Free The Abduction by James Grippando Page A

Tony to the car and popped the trunk. Johnny went to the van and opened the rear emergency door.
    The cargo lay exactly where he’d put it. The old man on the left, the girl on the right. Their bodies stretched from front to back beneath the bench-style seats that normally seated schoolchildren. The old man’s gag and blindfold were still in place. A black hood covered the girl’s head to make extra sure she didn’t see any of her kidnappers, just in case the injection of secobarbital sodium wore off prematurely.
    Reggie lay on his left side with his back to the wall, concealing his hands behind his back, trying to act as if he were still unconscious.
    Johnny grabbed the old man by the ankles, like a butcher handling a side of beef. With one foot on the bumper for leverage, he yanked his cargo, sliding him back. The bony old legs dangled over the back.
    Suddenly, the limp torso sprang to life, lungingforward, leading with a jackknife. The blade stuck in Johnny’s shoulder.
    “Son of a bitch!”
    Reggie surged forward with all his strength, ripping off his blindfold, swinging his fists, kicking and twisting as they wrestled to the ground.
    The younger man was quickly on top, staring right into the old man’s eyes as he pulled out a pistol and jammed it under his chin.
    Tony grabbed him before he could pull the trigger. “Johnny, stop!”
    Johnny was breathing heavy, seething with anger. Tony took the gun, but he kept it pointed right at Reggie’s head.
    Reggie lay flat on his back, his chest heaving, eyes wide with panic.
    Johnny rose and dabbed the blood on his nice leather jacket, checking the wound. “The old bastard stabbed me.” He kicked him in the kidneys. “And he ruined my fucking jacket!” He kicked him again.
    Reggie groaned through the gag in his mouth.
    Tony checked his brother’s shoulder. “Just a flesh wound. But damned if it wasn’t just six inches from your heart.” He sneered at Reggie, as if it were too close for comfort. “You coulda fucking killed my little brother.” He kicked him even harder than Johnny had.
    Another muffled cry. The body coiled with pain.
    Johnny grimaced—not for the old man, but for himself. The stab wound was starting to throb. His face reddened with anger. He slammed his fist against the door of the van, then kicked the old man in the groin and stomach.
    “You black piece of shit!” He kicked him againand again, in quick succession. He was yelling at him, pausing between each syllable to kick him in the ribs and kidneys, alternating left and right foot. “Don’t you ever fuck with me again.”
    His brother added a final kick to the head.
    Reggie went limp.
    Twenty feet away, Repo was in the trunk of the Buick, drilling more air holes between the trunk and passenger compartment. When the electric drill stopped whining, he heard laughter coming from over by the van. He crawled out of the trunk to investigate, then froze at the sight of the old man sprawled on the floor with the Delgado brothers standing over him.
    “What the hell you guys doing?”
    Johnny pressed a bloody rag to his shoulder. “Teaching the old nigger a lesson.”
    Repo took a closer look at the twisted heap on the ground. Blood had oozed from the mouth and ears. Repo’s eyes widened with concern as he knelt and checked the pulse—first the wrist, then the jugular. He looked up in disbelief. “He’s dead.”
    Johnny shifted uncomfortably. “All we did was kick him.”
    Repo glanced at Johnny’s boots. Blood covered the steel toe. “You morons killed him.”
    “He tried to kill me . Shit happens.”
    Repo grabbed him by the collar, pinning him against the van. “Nobody was supposed to get killed!”
    Tony split them apart. “Hey, hey, hey! He’s dead. It’s over.”
    “The hell it’s over,” said Repo. “Now we’re all up for murder. All because this stupid jag off—”
    “Hey, enough!” said Tony. He grabbed Repo by the shoulders, looking him straight in the eye.“You