Stacey got
snatched up right in the middle of a crowded nightclub?" she asked as she
reflected on the gang's audacious plan.

"There was this boy that stumbled and accidentally spilled some of his drink
on Stacey's blouse, which was why she went to the restroom in the first
place," Janice replied matter-of-factly of the events leading up to Stacey's
kidnapping.

Katie thought quietly for a moment as the words Janice spoke sunk into her
brain. "Hold on a second ... that spill wasn't 'accidental' ... " she spoke
with certainty as things began to make itself clear, " ... those two gang
members were waiting for her, probably in the restroom, which meant that
mishap nothing more than a ruse to lure her over to them."

"Whoa ... I never though of it that way ... " Janice said in amazement at the
complexity of the gang's plot on grabbing Stacey. "But I didn't notice any
bandanna on his arm."

"That doesn't mean anything, he could've just removed it as not to attract
attention to himself." Katie then started up the car again and began backing
out. "Where are we going now?" Janice asked inquisitively.

"Back to the Zodiac to hopefully see if that accident-prone boy is still there
... " Katie replied as she realized it was a long shot, but it was the only
course of action she could think of at the moment.

"Why don't we just follow that Reno guy instead ... wouldn't that be much
easier to find out where he's hiding them?" Janice offered her opinion.

"I already thought of that myself ... " Katie responded as she concentrated on
the darkened road. "Call it intuition, but this Reno strikes me as a very
precautious person ... he would most likely spot someone following him a mile
away. Besides, I'm pretty sure he's no longer hanging around at the
Billiards."

"Well, I hope you're right about your hunch ... " Janice said quietly.

"Me too ... " Katie replied apprehensively.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Arriving back at the Zodiac, the place was still packed as ever as the guest
rock group for the evening was hammering out yet another tune. Janice scanned
the place hoping to find that brown-haired boy with the leather jacket she
remembered, and sure enough she spotted him sitting at the bar again with
another drink in his hand. "He's right over there ... " she pointed him out to
Katie and was about to walk towards him.

"Wait ... " Katie said as she halted Janice, " ... let me handle this, just
wait outside for a bit, okay?" Janice nodded and did as asked, while Katie
took off her brown jacket and approached the unaccompanied boy.

She sat down casually at an empty stool right next to him. He immediately took
notice of the cute-looking blonde giving him a smile and approached her. "Can
I buy you a drink? ... " he asked all charming, which Katie mockingly blushed
in response. "Thank you ... " she replied sweetly at his gesture. "I'll have a
Sprite," she said to the bartender.

"I haven't seen you here before tonight ... I'm Keith, by the way ... " he
introduced himself while moving closer to her. "Emily ... " Katie responded
with her middle name. "I've actually been here for some time now," she said
and took a sip of her soda. He then placed his hand gently on her denim-clad
thigh, which almost caused her to knock it right off, but she controlled
herself not to. "Listen, do you want to go somewhere else where we could talk
in a more quiet setting?" he offered to her with a hint of seduction over the
noise around them. "This place is getting a little stuffy for me now ... "

Katie's green eyes grew wide at hearing that as she feigned being turned on by
his pathetic advances. "That sounds really good ... " she replied just as
eager. Keith quickly paid the tab and grabbed his black leather jacket.

After exiting the club, they walked around to the back where the parking lot
was located. Once they were all alone, Katie suddenly stepped back allowing
him to pass her and she tripped him up, causing him to fall flat on the cold
pavement. In a flash she was right on top of him, with her knee rammed into
his spine and twisting his right arm up behind his back in a chicken hold.

"Owwww!! ... " he screamed out at the intense pain she was administering,
"W-what's going on here? ... "

"I'll do the talking ... " Katie responded harshly, keeping a tight grip on
the startled boy. Janice suddenly appeared and was surprised at seeing Katie
being very physical as this was a side of her friend she had never seen
before""of course considering the circumstances at hand ...

"I understand that you were clumsy earlier with one of your drinks ...
spilling it on my friend's blouse."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about! ... " he yelled out, cringing in
agony.

"Don't lie ... I remember seeing you!" Janice spoke up angrily while standing
right over him now.

He glanced up at her and had an expression that he had just been busted. "Okay
... I recalled doing that, but it was just a little accident, I swear!"

"Wrong answer!" Katie pulled at his arm again as an incentive for still lying
to them. She then noticed a splash of color coming from his jeans, and pulled
out red bandanna from his back pocket""it was tightly rolled up in a manner to
be worn. "My friend here saw your two buddies wearing this exact type of red
bandanna on them ... now talk or I swear I'll break your arm!" Katie seethed.

"Okay ... okay!" he screamed, "I was ordered to spill that drink on your
friend, that's all ... "

"By who ... Reno Buldoc?" Janice interjected, this time crouching down now.

"H-how do you know about Reno? ... " has asked in astonishment as if no one
was supposed to know about him.

"Where was she taken!?" Katie bellowed, digging her knee harshly into his
back.

"Owwww ... " Keith cried out again. "If I tell you, he'll probably have me
killed ... "

"And what do you think we'll do to you if you don't! ... " Katie announced
forebodingly as Janice looked at her in total disbelief at what she was
insinuating.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Stopping by at home first, Katie needed to change clothes into all-black
attire, and to get a couple of things before setting out again. The four
adults were all in the family room enjoying themselves by the fire her dad
made in the large fireplace as they were chatting away over glasses of wine.
When Katie reached back downstairs, her father called out to her. "Don't be
out too late, pumpkin ... " he said firmly, but affectionately. "I won't ...
goodnight all," she replied to them and headed out the front door.

Walking back to Karen's car, Katie stepped in the driver's seat and started it
up. Janice sat next to her with a scared look on her face for she wished this
night never happened. "Are you really sure you want to do this?" she asked her
detective friend timidly.

"What other option is there? ... " Katie replied plainly as she pulled out of
the driveway and drove through the night ...

It wasn't long until Katie finally stopped the car and shut off the engine.
There were no lights around as the forested scenery outside was almost pitch
black, fortunately though the quarter-moon high above in the night sky
provided some light to see. Both girls stepped out of the car and walked
towards the trunk. "I'm glad you were just bluffing about threatening to kill
him, even though you sounded like you would've done it," Janice said all
relieved regarding that tense standoff at the Zodiac parking lot.

"The cardinal rule about bluffing is making your opponent believe it," Katie
imparted some of her wisdom. "I mean, you believed me ... " she added while
putting the key in the trunk lock and opening it. She lifted the large door
and the small light revealed Keith wedged inside, tied up securely and gagged
with his own red bandanna. "I may not have meant what I said to you before,
but if this is just some wild goose chase you sent us, I could leave you in
here in the middle of nowhere and just let you freeze to death ... " Keith
wailed in mercy through his cleave gag for her not to do that.

She closed the trunk and then opened the rear door, retrieving the small black
shoulder bag she brought from home""inside were a pair of binoculars, a
digital camera, and her black wool cap""which she placed on her head and over
her long blonde hair. "I'm certainly never going to look at you the same way
after tonight ... " Janice expressed after seeing her "bad" side.

"To be tough, you have to talk tough, and sometimes deliver on that ... but I
could never willfully kill anyone, you know that enough about me ... I just
wanna make that jerk sweat for a while for what he did in his part of what
happened to Stacey ... she's the one who's scared for her life, as well as
Laura."

"When you put it in that perspective ... I'd say let him stay in there for the
whole night," Janice said with a mischievousness that was uncharacteristic of
her. Katie grinned for this was the first time that she and Janice spent this
much quality time together""if you call hunting down gang members "quality
time."

Walking down further on the road they were on, the girls noticed a chain link
fence off to their right with a large "no trespassing" sign fixed on it. "This
must be the place ... " Katie said with some trepidation. She then handed the
keys to the car over to Janice, "Here, just in case ... "

"You just be careful ... " she said and gave Katie a quick hug, which she
returned back.

Changing out of her brown mid-heeled boots and into her black sneakers was a
good decision as she was able to scale the tall fence rather easily. Once on
the other side, she gave Janice a thumbs up and ran off. "Please come back
safe ... " Janice spoke softly to herself as she watched Katie disappear into
the darkness ...

Jogging for about three hundred yards through the dense trees, Katie happened
upon a very large building nestled right at the other end. A car parked near
it indicated that someone was inside. She carefully made her way down the
steep slope until she reached the massive structure. An abandoned building
practically in the middle of nowhere seemed like the perfect spot for someone
like Reno to hide out in, as well as two imprisoned girls ...

Moving very quietly along the perimeter she noticed to her relief that no one
was lurking around outside. Of course with the temperature hovering in the
teens would make anyone want to seek warm shelter. She then happened upon a
metal ladder along one side of the building going all the way up to the roof
for it looked like a fire escape route. Deciding on her way to gain access
inside, Katie chose the ladder since going through the front door would likely
be guarded.

The rusted structure seemed sturdy enough as Katie pressed down on the rungs,
and soon made her way up to the top. She then spotted a lone door nearby on
the spacious roof and headed for it. Testing to see if it was open, Katie was
not the least bit surprised to discover that it was locked. However, a secured
door wasn't about to stop her as she came prepared for just such an
occurrence. Pulling out a small vinyl case from her inside jacket pocket,
Katie extracted two thin metal prongs and began the arduous task of picking
the lock""this was something she learned from Jake. After several attempts at
it, she finally got the door open and quietly stepped inside ...

Walking downstairs, the air inside felt cold and stale""characteristics of an
old building. The short stairway then led to a darkened corridor and Katie
quietly marched through it when all of a sudden, she began to hear noises,
faint at first. Heading closer to it, they were definitely the sound of
voices. She turned a corner and suddenly came upon an immense room in front of
her. It was sparsely lit, but she could establish that it was an auditorium
like those in a Broadway theater. Her vantage point was high up near the
ceiling where the overhead lights were situated, and looking below she saw the
source of the noise""a group of men seated in front of the stage, and a lone
individual standing before them. She remained completely still as she listened
in on what they were saying ...

"As you know ... " Reno continued to say while standing on the stage in front
of some of his "lieutenants," " ... the cops have cracked down on gang
activity all over the tri-city area in the past year."

"Tell us somethin' we don't know?" Mark Foreman""a member of the "Razors," one
the local gangs in town""shot out sarcastically.

"Yeah ... the cops drove us all out of our hangouts that we got no place left
to go!" Steve Petronio""from the "Empire" gang""expressed his frustrations as
well.

"That is why we are gonna to take the fight back to the police, and send a
clear message that we're back and stronger than before," Reno announced
pompously.

"And what are we gonna do ... spray paint all the cop cars with pink flowers?"
Curt Baldwin""from the "Cobra" gang, a rival of "Empire" ""cracked mockingly,
causing a few jitters among the crowd seated.

"No ... we're gonna blow up four precincts across the region while they're
inside hard at work," Reno replied dead seriously, which caused a sudden hush
from his audience as he got their attention""even Katie quietly gasped at
hearing that alarming pronouncement while watching them through her small
binoculars.

"But, that's insane ... " Mark expressed fearfully, " ... the cops would
declare all-out war with us."

"Wake up, guys! ... We're already at war, and we are losing!" Reno exclaimed
forcefully. "With all of us united, there's no way the cops can stop us!"

"How do you plan on carrying out such a risky attempt?" Sidney
Metcalf""representing the "Viper" gang out of Troy""chimed in.

"While I was away, I came into contact with some individuals who specialize in
explosive devices ... and they are being delivered now as we speak."

"When is this gonna happen?" Steve asked with a lump in his throat at the
realization that this was actually going to occur.

"In four days ... " Reno replied plainly. "What precincts are gonna be
targeted is kept confidential for security reasons ... I don't want some
turncoat with a conscience blabbing to the cops before we can strike, and this
information is to be kept strictly in this room."

Katie stood there in complete shock at what she just heard""hundreds of people
will be killed violently, and an all-out war between the police and this
"super" gang could potentially descend the entire region into chaos, which
would likely cause even hundreds more dead""many of which from innocent
people! Jake was certainly right that this situation was too dangerous, but
not in the way he suspected though.

She felt compelled to leave and warn the police of what's to come, but a part
of her wanted to remain to find Stacey and Laura for she was positive they
were stashed somewhere in this enormous building. Realizing that there's
strength in numbers, Katie had decided to leave to alert Jake and Mike of
Reno's insidious plot of revenge, and to return here with reinforcements to
better rescue the captives.

Just then, a lone bat flew right by her, which startled her causing her to
drop the binoculars as it fell all the way down the auditorium. The men seated
were interrupted as they heard the crash of something falling nearby. Reno
quickly looked up at the vicinity from where it plummeted, and he saw
something of interest ...

"There's someone up there!" he shouted, pointing straight at Katie!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Katie was already running back towards the roof door when she heard those gang
members shouting out to their buddies of her presence. This was supposed to be
just a simple reconnaissance, that's all ... but no, she had to make one
little mistake and ended up bringing the entire stronghold after her. Why
can't things work out smoothly for a change ... ?

Reaching the roof, she ran straight for the ladder, but spotted a small group
of them hustling around the front corner of the building, heading in her
direction""there was no way she could make it down in time before they would
reach her.

Thinking quickly, she turned back to roof door to try and see if she can sneak
back inside. However, as she reached the stairs, she heard the sounds of
running footsteps approaching fast as it seemed they had made their way up
there in no time flat.

Katie was nervous for it appeared that they had her trapped on the roof, but
she didn't give into fear as she remained thinking with a clear head if she
was to somehow get out of this predicament. Looking ahead towards the rear end
of the theater was the forest she traversed through, and there were some large
spruce trees situated directly behind the building.

Turning her head, she saw one of her pursuers emerging from the roof door!
Tossing her bag aside, Katie started to run as fast as she could towards the
edge of the building. Just as she reached it, she launched herself off the
roof and sailed in mid-air over to the nearest tree (which was about fifteen
feet away), and grabbing one of its long branches before plummeting down over
thirty feet to the ground below. She felt intense pain centered on her abdomen
upon that impact, but she actually made it! One of the men on the roof
scratched his head in disbelief, exclaiming, "Did you just see that!? ... "

Her victory, however, was short-lived as the branch she was hanging on began
to break from the additional weight, and started to fall. Fortunately, the
other branches below cushioned her descent as she finally came crashing down
on the frozen ground. Her body felt like it was a punching bag right before a
big prize fight as it was now aching with shooting pain. Immediately, though,
she was back on her feet as adrenaline was kicking in full force, for she
needed to get away from this rushing mob and back to Janice ... and the car!

Just then, one of those gang members had reached her, and seized her tightly.
Katie writhed in his tight grasp as she tried to release herself. Her cap then
fell off her head, releasing her long golden tresses, which startled the guy
holding her as he realized the person they were chasing was in fact a girl!

His momentary shock was just enough for Katie to break free of his hold, and
she quickly swung around, driving her palm forcefully into his chest, which
caused him to fall flat on his back""a little trick she learned from her
self-defense instructor, who was also a sensei at a karate dojo. Not wasting
anymore time, Katie scampered through the trees at top speed as she could hear
the rest of that horde right behind her now.

Exiting the trees and almost out of breath, Katie could just make out Janice
in the distance still standing by at the fence. "Janice!!! ... " she yelled
out at the top of her lungs. But before Katie could say anything else, she was
suddenly tackled hard from behind and fell onto her stomach. A hand was then
clamped tightly over her mouth, impeding anymore words from escaping her lips.

"Go get that other one!" he shouted to some of the others approaching, and
they continued on towards a startled Janice.

Seeing a group of gangmembers rushing at her, Janice high-tailed it back to
the car. She quickly got in and turned the key in the ignition ... but it
wouldn't start! The engine was most likely cold due to the prolonged
inactivity in these freezing temperatures. "Come on ... start!" she cried in
utter panic as she continued turning the key and pressing down on the gas
pedal. In the rearview mirror, she could now see them advancing towards her!
Just as they reached the vehicle, the engine finally roared to life and she
slammed on the pedal, accelerating the car away from them!

Janice exhaled a sigh of relief that she was now safe, but her thoughts
immediately went back to Katie as she no doubt got caught by those gangsters.
She had to get help, and she had to get it fast. Carefully reaching into her
purse, she withdrew her cell phone and flipped it open. However, before she
got the chance to enter a number, she noticed a pair of lights suddenly appear
from behind her. She thought that it was just another car cruising down this
rural road, but the lights were advancing much faster than what the posted
speed limit permitted, which meant only one thing ... that they were still
after her!

Accelerating much faster now, Janice tried to outrun the approaching vehicle,
but it seemed to keep up with her speed as it was now practically on her tail.
Tears began to form in her brown eyes as she was scared, but managed to stay
in control of the car as she prayed that she would somehow lose them. She kept
swerving side-to-side to prevent the smaller car from moving alongside of her,
but it did manage to hit the rear bumper though. She then switched gears into
overdrive, and could see that she was gaining some distance from her pursuers,
but it was still not enough.

Up ahead, she could see a traffic light over an intersection, which had a
green light. However, it soon changed to red as she got closer to it very
fast. She had to make a split-second decision, make a sudden stop at the light
and risk being taken by these thugs, or run right through it and risk slamming
into another car on the adjoining road""an almost impossible choice!

She chose the latter as she kept up her speed ... and so did her pursuers.
Reaching the intersection, she squinted her eyes into narrow slits for if she
should collide with another vehicle, she didn't want to see it coming. She
drove straight through it completely unscathed, but the other car chasing her
wasn't so fortunate as a large truck traveling on the adjacent road suddenly
appeared, smashing the compact vehicle's front end, and stopping it dead in
its tracks.

Janice continued looking fearfully in the rearview mirror seeing if anymore
headlights would appear, but fortunately none came into view. She breathed an
even longer sigh of relief as she now slowed the car down to the speed limit,
but the same couldn't be said about her heartbeat as it was still racing. She
quietly thanked the Lord for helping her through this brief, but frightening
event.

Too jittery to handle a cell phone right now while driving, and not wanting to
stop for anything until she was far enough away, Janice drove back into town
to find the one person who could help save Katie ...

HAPTER FOURTEEN

Katie's legs were still very sore as she was forcibly marched back to the old
theater as two girls held each one of her arms, while five others surrounded
her as they were not taking any chances of her getting away. Even though she
got herself caught, Katie prayed that Janice got away for there was a spark of
hope still ...

Stepping inside the relatively warmer building, Katie spotted another group of
people approaching her, and they didn't at all look friendly. She immediately
recognized Reno in the center as he and his entourage stopped right in front
of her. "It looks like we captured a spy ... and a very cute one at that,"
Reno said appreciatively with a twinkle in his eye. "So what's a pretty girl
like you doing sneaking around a dangerous place like this? ... "

"Doing my job ... " she answered evenly right back at him.

"Your job? ... " Reno was taken aback as this girl looked like she was still a
student, " ... what are you, some kind of undercover cop?"

"Don't you recognize her, Reno ... this is Katie Spencer," one of the girls
holding her spoke up.

"Never heard of her ... " Reno replied dismissively, " ... then again I have
been away for quite a while. I guess things really have changed around here as
we now have teenagers doing the work of the police," he added mockingly
towards the resolute girl before him.

"This is Jake's girl ... I thought you knew that," another one of his men
stated obviously.

"Really? ... " Reno gleamed as his brown eyes fully widen with delight, " ...
I did not know that. Jake was very clever keeping this little secret from me
... " He stepped up to her, stroking his bony finger against her soft
cheek""Katie kept a steely gaze on him. "You are a strong one ... I like that
in a woman."

"You got me now, so please just release your other two hostages ... I'm more
valuable than them," Katie spoke up boldly in the offshoot chance of saving
Stacey and Laura.

Reno laughed out at her audacious statement. "Please ... don't flatter
yourself!" After composing himself, he reached out and grabbed Katie by the
arm, dragging her over to him. He had this icy glare that sent a chill down
her spine. "Oh, you'll be a hostage alright, but a very special one for I have
this little score to settle with your Jake when this is all over ... "

Katie looked a bit nervous at his ominous words, and wondered what he planned
to do to Jake, and herself ...

* * *

Parking his car, Jake stepped out as he returned home after a grueling
evening. The thought of his sister""his only family left""in the clutches of
that vile gangster continued to make his blood boil in anger for she was
innocent in all this. After their meeting at the billiards, Mike had attempted
to follow Reno in the hopes of finding out where Stacey and Laura were kept,
but Reno as always, seemed to be one step ahead and had Mike's tires of his
Pontiac Firebird shot out, leaving him stranded before calling Jake for help.

With no other options available in locating them, Jake resigned himself to get
some sleep as fatigue was finally taking its toll for he was emotionally
drained now.

Stepping up to the main entrance of the apartment complex, he heard a noise
nearby. Turning his head alertly, he saw a figure standing in the shadows near
the bushes. He looked alarmed as the mysterious figure approached him, but was
relieved when he saw that it was Janice""however, he was bothered by the fact
that she had been crying.

"Oh, Jake ... thank god I found you ... I didn't know where else to go ... "
she rambled on hysterically as Jake reached out and held her tight, trying to
comfort the terrified girl.

"What's wrong?" he asked tenderly but very curiously.

"It's Katie ... Reno's got her! ... " she cried out in his chest as she began
sobbing again.

Jake looked completely distraught as he felt like a knife was struck right
through his heart as his chest ached from hearing that dreadful news. He
should've known better that Katie would still go out and try to find the
girls""it's what she does!

Holding her face gently, Jake looked at Janice square in the eye, "Janice ...
do you know where Katie is?"

She nodded affirmatively as she wiped a tear from her cheek. Whatever
exhaustion Jake may have felt was suddenly cast aside as adrenaline began
fueling his tired body. "I told her that going over there was too dangerous,
but she wanted to check the place out herself first before alerting anyone
else," Janice continued with a certain amount of guilt in her shaky voice.

"Hey, it's not your fault what happened ... you did the right thing coming
over here ... " Jake offered comfort much in the same way Katie had eased her
anxiety over Stacey's abduction earlier tonight. He realized what he needed to
do first before setting out to rescue the girls. Just then, he heard this
faint thumping noise coming from nearby. "What's that sound?" he asked trying
to place what it could be.

"Oh ... that's just the boy Katie and I had tied up in the truck ... " Janice
replied casually, which Jake responded in alarm with a raised eyebrow at her,
questioning how innocent Janice Butler really was ...

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

After her "pleasant" introduction with Reno, Katie was led yet again deeper
into the building down to the basement. A door was opened by padlock and she
was shoved inside. "Katie!! ... " a high-pitched voice yelled out and Stacey
rushed over to her, hugging her tightly. The door was quickly closed shut and
locked back up.

The room she was in was of modest size and was completely bare, but at least
it felt warmer than upstairs. Looking past Stacey's shoulder as she hugged her
back, Katie noticed Laura in the dim light getting up to her feet at the far
end of the room. Letting go of Stacey, she rushed over to her and embraced her
firmly. "Are you both okay?" Katie asked for they appeared to look all right,
considering.

"Yeah, we're alright as best can be ... " Stacey replied warily.

"How on earth did you know where to find us?" Laura asked in shock at seeing
the junior sleuth standing before her.

"Oh, just some detective work ... " Katie replied lightly. " ... which ended
up you getting caught again," Stacey finished her sentence, for she knew all
too well of Katie's track record of getting herself captured.

"Yeah, things didn't go exactly as planned ... " Katie stated the obvious
awkwardly. "Hopefully Janice got away so help may be coming soon."

"Janice!? ... " Stacey exclaimed, " ... you dragged her into this?"

"Hey, she wanted to help after feeling guilty about what happened to you at
the Zodiac," Katie defended herself to her hotheaded friend.

"Okay, girls ... let's all just calm down for we're all in this mess
together," Laura interjected being the voice of reason.

"You're right ... I'm sorry for losing my cool," Stacey apologized genuinely.

"Don't worry about, being locked up in this claustrophobic prison can get on
anybody's nerves ... " Katie responded sensibly as she determined that there
was absolutely no other way out of this room.

"Do you really believe we're gonna be rescued?" Laura asked guardedly as she
sat back down on the floor next to her coat.

"If I know Jake, and I'm sure you do to, I would bet on it ... " Katie
declared confidently, for she had to believe in that ... for all their sakes.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Jake called for an impromptu meeting at the old train station. At 12:30 in the
morning, he was a bit surprised that almost everyone he was able to contact
had actually showed up, which wasn't a whole lot. He looked upon in approval
at the eleven men standing around him""not including Janice, who also stood
idly by right next to Mike. "I want to first thank you all for coming here at
this late hour in the freezing cold," Jake spoke candidly as he paced around
slowly to keep warm. "Reno wanted me to call upon you into his new super-gang,
which I adamantly denied, but he got desperate and as a result he abducted my
sister, Laura, and Mike's girlfriend, Stacey ... "

Some rumbling was heard among the group present as this was the first they
heard of what happened earlier tonight. "And I just received word a short
while ago that Katie has been taken as well ... " Jake tried not to sound too
emotional, but he had trouble masking it. Mike looked horrified at hearing
that, which only made him angrier toward that coward, Reno.

"Of course, he didn't want me telling you all about what he did to coerce Mike
and me into convincing you to join him, but I don't care about Reno or his
'dream' ... My sister and girlfriend, the two most important people in my life
are in mortal danger, and I'm going over there to save them ... even if it
means losing my own life in the process. Now, I'm asking you my old friends
here, will you help us in rescuing them?"

The ten men then grouped together, discussing softly amongst one another of
Jake's request. Mike stood there with a steely gaze as he had his hand on
Janice's shoulder, for he was protecting her during her stay at their old
hideout.

The group then disengaged from each other and looked at Jake. "Jake ... you
know we would help, but who knows how many Reno has already recruited and are
with him wherever he's hiding ... " one of them, Pat Glenn""who was good
friends with Jake since the beginning""had said, " ... even the little lady
doesn't know that," he pointed to Janice in reference. "We could all be
walking into a death trap ... "

"If we don't stop Reno now ... we'll all be dead soon enough anyway ... " a
voice spoke out, and everyone turned to see Mark Foreman enter the room.

"What're you doing here? ... " Pat said icily at their rival gang member, "
... I heard that you joined up with Reno's gang." One of the others in
attendance looked nervous at Mark's presence, "Did Reno sent you here ... is
he waiting outside for us?"

That suspicion sent just about everyone in a panic. "Relax ... I came here
alone to warn you all," Mark replied to calm everyone's nerves.

"Warn us about what? ... " Mike asked warily as he too was now tense.

Mark explained in detail the terrible plan that Reno laid out back at the
theater""everyone was in absolute shock after hearing that. "He's totally
insane ... " Gary Sherman spoke softly.

Pat walked over to Jake, placing his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for
chickening out before, but we're all with you Jake, whatever it takes ... this
maniac needs to be brought down before a lot of people get killed." Jake
smiled at his support and held his arm in gratitude.

"But is the eleven of us enough to stop him?" Nick Fallo wondered cautiously,
and some of the others expressed his concern.

"I'm going back to talk with my people and see about getting their support in
helping us," Mark said assuring.

"Mark, I never knew you to be the sentimental type ... " Pat regarded wryly
towards his rival. "Protecting your turf and fighting amongst each other is
one thing, but what Reno wants to do is just plain suicide ... no it's
genocide, and I for one am not going with him to hell to help answer for his
sins," Mark replied as the devout catholic he was.

"So, have you seen any of his captives ... are they alright?" Mike asked Mark
directly for he needed to know.

"No, Reno hasn't let anyone see them, but it's my understanding that they're
fine ... for now," Mark replied back genuinely, and Mike nodded to him in
appreciation.

Jake then turned his attention over to Mark, "I know that our two gangs never
got along over the years, but I want to say thank you for bringing this
pressing news to our attention ... that shows true integrity," he stuck out
his hand in admiration, and Mark grasped it, shaking it warmly. "Let's save
the congratulatory until after Reno is put down first," Mark added with a
somber look on his face.

"Okay then ... " Pat chimed in to break the little heartwarming scene playing
out, " ... we need to come up with an effective attack plan that will minimize
the risks on our end."

"I've been in there, and I know a good way to sneak in ... " Mark spoke and
gathered everyone around as they all listened in. One of the men present,
however, discreetly left the room for he needed to make an urgent phone call
...

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Reno sat at his desk looking very upset as he just hung up his cell phone. His
right hand man, Doug Hannigan, sat across from him with a nervous look in his
eye at Reno's obvious display of anger. "What's wrong? ... " he asked
hesitantly.

"That was my mole I had acquired from Jake's old gang that called ... It seems
that our 'loyal' member Mark betrayed us as he told Jake and Mike about our
secret plan," Reno responded coldly as he looked like he was ready to explode.

"So, what do we do now? ... " Doug asked in earnest.

Rising up from his seat, Reno started walking towards the exit door as Doug
began to follow him. "We're gonna have some company here shortly, and I want
things ready for a likely assault."

"Assault!? ... " Doug exclaimed aghast. "Doesn't Jake realize it would be
suicide coming here?"

"I guess he feels like he has nothing to lose now ... " Reno answered for he
was looking very forward to confronting him now ...

* * *

The three prisoners all sat down on the floor with their backs to the wall,
waiting aimlessly for something to happen as there wasn't anything else to do.
Laura had her shoes off as she was rubbing her tired feet. "I was looking
forward to a relaxing foot massage tonight ... " she grumbled in exhaustion.

Stacey was passed out as she had her head resting on Katie's shoulder,
snoozing softly. Katie was very quiet as her thoughts drifted back to college,
for even though there was the possibility of her not lasting through the
night, she nonetheless still planned for her future as if everything was going
to turn all right in the end.

Just then, the sound of the door opening startled the two conscious females,
while Katie jarred Stacey from her slumber""she woke up just as she saw five
darkclothed men and woman enter the room.

"On your feet, ladies ... " Reno said in a mock charming voice.

"Are we being set free? ... " Laura asked hopefully after placing her pumps
back on her feet.

"Not exactly ... " Reno replied deviously, " ... but you two will have to be
leaving now," he referred to Laura and Stacey, which alarmed Katie. "Where are
you taking them!?" she demanded.

Laura handed her wool coat over to Stacey to protect her better from the
freezing cold with that lightweight top she still wore""Laura's suit jacket
was adequate enough for her. Two of the women walked behind the two hapless
girls with plastic ties in their hands. They placed the girl's hands behind
their backs and began binding them with said ties.

"Is that really necessary having to tie them up!?" Katie shouted again in
their defense, and she noticed the men now gagging them by shoving a strip of
white cloth into each of their mouths. Reno walked up to the smug teen with
any icy glare. "You'd best close that little trap of yours, otherwise I'll
shut it myself."

"Just try it ... I'm not afraid of you ... " Katie challenged him back as she
held her ground firmly. Reno then smirked as he apparently lightened up. "I'm
gonna enjoy what I have planned for you ... " he spoke wickedly at the teen
sleuth.

Stacey and Laura were then being walked out in muffled groans""Stacey shot a
pleading look back at Katie before exiting the room. The sounds of their heels
clicked distantly on the concrete floor as they were soon gone.

The two remaining men with Reno seized Katie and led her out of the room, but
heading in the opposite direction of where her friends went off too. Even
though she acted tough in front of Reno, the hard truth was Katie was scared
not only for herself, but for Jake as well ...

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

A dark-colored van drove down a narrow dirt path and then stopping on the
frozen shoreline of Lake Massapequa. Two men exited the vehicle and opened the
rear doors, extracting a bound and gagged Laura from inside. The gang duo
carried the hapless woman very carefully over the frozen water of the large
lake, dropping her approximately fifty feet from shore.

She shivered from the combination of the frigid temperatures and sitting on
the even more frigid ice. Her two captors carefully made their way back to
land as all she could do watch helplessly for her ankles were now bound
together with a plastic tie. She mumbled through her cloth gag, pleading with
them not to leave her there to freeze to death.

Once they were off the lake, one of them went back to the van and pulled out
something""a large shotgun! He walked back to where his friend stood, as he
was now holding a small video camera, and aimed the lethal weapon toward the
terrified captive! BLAM! ... he fired off a loud shot, but the impact
fortunately missed Laura by more than twenty feet. BLAM ... BLAM ... BLAM!!
... Three more shots rang out at positions all around her, as if he was
missing her on purpose.

Satisfied, they both then returned to the van and began driving off, leaving
Laura all alone in the chilly February night. She wondered at first what their
intention was of shooting at the ice ... then the awful realization made
itself known as small cracks started to form between the blown-out holes!

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!! ... " Laura wailed out in absolute terror for it looked
as though she was going to die much sooner than expected ...

* * *

A large sedan made its way towards the train yard, which was closed for the
night. Two gang men stepped out of the vehicle and opened the trunk, revealing
Stacey lying in there with terror in her big brown eyes. She was hauled out
and thrown over the shoulder of one of her captors. The pair quickly made
there way over to the multitude of railroad tracks, searching for the right
one. "This one ... " one of them said, pointing down to a pair of long steel
beams on the flat ground.

Stacey was placed down gently and stretched out along the width of the tracks.
One of them produced a large coil of rope from a bag he carried. The two then
began the tedious process of binding Stacey to the tracks she laid on.

She looked completely horrified at what was happening to her ... After they
were done with their task, Stacey was wrapped tightly with so much rope she
almost resembled a mummy. The one with the bag then pulled out a small video
camera and began recording shots of Stacey as she stared back at them with
tearful pleading eyes.

"Hmmmmmphhh ... " she tried to articulate speech through her thick cloth gag
she bit down on, but her captors just ignored her plaintive cries and
proceeded back to their vehicle""and then drove away ...

Stacey struggled mightily against the yards of rope around her petite body,
but it wouldn't budge""she was completely immobile!

Looking very worried at the horizon on either side of her, Stacey wondered in
complete dread when the train would be approaching ...

* * *

It wasn't very long that Jake and the rest of the gang arrived at the very
spot where Janice last saw Katie. The eleven men (and one woman) disembarked
from the four cars parked alongside the narrow road. Reaching the high fence,
Janice spoke in the chilly air, "Katie went down in that direction ... " she
pointed to the thicket of tall trees in the distance.

"Okay, we do this very quietly ... " Jake reminded everyone standing around, "
... and you stay here," he said directly at Janice.

"But, I want to come too? ... " she pleaded as she was getting more confident
now, not to mention she felt much safer in the company of these burly men.

Jake rolled his eyes in frustration at the stubbornness of these girls ... Is
everyone one of them like Katie? ... "I don't have time to argue with you,
Janice ... " Jake spoke very forceful at the docile girl, " ... just please
stay with the cars or I'll be forced to lock you in one of the trunks."

Janice's mouth gaped open in alarm at hearing Jake's direct threat, and
realized he meant what he said. She then reconsidered her request as she did
not want to end up the same way as Keith, that was before they finally
released him from the trunk, but kept him locked up at the old train station
for the time being.

"Alright, I'll stay here like a good girl ... " Janice resigned almost
mockingly for she was not happy about it.

The group of men then climbed over the fence and proceeded cautiously to their
destination with fate ...

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Seeing the old theater in the distance, Jake surveyed the area all around as
everything looked quiet and still. He remembered what Mark had told him back
at the station about there being a secret entrance at the rear end of the
building, and sure enough he spotted it concealed on the darkened side of the
building. He then raised his hand, signaling everyone to follow him, and the
small group of gang members carefully made their way from the edge of the
forest down towards Reno's little hideout ...

Just as Mark said, there was no one they encountered as they quietly gained
access inside. The plan was that they stick together until they either find
Reno or the prisoners first. The dimly lit hallway they were in ended at a
door up ahead. Mike was the first to reach it and he slowly opened it, peering
through the other side of it. He then waved his hand and stepped through while
the others followed him as well.

They were all now inside the immense auditorium as it was deserted of other
people. "I don't like this ... " Pat said softly as his brown eyes darted all
around, " ... this has been too easy, almost like they're expecting us."

Suddenly, a light was flashed on, which startled everyone all at once. The
source of the light was coming from a large screen situated at the stage area.
"I'm so glad you could all make it here, for you're just in time to enjoy the
little show I've prepared for your viewing pleasure!" the voice of Reno was
suddenly heard, amplified over the numerous speakers positioned around the
spacious room.

An image on the large screen began to form and it showed Laura struggling
against her bonds, crying with frozen tears on her blue-tinted face. Jake's
heart ached at seeing his sister scared and freezing! "As you can see we have
the lovely Laura Perry succumbing to the below freezing temperatures, totally
helpless to free herself," Reno continued with absolute glee in his voice. A
wider shot was then shown, revealing a bit more of where Laura was.

"I think I know where she is ... " Nick blurted out after studying the
darkened surrounding countryside, " ... she's at Lake Massapequa!"

Just then, the image quickly changed as it now showed Stacey lying down bound
with coils of rope. Mike gasped at seeing his beloved all trussed up again.
"And here is the ravishing Stacey Campbell looking very fetching with all that
rope on her for as you can see she's not going anywhere ... " The camera shot
pulled back a little revealing that Stacey was lying on some railroad tracks.
Mike's eyes widen as he seemed to recognize where she was. "She must be at the
train yard!" he exclaimed.

"Right on both counts!" Reno replied merrily, "but can they be saved in time?"

The image of Stacey then disappeared and Jake was expecting to see Katie on
the big screen, but the projection light had turned off, bringing the
auditorium back to its muted glow. "Where's Katie!?" Jake yelled out loud.

"Somewhere in this building ... " Reno replied simply, " ... but you need to
find her before it's too late."

Jake was starting to lose his temper, and Pat placed his hand on his shoulder
as added comfort. "We'll find them ... " he said with conviction in his voice.

"Right ... " Jake said with vigor, and turned to his group. "Mike ... take
Janice with you and go get Stacey."

"I thought you never asked," he said wryly as was he was already two steps
towards the door they came from.

"Nick, you and Charlie please go and rescue my sister ... " he continued with
his delegation.

"We'll get her back ... you have my word," Nick said solemnly, grasping Jake's
arm as an added gesture.

The three of them left the auditorium immediately to their respective
destinations. Jake watched them leave, praying for their success.

"What I don't understand was how did Reno know we'd be coming?" Pat said all
flustered at being caught in an elaborate trap.

"Hey ... where's Tommy?" Gary said as he suddenly realized he was no longer
standing next to him.

Jake had a revealing look on his face as it became clear. "Someone had to of
alerted Reno back at the station of our plan."

"Well, that's just great, there goes our element of surprise ... " Pat
complained even more so, " ... now it's only the six of us against God knows
how many Reno has."

"I have to find Katie ... " was Jake's only response for that was still his
primary goal in coming here.

The sound of doors opening was heard as the group of six saw members of Reno's
gang suddenly appear from three flanks! "Go, get out of here! ... save Katie,"
Pat said to Jake who nodded in response and dashed towards to the stage, which
was left unguarded. The multitude of Reno's gang made no attempt to stop him
as they allowed him to get away.

The remainder of Jake's friends all huddled closely together with their backs
against each other as they watched nervously the small army looking upon them
in loathing. "Sure ... sneak inside ... stop Reno's crazy plan ... save the
girls ... " Gary said mockingly at their "foolproof" plan, of which Pat gave
him a dirty sneer in response. "I just may let them take you first ... " was
his icy retort as Gary gulped in fear at hearing that.

* * *

Jake made his way upstairs after leaving the stage as he somehow sensed that
Katie would be there. Even though Reno's insidious plot to kill hundreds was
certainly the graver of the situations they faced, none of that matter to him
if Reno succeeded in disposing of Katie for he didn't know what he would do
without her.

Reaching the upper most floor of the building, Jake heard faint sounds close
by and he headed towards the source of them. Turning a corner, he stopped dead
in his tracks as his mouth fell open in shock at what he witnessed ...

The doors to an elevator was fully open and inside the shaft was Katie
suspended over it as she was lashed to the underside of the elevator that was
raised high above the ceiling so that her vantage point was even with Jake's.
The thick white cloth fixed tightly in her mouth muted what words Katie tried
to speak to her beloved. Her green eyes were fearful and alarming.

Jake rushed to her aid when Reno suddenly appeared right in front of him,
holding what looked like some kind of handle with a red button pointing up and
attached to a long wire leading up towards the elevator.

"You make one more move, and I'll press this button, releasing the elevator by
an explosive device and sending it along with your precious girlfriend all the
way down to the basement ... " Reno said menacingly as his thumb hovered
dangerously over the switch!

CHAPTER TWENTY

Laura couldn't feel her hands or feet anymore as frostbite was now settling
in. The cracks in the ice had subsided as she lay there perfectly still for it
seemed that the cold air will do her in the end anyway. Sitting there on the
ice, she thought of Jake, wondering how he will cope without her. At least if
she knew for certain that Katie would be still be around he would be alright,
but with her taken captive possibly in some death trap like she was, the
prospects of her seeing the next morning seemed rather slim at best. The only
comfort she could bask in is that she would be reunited with her parents after
ten years since the night they were tragically killed by a drunk driver as
they were driving home from a night out. She was fourteen at the time it
happened and Jake was only nine. She had tried her best to raise him when they
lived with their uncle, but Jake had a knack for getting into trouble, and not
long after he started getting involved with the street gangs.

She was very thankful that Katie came into his life for she helped bring out
the good man he really was. Even though she knew that it was her time now, she
prayed that somehow Katie will survive, for Jake's sake ...

Looking at the horizon, Laura suddenly saw a pair of lights approach like
those of a car! At first she thought she was hallucinating as the intense cold
was numbing her senses, but sure enough she saw a car drive up, stopping right
on the beach.

Nick and Charlie exited the car and saw Laura sitting in the middle of the
frozen lake. "Laura! ... " Nick shouted, " ... just hang on, we're comin' to
get you!" He and Charlie then made the slow trek on the slippery iced up
surface.

Laura was frantically shaking her head in an effort to warn them of the hidden
danger they were unaware of. She wished that she wasn't gagged so she could
tell them to stay off the ice.

Nick took the lead as he was about halfway to Laura and he noticed her erratic
behavior. "Just stay calm ... you'll be off of here in a couple of minutes."
And just after he said those words, the piercing sounds of cracking were then
heard as Nick's eyes went wide with fright as he saw the ice near him begin to
break apart, revealing the frigid water underneath!

Nick started to back up a bit quickly when he slipped and fell""his legs
plunging into the icy water! "Aaaaaahhhh!! ... " he screamed as the intense
cold made it feel like a thousand needles were piercing into his flesh.

Charlie rushed over to his aid and managed to pull him out, all the while
being careful not to fall in himself. Laura felt grateful as she watched the
two boys make their way safely back to shore. However, her predicament got a
whole lot worse as the large breaks in the ice were now edging closer to her!

* * *

Arriving at the train yard, Mike looked frantically out through the car window
for any sign of Stacey. Unfortunately the darkness of night made searching
from afar nearly impossible. He parked the car as close to the railroad tracks
as he could, and rushed out with Janice following right on his tail.

"Stacey!! ... " he yelled out in the stillness of the night. Knowing that she
was gagged, he listened very quietly for even the faintest of sound, but heard
nothing.

"Go down that way ... " he pointed a direction to Janice, " ... and I'll head
this way." Mike ran off in the opposite direction from Janice as she then ran
along the rows of tracks trying to find her friend tied onto one of them. At
least one good thing she was thankful for the silence around her was that no
train was approaching. She just hoped Stacey would be found before one does
come ...

* * *

Jake stood nervously as a tense standoff occurred. "Reno ... this is between
you and me, please leave Katie out of this," he implored to his former mentor
who stood fixedly with his thumb still poised over the button.

"All the more reason to include her ... " Reno responded harshly. "Taking your
sister was intended as a double purpose for me, but when your sweet girlfriend
here showed up right at my door step, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to
use her instead."

Katie continued watching the banter going on between the two former gang
partners while keeping a careful eye on that switch Reno held for it was a
long way down to the bottom of that narrow shaft. Twisting her wrists that
were tied to the bottom of the elevator, Katie suddenly felt a little slack on
one of the ropes holding them. She vigorously worked at it, trying to break
her hand loose ...

"After I was forced to leave town, I found out later that it was you who
ratted me out to the cops from those robberies ... " Reno enlighten to a
stunned Jake by the look on his face. "You thought I didn't know that, did
you? ... Well, I have ways of finding things out ... and after everything I've
taught you I thought you would've known that. I guess you weren't that good of
a student to learn ... "

"Wrong ... I'm better than you," Jake retorted heatedly. "You just weren't
that good of a teacher as you keep making the same mistakes."

"So, I guess offing your girlfriend would count as a mistake then ... I guess
I can live with that."

Jake noticed Reno's intention of pressing that button, and he rushed at him so
fast that Reno didn't have anytime to react as Jake slammed right into him,
knocking them both on the floor. The switch fell out of his hand and landed
not far from where Katie was hanging.

The teen detective continued at her feverish attempt in releasing herself from
this insane death trap before she becomes road pizza at the bottom of that
shaft ...

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Not to be deterred by some cracks in the ice, Charlie thought of another plan
on rescuing Laura as he found a rolled-up fifty-foot extension cord in the
trunk. After stretching it out, he fashioned a wide lasso at one end. Stepping
on the ice as close as he can without falling through, Charlie twirled the
cord high over his head and hurled it over to Laura, landing it right beside
her.

She slowly slithered her frozen body over to the yellow power cord and
wriggled her way through the noose until it was around her midsection.

Seeing her do that, Charlie pulled on the cord as the noose tightened around
her thin waist, and he and Nick began to pull her towards shore. The fact that
she was on the ice made the task much easier as she slid very smoothly over to
them.

Now came the tricky part as Laura approached the cracks that surrounded her,
but fortunately this section had not yet broke apart""they just hoped her
weight can keep the ice intact. As she was right over it, the cracks suddenly
became larger, and then a section of the ice split in two as Laura's lower
half fell into the freezing water!

"HHHHHHMMMMM ... !!!" she howled through her gag as the intensely cold water
made her already numb body even more so. With her hands tied behind her back,
she couldn't keep herself up on the ice as she slowly slid down into the dark
icy water of the lake!

Charlie held onto the cord tight as Nick rushed over to Laura's aid. He
managed to grab her shoulders before she was completely submerged. Using all
of his strength in his small body, he lifted the drenched woman out of the
water and placing her back on the ice. Nick dragged her still body towards
Charlie as he now hurried over to help him carry Laura back to shore.

"There's a blanket in the trunk, get it quick!" Charlie yelled as Nick rushed
over to the car and retrieved it. Charlie removed her gag and cut the plastic
ties with a small pocketknife he carried. Laura was still conscious, but was
unable to move as her body was dangerously cold. Nick wrapped the thick wool
blanket around her snugly.

"We got to get her to a hospital right away!" Nick exclaimed seeing Laura's
skin a pale blue color.

"The closest one I know is St. Francis, but that's on the other side of town!"
Charlie said in a panic as he held Laura tightly to keep her warm.

"Then let's get going before she goes into shock ... " Nick replied as he
carried Laura into the car, laying her on the back seat.

Charlie then started up the car and drove off in a flash to help save Laura's
life ...

* * *

Stacey kept trying at freeing her herself of her makeshift cocoon despite the
sheer exhaustion that was taking its toll on her freezing body. She wondered
if she would feel any pain when a train runs right over you at full speed""she
hoped if that was the case it would quick and painless for it didn't look as
she was going anywhere. Her thoughts then drifted back to Mike as she wasn't
upset that she was in this mess because of him, just another a drawback of
dating someone from the gangs.

Just then, Stacey heard what sounded a like someone shouting in the distance.
A closer listen at it, she distinctly heard her name being called, which meant
that someone was out there searching for her!

"HHHHHHMMMMMMM ... !!!" Stacey screamed out as loud as she could through her
mouth-filling gag, praying that the unknown person would hear her ...

Janice continued calling out Stacey's name when she then heard another noise
in the distance""a moaning sound. Heading in the direction from where she
heard it coming from, Janice soon came upon something blocking one of the
tracks, and a closer inspection of it revealed to Stacey as she continued
wailing out in muffled cries.

"Stacey!!" Janice exclaimed as she hurried over to her distressed friend.
Bending down next to her, Janice pried the cloth from Stacey's lips as the gag
was removed. "Janice ... " Stacey said out of breath, " ... quick, help me get
untied ... "

Janice proceeded to one of the several knots binding her friend and began
untying it. "I'm just so glad I was able to find you ... " Janice spoke all
flustered as she sounded like she was going to cry, " ... and you're welcome
by the way."

Stacey looked a bit ashamed at not thanking Janice first. "I'm sorry ...
thanks for saving me."

"Well, you can save it right now until I can get you free ... these knots are
on really tight," Janice complained for she was having difficulty in freeing
Stacey. "Mike ... I found Stacey!!" she yelled out into the direction of where
he ran off to.

Shortly after, Stacey spotted a figure emerge from the darkness, running
towards her very fast. Her brown eyes lit up as she saw Mike rushing to her.
He quickly knelt down and kissed his girlfriend hungrily on the lips. "Stand
back ... " he instructed Janice and pulled out a switchblade knife from his
inside jacket pocket, opening its long lethal-looking blade.

"I'll have you out of here in a minute ... " Mike assured Stacey as he began
cutting the ropes from her.

While Janice was standing by watching them, she suddenly felt a slight tremor
from under her booted feet. A flash of light then caught her eyes as she
noticed something off in the horizon. "A train is coming!!! ... " she screamed
in utter panic as Mike and Stacey saw that as well.

Mike went into double-time with cutting the ropes, but there was so many
wrapped around her! Stacey couldn't stop looking at the lone light moving ever
so closer as if the angel of death was beckoning her.

Realizing he had only seconds left before that train came barreling down, Mike
finished with the last of the ropes that bound her ankles to the rail, and
scooped her up in his massive arms.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" the deafening sound of the horn blared out over the equally
deafening sound of the train itself as it approached very rapidly, narrowly
missing Mike and Stacey as he leaped off the tracks, landing solidly on the
gravel sideline. He placed his jacket over Stacey's face, and his as well,
while the long freight train sped passed them close by.

Once the locomotive left the area, Janice got up from her hiding spot and
strolled over to them as she heard Stacey crying softly. Mike just lied there
on the ground holding her, letting her continue to cry. Janice knelt beside
her distraught friend and embraced her, weeping as well ...

* * *

The situation back at the auditorium can only be described as grim at best.
Pat figured the odds were about ten-to-one against them. He had always thought
that if he were to die young, it would be in a blaze of glory. Looking at the
angry mob surrounding them, it looked as though his prediction would come
true.

Just as they started to rush the outnumbered group of friends, a booming voice
was suddenly heard ... "Stop right there!"

Reno's gang did just that and turned to where the unknown voice came from.
Standing at the main exit was Mark, and appearing right behind him was what
looked like the entire multitude of street gangs. Suddenly the odds were
shifted back as Reno's gang felt like the underdogs now. Pat looked at over
Mark and gave him an appreciative smile for he really did come through like he
said.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The fight between Jake and Reno was one that was slowly in the making over the
past seven years. It was Reno that introduced the young impressionable
twelve-year-old Jake to the exciting lifestyle of the gangs, of which he
readily accepted""and soon after Reno became the role model Jake never really
had growing up. However, as time went on, Jake became increasingly frustrated
with Reno's methods and leadership as he was taking more risks from doing
stupid juvenile antics to more serious acts of criminal behavior.

It was one those robberies Reno committed""the last one""that Jake couldn't
keep quiet anymore for there was a shooting involved that left one person in
the hospital fighting for his life. Fortunately that person pulled through,
but was left paralyzed from the waist down. Jake couldn't take the chance of
Reno doing something worse the next time, so he did the only thing he could do
to stop him even though it went against the code he swore to uphold. Of
course, Reno evaded capture from the police and fled town, but his return had
now completed the circle between them, and can finally resolve their inner
conflict openly and permanently, but with Katie's life hanging in the balance
...

Katie continued working on getting her hand loose from the ropes when she
finally achieved it as she jerked it free! She then reached over to her mouth
and pulled that gag off, allowing her to breathe more freely. Jake and Reno
didn't seem to notice that as they were engaged in a brutal fight on the
floor. After releasing her other hand, she held onto a beam across the edge of
the elevator to keep herself up and not dangling facedown into the dark shaft.
With her ankles still bound to the elevator, Katie let go of the beam, bending
all the way over to reach them and worked nimbly on freeing them.

Jake and Reno's brawl moved away from the vicinity of the elevator as the two
rivals were still locked in a fierce struggle with Reno beginning to slowly
get control of Jake.

"I should've just killed you when I had the chance before!" Reno seethed as he
lied on the floor keeping Jake pinned underneath him.

"I guess I'm just lucky that you're getting soft now ... " Jake replied
mockingly, which infuriated his former mentor and he punched Jake hard on the
jaw.

Reno took advantage of Jake's momentary pause from the blow and twisted the
arm of Jake behind his back. He banged the head of Jake against the floor.
Dazed Jake managed to twist free and noticed the switch. Jake saw it and
scrambled to get it, but Reno was a bit quicker and he snatched it right up!
"Say goodbye to your lover ... " he hissed triumphantly and pressed the
button!

A loud banging noise was suddenly heard followed immediately by a roaring
sound as the elevator began to plummet down the shaft. A moment later, Reno
was suddenly pulled away from Jake as his leg got somehow tangled on the thick
wire during their struggle. His brown eyes were in utter shock as he was
dragged very quickly towards the shaft and fell through, screaming wildly all
the way down. A thunderous CRASH was heard below and then silence ...

"KATIE!!! ... " Jake screamed at the top of his lungs as he ran to the edge of
the shaft, looking down at the smoky haze of the elevator collapse. His chest
began to heave as he was about to break out in tears at the realization that
she was now gone ... forever.

Just then, in the midst of his sorrow, a soft moaning sound was then heard
from behind him, and he turned seeing Katie huddled in a corner! "Katie ... "
he said with immense relief in his voice and rushed over to her.

"Owwww! ... " she yelped after Jake touched her left arm, which she held onto
gingerly. "I think it's broken ... after the elevator hit it when it fell,"
she said in extreme pain as she had managed to escape certain death when Reno
set off the charge.

"I thought I just lost you ... " Jake said tenderly while holding her other
hand gently.

"Yeah, I thought I was a goner for sure ... " Katie replied shakily, " ...
fortunately Reno's goons don't tie ropes well enough to hold me ... " she
added sheepishly with a little smirk on her face.

Jake grinned in response and kissed her softly, but eagerly on the lips as
they were both grateful this nightmare of a day was at last over ...

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Katie smiled warmly as she listened to the soothing jazz music being played by
a quartet at Bongo's restaurant, located in the trendy district of Albany. Her
left arm was encased in a thick plaster cast, supported by a sling. The cast
was littered with so many signatures that it didn't appear white from a
distance.

The police were able to intercept those shipments of explosives that was to be
delivered to Reno for his horrific plot""his gang has been rounded up and
placed on some serious charges including conspiracy, kidnapping, attempted
murder ... just to name a few. The rest of the street gangs had made a pact to
disband after they came so close to all-out war that it frightened every one
of them into quitting.

Laura was thankfully doing very well after her frostbitten experience, and as
an added bonus she had a date with a rather cute male nurse that attended to
her during her stay at the hospital""she retracted her claim that all men were
macho, egotistical pigs.

Jake sat across from Katie at a cozy table for two in a corner of the quaint
establishment as they were enjoying their make-up Valentines Day dinner he
promised. The soft glow of the amber lights overhead cast a warm radiance to
Katie's blonde hair as Jake found her to be the most stunning woman he had
ever met""he had been counting his blessings everyday that both she and his
sister were alive and well.

"I know what I said to you before about not moving away to college ... " Jake
said as he looked at her deeply into her green eyes, " ... but I want you to
know that I'm completely fine with wherever you choose to go ... I don't want
to be the one to stand in the way of your dreams."

"Thank you ... that means a lot to me," she replied affectionately, holding
his hand firmly.

"And I'm sorry for not trusting you on what happened before with Reno ... I
know you're very capable at handling yourself ... heck, you're probably the
most skilled person I know when it comes to facing danger. I can tell you're
gonna make one hell of an agent ... " Jake complimented sincerely as her
constant encounters with perilous circumstances had often been a source of
tension between them.

"Well, I think after this latest close call, which was just a little too close
... I'm going to hang up my badge, so to speak, and enjoy what time I have
left here before the Fall with you and everyone else. I'll have plenty of time
to chase down bad guys later anyway," Katie announced with resolute in her
voice.

"I'll believe that when I see it ... " was Jake's wry response as he knew
Katie too well for she can't control that insatiable curiosity of hers so
easily.

She blushed at his comment, knowing that he was correct ...