Part 23

The cold steel of the blade pressed into his throat as Tom spoke to his captain. He was careful to give only the required information and was relieved when Harry didn't ask him for more. He was equally relieved when George pulled the phone away to speak to Harry himself. Unfortunately, the knife stayed firmly in place at his throat.

As George grew agitated at Harry, the pressure from the knife increased. Tom tried to pull away and avoid being cut, but George just moved the knife with him. He soon felt the thin line of blood slowly trickle down to drop on the pillow. When George delivered his final threat to Harry, the knife was abruptly pulled away. Tom couldn't help but flinch when the phone was slammed shut.

Tom's fear increased when George began to pace, mumbling to himself about Harry's incompetence and stupidity. He tensed each time the madman came near the cot, only to turn and go back the opposite direction. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming as Tom could do nothing but lie and watch George's rage build. There was no doubt in Tom's mind that when it exploded it would be aimed directly at him.

George suddenly stopped his pacing and approached the cot. His lip was curled into a snarl as he reached for Tom's bruised throat and squeezed just enough to restrict his air without cutting it off completely. "You'd better hope your old man decides to play by the rules. Otherwise, you won't be saying a final goodbye after all." Tom's heart was racing as he tightly closed his eyes, knowing that this was only the beginning of George's tirade. "It really doesn't matter. You're going to die tonight either way."

The hand released his throat only to inflict a backhanded blow to Tom's already bruised right eye. George paused to evaluate the overall condition of his captive. "We need to make certain that your father has no doubts that you've suffered every day for his mistake. I don't think we've quite achieved the desired effect yet, do you?" Tom refused to answer as a new barrage of punches rained on his head and face. "I asked you a question. Answer it."

The repeated blows to the weakened captive quickly took their toll. Tom's awareness faded in and out while the madman continued to demand an answer. Reality returned with searing pain when George grabbed him by the jaw. Tom couldn't help but scream as the maniac cruelly squeezed the injured face. "I said answer," he growled.

Tom finally managed to whisper a weak "No." The relief when George finally released Tom's jaw was short lived as several more backhands were administered.

After pausing again to inspect the new damage, he backed away from the cot. "Well, I think this just may convince him. I'm going to leave you alone now to prepare to meet your maker. They should be arriving within the hour, so I suggest you make good use of the time." George turned and left the room, refusing to acknowledge that his captive was unconsciousness by the time he had finished his instructions.

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"It was a cell phone, Harry. Stein knows what he's doing, all right. And Pearson just got back. No luck there, either." Cassy slumped dejectedly into the chair in Harry's office. She immediately sat forward and fired off a series of demands. "What did Tom say? How did he sound? What did Stein say? You did talk to him again, didn't you?"

Harry held up his hands in surrender to stop the rapid fire of Cassy's questions. "If you can slow down for five minutes, I can answer your questions." He peered out over his glasses, waiting for her response.

Cassy shrugged and mumbled a quick apology. "Sorry."

Harry nodded his approval of the apology and began to answer her questions. "Tom sounded awfully weak, but his voice was steadier than the last time. He didn't get to say much other than he was okay and that he'd see me soon." Harry paused to see Cassy's reaction to his last statement. He didn't have long to wait.

"What! What the heck did he mean by that? Wait a minute. You don't mean...oh no, no way! Harry you can't. Stein will kill you both. What exactly did Stein say to you?"

"He said I had apparently prayed enough. I'm supposed to be at the Coconut Grove Bar and Grill in 25 minutes. He said I'm being watched and that any sign of backup will mean Tom dies." He again paused for Cassy's reaction.

"You can't go alone, Harry. You know that. I'm going with you." The look in her eye was one he knew well. She wasn't going to be dissuaded.

"You are not going with me. Not exactly. You're going separately, as backup. You take Pearson and act like you're leaving for the day; then you take a different route to the Coconut Grove. When I leave the bar, you follow at a very discreet distance. Got it?" There was no doubt in his voice that it wasn't a question, but an order and one not open to discussion.

She decided to go along on one condition. "Harry, you have to wear a wire. I can't let you go in alone without one." Noting the look in his eyes, she added, "You'd never let one of us get away with that and you know it."

"Cassy, Stein is a former cop. The first thing he's gonna do is check for a wire. As soon as he finds it, Tom is dead. He's not bluffing about that. You just have to make sure you stay with me. There's no other way."

Cassy finally reluctantly agreed. "All right. You'd better get going. He won't be happy if you're late."

Harry nodded. "You and Pearson leave now. I'll wait a couple more minutes and then head out. I'll still have plenty of time to make it."

The detective stood and walked over to her captain. She gently squeezed his shoulder as she cautioned, "You be extra careful, Harry. I couldn't stand to lose either one of you." Cassy turned and went to find Pearson.

Harry grabbed his coat and checked his weapon before heading to his car. 'From your lips to God's ears, Cassy. May God help us all.'

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Two pairs of eyes watched as Harry entered the run-down building that housed the Coconut Grove Bar and Grill. Cassy turned to the man in the driver's seat. "I really think one of us should be watching the rear entrance. If they have a car waiting out back, Harry could be gone and we'd never know it. You want to take it or should I?"

Pearson laughed, causing Cassy's already worn patience to stretch even thinner. "I'm sorry. It's just that...well, St. John, look at you. A woman with your looks is gonna get noticed in this part of town. You go stand around near the back and every guy in the place will suddenly need to get some air so he can check out the babe hanging around outside. Me, I'm just Mr. Joe Average. I'll blend right into the background. No one will even notice I'm there." He took out his cell phone and waved it at her. "I'll call if I see anything; you call if you see anything. Deal?"

"Yeah, sure. Now get going or we'll miss them." Sliding over into the driver's seat, her eyes never left the front door of the bar. "Dammit, Harry! I'd feel a whole lot better about this if I could hear what was going on." She moved the seat forward and quickly adjusted the rearview mirror. "Okay, Boys. Let's get this show on the road already. I need to see my partner!"

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Harry entered the bar and searched it for a familiar face. Finding none among the large crowd, he found an empty table near the back and sat down. A petite blonde in her late thirties approached almost immediately. Harry watched her closely, trying to decide if this was his contact. "Mind if I join you, handsome?" she crooned. "What's a nice looking guy like you doing in a dump like this anyway?"

Harry decided to forego offering her a seat for the moment. "Actually, I'm waiting for someone. I'd really prefer to wait alone if you don't mind." His instincts told him that she was nothing more than a lonely heart trying to pick up a date. 'If this is my contact, she'll give me the message and leave. If not, I don't want to scare the real contact off,' he thought.

"Figures," she scowled in disgust. "All the decent looking ones are always already taken." She quickly recovered from her initial disappointment. "My name is Roxy. How about we get together later after your date? I could show you a REAL good time, handsome," she purred.

"Sorry, not interested, sweetheart. Why don't you just move on to someone else now? I really want to be alone." Harry wanted to get her away from the table as soon as possible.

A waitress approached the table. "Can I get you and the lady something, sir?"

Harry seized the opportunity. "I'll have a cup of coffee. The lady here was just leaving."

Roxy delivered a final parting shot before she left. "You should have taken me up on the offer, Old Man. You won't get a better one tonight. Your date probably won't even show. You're going to regret this later when you go home to a cold, empty bed tonight." She turned on her heel and stomped off to the other side of the bar.

The waitress returned with the coffee and placed it in front of Harry. He picked up the cup and took a sip. As he expected, it was too strong and very bitter. Moving the saucer to retrieve the napkin the waitress had set it on, Harry did a double take. A message was scrawled on the napkin directing him to go immediately to the men's room. Rising from his seat, he again scanned the crowded bar for a familiar face. Finding none, the captain made his way across the room to the dimly lit hallway where the rest rooms were located. He quickly found himself standing in front of the men's room.

Harry cautiously pushed open the door. The room was dark, so he fumbled for the light switch. He pulled his gun and stepped further inside before finally locating the switch. As soon as he flipped it on, a hand grabbed him and pulled him the rest of the way inside, forcing him up against the wall. Harry felt the cold metal of a gun press against his neck and raised both hands in surrender. After relieving him of his weapon and patting him down, a voice finally spoke. "I'm glad you decided to follow Georgie's orders. He really thought you would be wired. If you will be so kind as to accompany me, I'll take you to see Tommy now. We're going to go out the rear entrance and use my car. You will drive. One wrong move and Tommy will die. Don't make the mistake of thinking he's kidding. George will kill him."

Dr. Leonard stepped back and allowed Harry to turn around to face him. The captain showed no sign of being intimidated by the man. "I haven't doubted one thing George has said since this whole thing started. I want to see Tom now like I was promised."

The gun was still being pointed at Harry, though it was now concealed in the doctor's jacket pocket. After opening the door with his free hand, he motioned for Harry to go first. "Of course. After you, Captain."

End Part 23

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