Her Prada Cowboy: McCulloch County Series #1 (18 page)

“Jarrod, I need to get to the field
office.  I want to see if we can track the van on the traffic cams.  If they
stayed within the city parameters, we’ll be able to find them.”

“You have to find her, Reed!  You just
have to!”

Jarrod’s phone beeped.  He looked at
Reed, then at the time.  It was seven thirty.  It was a video clip from an unknown
number.  Reed came closer and Jarrod flicked the screen to open the clip.  It
was a clip of Shannon sleeping on a bed in a small room.  He could see the bars
on the windows, but at least she appeared unharmed.

A text message followed immediately
after and he flicked it open and read it out loud.

“Continue with the launch, Mr. Parker
and you will never meet your child!”

He sank down on the couch behind him. 
Devastation in his eyes.  Reed cursed.

“We will find her, Jarrod.  You must
just stay positive!  We will find her.”

“You better Reed!  If anythin’ had to
happen to her … I will never forgive myself!”

He leaned his head back and closed his
eyes.  His voice was soft and tired.

“Please call Chris and tell him to
cancel everythin’ for tonight.  Let me know as soon as you have gone through
the traffic cam footage.”

“Will do.  Jarrod, go and take a
shower and eat somethin’.  I’ll be back later.”

When Reed came back three hours later,
Jarrod was still sitting in the same position.

“What
the bloody hell are they waitin’ for, Reed?  It has been three days since they
kidnapped Shannon and apart from that video clip and the message, nothin’!”

“It’s a game they’re playin’, Jarrod. 
They want to make sure you realize they are serious.”

Jarrod went back to the ranch and
worked himself to exhaustion every day.  Still, he could not sleep.  All he saw
in his mind was Shannon’s fear when she woke up with the masked men holding her
down.

“We know what they want from you,
Jarrod and we …”

Yes and they can have it.”

“Jarrod, you ha …”

“No Reed.  I am not prepared to play
with Shannon’s or the twins’ lives!  They can have the bloody software.”

“Jarrod, you put a lot of work in
developin’ that software, not to make money out of it, per se, but for the
greater good and for the revolution it would bring to the Architectural
Industry.  Do you think they are goin’ to use it for the same purpose?”

“I know they are not, but that is
besides the point!”

“Think, Jarrod!  We have to be cleverer
 than they are, without endangerin’ Shannon.  If we don’t do somethin’ they
will get away with it, until they find someone else to exploit in the same
way!”

“What are you suggestin’, Reed?”

“We need to catch them, Jarrod.  Is
there a way you can build a trackin’ system into the program that is
undetectable?  One that would activate the moment they download the software.”

“That is easy.  It is general practice
in most copyright software.”

“As lon’ as they can’t find it when they
check the software.  And how … I don’t know … make changes to the software so
that it is still impressive, but different.  Somethin’, whoever is goin’ to
verify it, will not be able to notice.  Also design a virus, one you can
activate remotely.”

“So you pick up on the GPS signal,
pick them up and then I run the virus to destroy the software.”

“And his hard drive and any link he
has to other systems.  Let’s cripple him completely.”

“How do we know the person that I will
hand the software to is the master behind it?”

“This guy believes himself to be an IT
fundi and he probably is.  We have been unable to track any of the mails he has
sent, the video clip and text was from a burner phone.  No, he wants to look
you in the eye and let you know he got the better of you.”

“I’m not an IT fundi, I only design Architectural
software!”

“Yet to such high standards that you
make millions off you software, so now he wants to cash in on your work.  He
has given us time, Jarrod.  While we’re waitin’ for him to make his next move,
set to work. It is the only way we will safeguard your family in future.  There
is no guarantee he will stop once he walks away with the software.”

“Very well.”

Jarrod
committed himself to the task at hand and started to make changes to his
software.  He was livid.  Whoever took Shannon, might not be professional
kidnappers, but they were not stupid.  They knew the van they stole did not
have a tracker system, knew the traffic cams would pick them up within the city
parameters, so they went out of the city.  The last footage on the traffic cams
were of them riding out of Houston towards Austin.  They checked the Austin
traffic cams, but they never entered the city there.  They were holding Shannon
somewhere between Houston and any of the other towns in the surrounding area.

“Black! 
Where are you?”

Shannon hammered on the door,
irritation clear in her voice.  She had to get out of this room. She has been
cooped up within these four walls for over a week already and she was slowly
going out of her mind.

She heard his footsteps and stepped
back from the door. The lock turned and he entered.

“What now, missy?”

“I am going crazy in here!  Can I
please go for a walk?”

“And start running the moment we get
outside?  I think not.”

“I promise, I won’t!  I just need some
fresh air! I beg you!  You can even tie a rope around my arm!”

He scowled at her, but conceded it
could not be fun locked in a room for days on end.  He just wished Darrel would
stop playing the cat and mouse game with JP.  They have been ready to go home
long ago.  This was supposed to have been over within two days!  I has been ten
already. 
The damn boy was getting too big for his britches!

“Okay, but I will tie you to me.  I am
not in the mood to go runnin’ after you.”

He led her to the front and tied a
rope around her wrist and then his own.  They walked outside and Shannon
breathed the fresh air deep into her lungs.

“Oh, this is bliss!  Thank you,
Black.”

“Why do you call me Black?”

“Your mask.  I don’t know what either
of you look like, you did not give me your names, so I named you after the
colors of your masks.”

“Clever.  Do you know what you’re
expectin’ yet?”

“No …we were supposed to go for our
scan last week Tuesday.  I am having twins though.”

“Twins!  You must be excited.”

“Yes, I am.   Not so much at this
moment.”

“Han’ in there.  It is nearly over.”

“It’s been ten days.  What is taking
so long?  Is Jarrod holding back?”

“Oh no.  He immediately agreed to the
terms.  It is our Boss … he … well, let’s just say, he is playin’ a game.  Fool
should realize, the longer he waits, the better the chances of bein’ caught!”

“Would you … bring me for a walk every
day please?  I can’t just sit in that room the whole day.”

“Will do, missy.  As lon’ as you
behave.”

When the ‘Boss’ phoned them that
evening, they both made it clear that to them it was over.  Either he finished
the deal, or they’re taking the lady back.  They were the ones taking the risk
of being caught and they’ve had it. 

Darrel Smith shook his head.  He
should have known the two old geysers would not hold out too long.  He had added
another demand and smiled broadly when JP accepted that too.  Twenty million as
a startup would do him very well.  Very well indeed!

“Very well.  I will contact him and
arrange for the drop-off tomorrow.  Keep yourselves ready.  I’ll arrive early
in the mornin’ and have him deliver it around one.  Is his missus okay?”

“Yes, we don’t mistreat pregnant
females here in Texas.”

“Good to know … good to know.”

He
ended the call and pulled his laptop closer.  He sent a mail with all the
instructions and directions to Jarred Parker and sat back with a wide smile. 
Dollar signs flashing in front of his eyes.

“Reed,
it’s time.”

Reed looked up from his laptop.  He
has set up base in Jarrod’s house so he could be close when anything happened. 
He got up and went to read the email Jarrod was pointing to on his laptop.

“It’s about bloody time.”

“Why is he givin’ me the exact location
for the exchange a day in advance?”

“Because it is not the exact
location.  He will probably phone you the moment you get there and change it
again.  You just make sure he believes you that no law enforcement agency is  involved. 
He would also jam your car’s trackin’ system, so the only thin’ we would have
to go on is the GPS tracker on that software.”

“It’ll work.  I’ve already installed
the reader on your laptop.  The minute it activates, it will flash open and
start trackin’.  Even if he switches the laptop off, it will be traceable.”

“Good … let me get my team ready. You concentrate
on calmin’ yourself.  If you go in there guns blazin’, you might just get
yourself or Shannon hurt.”

“I’m not an idiot, Reed!”

“No, but I know you, Cuz.  The moment
you see Shannon, you are goin’ to lose it.  Start workin’ on it now … to
control your instincts.  They might let you see her, but they won’t let you
near her until the exchange is done and they’ve gotten away.”

Jarrod nodded and knew what Reed said
was true.  He probably would want to kill someone the moment he laid eyes on
her.  They better pray she did not look battered or lost some of her spirit!

Jarrod arrived at the indicated
location at least fifteen minutes early and sat looking around for anything
that looked out of place.  He was in Brady.  He knew this was just the starting
point.  His phone rang and the mooted voice gave him new instructions.  He
cursed and set off to San Antonio.  Another phone call had him drive halfway to
Houston.  By this time he fumed.  They were wasting time!  When his phone rang
again he exploded.

“This had better be the last
instruction!  I am alone and no one is followin’ me! Let’s get this bloody over
with!”

“Very well, JP.  Drive to Austin. 
I’ll phone you once you reach city center.”

“Shannon better be there when I get
there, buster.  If she is not, you get shit!”

The mooted voice just chuckled. 
“Don’t worry, my friend.  She’ll be there.”

“I’ not your bloody friend!”  And he
ended the call.

The call he got in Austin had him
drive approximately fifty miles out of Austin to a remote small holding with a
neat little house.   The moment he got out of his SUV he was immediately
accosted by two men wearing masks and sporting guns.

They tried to manhandle him but he was
too strong to be pushed around and he guessed he took some of their fun away.  He
looked around when they got inside the house and demanded to see Shannon.  They
took him to the back of the house and opened the last door in the passage. 
Shannon sat on bed reading.  She looked up when the door opened. She screamed
his name the moment she saw him and started crying.

She jumped up and ran to the door, but
they slammed it shut before she reached it.  She hammered her fists furiously
on the door

“Open this bloody door. Your stupid
assholes!  Let me out!”

They had their hands full to contain
Jarrod once he saw her.  A third pair of hands pushed  him back to the lounge
area, where another tall man wearing a red mask was waiting.  Jarrod stopped
fighting and stared at him, his flashing eyes promising retribution. His voice
was cold and hard.

“You should have asked nicely and I
might have just given it to you.  You made the mistake of your life takin’ my
woman.  You won’t get to enjoy the results of this software, mark my words.”

“How do you think you’re goin’ to
catch me, JP? Hmm?  I am well aware you’ve had your FBI cousin try and find
me.  What makes you think you’ll be able to now?  Sorry dear Jarrod and thank
you.  I am gonna make mega bucks with this program of yours.”

“I aim to please.”

“You do have a sense of humor, I will
give you that.  Now enough chit chat. Hand it over.”

Jarrod removed a palm sized hard drive
from his pocket.  One of the thugs holding him took it from him and handed it
over.  The red mask grabbed it eagerly and immediately plugged it into his
laptop that was already powered up.  He laughed gleefully as he ran through the
program.  He did checks and double checks for bugs and tracking systems, but
could not find any.

“Jeez, but you are a brilliant
bastard. Who would have ever thought of something like this for the Architecture
Industry?  Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.  Now, let me just download this
onto my laptop.  I don’t trust you with this hard drive.  There might just be a
bomb in there.”

He chuckled at the reaction of his
thugs and looked at Jarrod.

“Now the little matter of our latest
agreement.”

The way he worded it made it clear
that his thugs were not aware of the twenty million dollars he demanded on top
of the software.  Jarrod smiled wickedly. 
Why make life easy for this
bastard!

“Oh … you mean the twenty million
dollars?  It’s in a duffel bag in the SUV.”

There was dead silence for all but a
minute then all hell broke loose and all three the thugs started talking at
once.

“What twenty million?”

“You bastard!  You planned on havin’
it all to yourself!”

“Simmer down, guys!  Of course
everyone gets his share.  I kept it as a surprise.”

His glare in Jarrod’s direction made
his annoyance clear.  Jarrod just smirked at him.

“We have the key to the ladies room with
us and we’ll take it with us.  Tie him up.  Not too tight, but enough that it
will give us time to get far enough before he gets loose.”

The thugs tied him to a wrought iron chair
and glared at him.  Jarrod just smirked in return.  He knew Reed was already on
his way.  The GPS tracker was activated the moment red mask downloaded the software.

Jarrod started working the ropes the
moment they turned around.  They seemed to forget that he was a rancher and an
expert roper.  The ropes were lose within minutes.  He closed his ears to
Shannon’s constant shouts and hammering on the door.  He ran to his car.  He opened
his laptop and immediately entered the sequence to activate the failsafe he
built in to destroy the software.