Chapter 11 #2
“Also,” Paul said, “the pilot has informed me we’ll be taking off in five minutes, just as soon as he completes his pre-flight check. I’m going up front now, so give me a buzz if you need anything else.”
“Thanks,” Glenn said. Turning his attention back to assembling the data, he was so intent on finding a correlation between the many places his mother lived and her abduction, he never felt the plane leave the ground.
It wasn’t until Paul asked him if he was ready for dinner that Glenn realized how many hours had passed.
Closing his laptop and sliding it back into his bag, he walked over to the dining table, ready to eat.
As usual, the food was superb, but other than noting that, his mind was busy analyzing everything he’d found out.
Glenn’s instincts told him the answer to his questions were in the data; so far, though, there was nothing amiss in the many reports sent to him about his mother’s life.
There has to be something I’m overlooking.
After thanking Paul for bringing him an after-dinner cognac, Glenn went back to work, breaking down the reports into categories, scrutinizing every piece of information.
Then sitting back, he studied the spreadsheets he’d made, his eyes searching them for a connection, an aberration, anything that could explain why his mother moved so many times but kept coming back to live in New York City.
What’s so fuckin’ special about this place, Mom?
Frustrated with his inability to find answers he was sure were in front of him, Glenn rubbed his eyes; after being up for more than twenty-four hours, exhaustion was winning the battle.
Closing his laptop, he made his way to one of the bedrooms located in the rear of the cabin where he stripped and slipped between the covers, asleep in seconds.
~/~/~/~/~
Entering Zane’s computer room, Jackson asked, “Any word on where the cab went?”
“Just got it now,” Zane said, pulling the documents from his printer. “According to the taxicab company records, the cab was found in Brooklyn…Brownsville, to be exact.”
“Found?” asked Jackson.
“Yeah,” Zane said, handing his brother his report. “It seems the cabbie was knocked out, tied up, gagged, and dumped in the trunk by a guy he had picked up. No one knew the cab and driver were missing until the next morning when the company received a call from the police.”
“What the hell? How’s that possible? Didn’t they notice their driver didn’t report in at the end of his shift?”
“Well, according to the police report, drivers sometimes take their cabs home, especially if they have another shift in the morning.”
“Fuck! So, we still don’t know where they took Willow.”
“Not yet, we don’t,” Zane said, holding up a finger.
“However, the cab has a GPS tracker which records where it went. With any luck, it was working when Willow was taken. If that’s the case, all I have to do is link my laptop to it and download the information to find out where the cab went after she got in.
I have a meeting set up with the fleet owner to get his permission to access it. ”
“And you’re sure that’ll tell you where it stopped.”
“Hopefully, yes,” replied Zane. “But there isn’t a guarantee it’ll work.
If the GPS malfunctioned, or was turned off, or if the kidnapper knew about it and disabled it…
then the only option I have left is to go through hours of NYPD security video, hoping to find where it stopped.
However, I’m counting on the fact that her abductors weren’t tech-savvy and didn’t know about the GPS.
But the sooner we get to Brooklyn, the better chance we have of finding Willow’s location. ”
“Dylon and Cody are ready,” Jackson said. Then, glancing at an incoming message on his phone, he saw it was a reply to one he’d sent when Zane mentioned his appointment with the fleet owner. “The helicopter is on its way. Are you packed?”
“I asked David to do it for me. I figured we’d be going.” After closing his laptop, he shoved it into his backpack. Then looking up at his brother, he added, “This is the first time David…”
“I know,” Jackson said, quietly, “I promise you he’ll be safe.”
“It’s not that…although I do worry about that, too…
but it’s the first time he’ll be sleeping alone since we met and I know he doesn’t do well when I’m not there…
in the bed with him. Even if I’m across the room, he has a hard time sleeping.
I was wondering if there’s any way not to leave him alone at night? ”
“Hmm…” Jackson thought about it, then said, “What about a pajama party with Theo, Norm, and Quin?”
Zane’s face lit up. “Oh, that would be perfect!”
“I’ll speak to Theo. I’m sure he’ll be willing to help.”
“Thanks,” Zane said. Picking up his backpack, he added, “Just don’t let him know I said anything, okay?”
“Mum’s the word,” Jackson chuckled. “You better get going.” Giving his brother a hug, he whispered, “Be safe, and make sure you come back in one piece.”
“No problemo,” grinned Zane.