The Wrangler: The only thing standing between the beautiful kidnapped heiress and death was -- The Wrangler. by Pat Powers Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Pat Powers
to Bloody Marsh Park on St. Simon's Island at exactly 4:25 p.m. tomorrow. Put it in a waterproof plastic bag and dump into the water from the causeway bridge leading to the park, then drive away."
"Two million dollars!" exclaimed Willock. "I don't ... I can't ... it's impossible by 4 o'clock!"
"We will give your regrets to your daughter when we kill her, then," responded the Cleaner. "We will also kill Christine if we see anyone but you at the drop. We will kill her if the bills are marked or if they are sequential. We will kill her if there are any tracking devices in the bills. We will kill her if you try any tricks of any kind with us. If you do exactly as we say, you will receive another call which will give you your daughter's location, where she will be waiting for you, unharmed. Remember, four o'clock, two million dollars, the bridge on the causeway leading to Bloody Marsh creek, sealed heavy-duty plastic bag. Good-bye."
The Cleaner did not wait for any confirmation from Willock, he just hung up. They did not care what Willock had to say, and they did not want to stay on the line long enough for a trace to their cell tower.
"Well, the clock is ticking," said the Man. "Guess it's time to go fishing for dollars."
"Fine," said the Agent.
A few moments later, the Agent, the Driver and the Man headed out for St. Simon's Island. The drop was a good six hours away, and St. Simon's was just 90 minutes away, but they planned to spend the next few hours perched in a rental condo watching the marsh to make sure the cops didn't arrive early to set any traps. If they saw any sign that cops were coming in to observe, they would make a call to the Wrangler and the Cleaner, who would kill Christine and leave. The Agent, the Driver and the Man would then leave the island as well. The job would be considered a bust. The Agent, the Driver and the Man would hook up with the Cleaner and the Wrangler and sit in a motel room and watch local news for the inevitable story about the kidnapping, and as soon as they heard or read a story that indicated the cash was not picked up by the kidnappers, they'd be on their merry ways.
Without independent confirmation, the Wrangler and the Cleaner couldn't trust the others not to abscond with the money. Of course, they could abscond with the money before hooking up with the Wrangler and the Cleaner, except that the Cleaner had connections with the Philadelphia mob and all he would have to do is make a phone call and the Philly mob would collect his share -- and everybody else's along with it, and probably kill a few of them while they were at it.
The Wrangler hadn't been all that worried about any double-crosses when he signed on for the job -- the payday seemed big enough to make everybody happy. He'd known the Man had an ego thing going, but he figured pulling in as much as the rest of them put together would take care of it. He hadn't realized that the Man was one of those, "It is not enough that I win -- others must lose," kinda people. And by "others" substitute "everyone."
If he'd known he would never have signed on for he job. Ah, well, live and learn.
As soon as the Man, the Driver and the Agent had left, the Wrangler turned to the Cleaner and said, "We have to get out of here pronto."
"Why?" asked the Cleaner.
"The Man is planning to kill us," said the Wrangler. "I figure the smartest, easiest way to do that would be a bomb planted here. Could happen at any minute."
"How'd you come up with that?" asked the Cleaner.
The Wrangler explained about the telltale on the CD player and the chain of reasoning he'd followed.
"I'm gonna need a little more than your word about the telltale here," said the Cleaner.
"Fine, want to ask our guest what the Man said?" the Wrangler proposed.
"Yeah," said the Cleaner. "'Course then she'll have heard our voices."
"We can just yell over the white noise," said the Wrangler. "That should disguise them pretty well.."
"Fine," said the Cleaner. They
"Two million dollars!" exclaimed Willock. "I don't ... I can't ... it's impossible by 4 o'clock!"
"We will give your regrets to your daughter when we kill her, then," responded the Cleaner. "We will also kill Christine if we see anyone but you at the drop. We will kill her if the bills are marked or if they are sequential. We will kill her if there are any tracking devices in the bills. We will kill her if you try any tricks of any kind with us. If you do exactly as we say, you will receive another call which will give you your daughter's location, where she will be waiting for you, unharmed. Remember, four o'clock, two million dollars, the bridge on the causeway leading to Bloody Marsh creek, sealed heavy-duty plastic bag. Good-bye."
The Cleaner did not wait for any confirmation from Willock, he just hung up. They did not care what Willock had to say, and they did not want to stay on the line long enough for a trace to their cell tower.
"Well, the clock is ticking," said the Man. "Guess it's time to go fishing for dollars."
"Fine," said the Agent.
A few moments later, the Agent, the Driver and the Man headed out for St. Simon's Island. The drop was a good six hours away, and St. Simon's was just 90 minutes away, but they planned to spend the next few hours perched in a rental condo watching the marsh to make sure the cops didn't arrive early to set any traps. If they saw any sign that cops were coming in to observe, they would make a call to the Wrangler and the Cleaner, who would kill Christine and leave. The Agent, the Driver and the Man would then leave the island as well. The job would be considered a bust. The Agent, the Driver and the Man would hook up with the Cleaner and the Wrangler and sit in a motel room and watch local news for the inevitable story about the kidnapping, and as soon as they heard or read a story that indicated the cash was not picked up by the kidnappers, they'd be on their merry ways.
Without independent confirmation, the Wrangler and the Cleaner couldn't trust the others not to abscond with the money. Of course, they could abscond with the money before hooking up with the Wrangler and the Cleaner, except that the Cleaner had connections with the Philadelphia mob and all he would have to do is make a phone call and the Philly mob would collect his share -- and everybody else's along with it, and probably kill a few of them while they were at it.
The Wrangler hadn't been all that worried about any double-crosses when he signed on for the job -- the payday seemed big enough to make everybody happy. He'd known the Man had an ego thing going, but he figured pulling in as much as the rest of them put together would take care of it. He hadn't realized that the Man was one of those, "It is not enough that I win -- others must lose," kinda people. And by "others" substitute "everyone."
If he'd known he would never have signed on for he job. Ah, well, live and learn.
As soon as the Man, the Driver and the Agent had left, the Wrangler turned to the Cleaner and said, "We have to get out of here pronto."
"Why?" asked the Cleaner.
"The Man is planning to kill us," said the Wrangler. "I figure the smartest, easiest way to do that would be a bomb planted here. Could happen at any minute."
"How'd you come up with that?" asked the Cleaner.
The Wrangler explained about the telltale on the CD player and the chain of reasoning he'd followed.
"I'm gonna need a little more than your word about the telltale here," said the Cleaner.
"Fine, want to ask our guest what the Man said?" the Wrangler proposed.
"Yeah," said the Cleaner. "'Course then she'll have heard our voices."
"We can just yell over the white noise," said the Wrangler. "That should disguise them pretty well.."
"Fine," said the Cleaner. They
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