Earlier that evening
The night air was thick with tension as Jack slammed the truck’s hood shut, his movements fueled by frustration and trepidation. He cast a furtive glance over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing as they swept across the darkened expanse of the Henderson property.
With a grunt of exertion, he hoisted the duffel bag onto his shoulder, its contents clinking as he turned and stalked towards the tree line that bordered the property. His footfalls were heavy, leaving a trail of crushed grass in his wake as he sought cover of shadow.
Jack felt enveloped in the inky blackness of the trees and allowed himself a moment of respite. His shoulders sagged as he lowered the duffel bag to the ground; he fished the burner phone from his pocket, his fingers trembling as he tapped the sequence of numbers.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this! Why did that stupid girl have to interfere?
After a tense pause, Operator 47’s clipped voice crackled to life, slicing through the silence.
“Report.”
Jack swallowed hard, his throat constricting as he struggled to find his voice. “I have the DNA sample,” he rasped, his words laced with a hint of desperation. “It wasn’t easy, but I got it.”
The weight of Operator 47’s silence hanging heavy in the air. “Elaborate,” the man said, his tone brooking no room for evasion.
Jack’s fingers tightened around the phone, his knuckles whitening as he fought to maintain his composure. “The girl... Aiko,” he began, his voice wavering. She displayed an unwavering strength that surpassed all expectations. I had to take the sample by force.
Another tense silence followed, punctuated only by Jack’s ragged breathing as he awaited Operator 47’s response. When the man spoke, his words carried a dangerous edge, making Jack nervous.
“I instructed you to secure the sample by any means necessary," Operator 47 said, his tone clipped and devoid of emotion. “However, this development complicates matters. We cannot risk the girl compromising our operation.”
Jack felt his breath catch in his throat, his earlier bravado evaporating like a puff of smoke. “What are you saying?” he asked, his voice tinged with a hint of desperation.
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“The plan has changed,” Operator 47 replied, his words cut through the air like a knife. “Bring the DNA sample to our laboratory in Brooklyn. We also need your assurance that the girl will remain silent about this incident.”
“Don’t worry about Aiko; she shall play along. I will make sure of that,” Jack said.
“See that you do, Jack,” he warned, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. “Our organization will not tolerate loose ends. If you cannot keep the girl in line, we will have no choice but to take more drastic measures.”
The line went dead, the ominous click of the disconnected call ringing in Jack’s ears like a death knell. He lowered the phone, his hand trembling as a potent cocktail of rage and trepidation churned in his gut.
No time to convince her before heading back into the city. I need to stash her some place, but where?
As Jack covered Aiko’s limp body, he remembered his perfect hiding spot that no one except him knew of. The black bag contained a little knock-out agent, but she would be up soon enough, and he needed to control the situation when she did. He drove back to the farm.
About thirty minutes later, she let out a sigh of relief as he parked his truck in front of his sister’s house.
I have the perfect hiding spot. I just hope it’s still there.
He carried Aiko to the back of the barn, just out of sight from the house, then turned toward the woods and started counting his footfalls. After two-hundred and thirty-two paces, he stopped in the middle of a wooded area, set Aiko against a massive tree, and removed a small flashlight from his jeans. The area had become overgrown, and he got down on his hands and knees. He started peeling back layers of earth until his hands came in contact with a metal handle.
There it is!
He yanked on the handle, revealing a door-shaped opening leading into an inky blackness. He carried Aiko through a series of hewn tunnels until it dead-ended into a tiny room with a single chair, table, and steamer chest. Jack sat Aiko in the chair, then unlocked the chest and found what he needed: rope, handcuffs, and several gags. He chose a gag with a leather strap.
Ah, this will do.
Jack smiled. As he tied Aiko to the chair, he looked up at the wooden ceiling. He remembered constructing this room below the barn. It was supposed to be his hideout all those years ago, but the police had other ideas.
I wonder where I would be if I only evaded the cops for another hour, Jack thought.
He looked up at the wooden ceiling above them.
No one will find her, and she will be back with any luck before they know she is gone.
Satisfied that Aiko was as secure as he could make her, Jack backtracked and reset his secret entrance. He started feeling better already. As he drove away, Jack smiled. He always got his way, and he started putting together the pieces of how he was going to break that silly girl. She would keep his secret. Jack was making sure of that. After turning on the main highway, Jack’s phone pinged with the distinctive sound from his citizen’s alert app, which alerted him of any police activity in his area. He scanned the text alert which read: Teenage girl reported missing.
Sh… it… change of plans!
He made a reckless U-turn, then headed in the direction of the Henderson’s farm.