“Oh, God…” Laura purred like a contented cat, rolling over onto her back.

“I did not see this coming.” Tim confessed.

“Really?” she asked, a hint of surprise in her voice, as she turned her head to the right to face him. “Weren’t we on a date?”

“I meant the ‘seduction’ part,” he explained, sitting up.

“I hope you liked it,” Laura said in a saccharin voice. “I loved it.”

“I think it showed,” Tim teased her. “Thanks. I needed that.”

“Oh, man…” She whispered, dropping her eyes. “We should have done this a few days ago.”

“Better late than never,” he replied.

“Tim…” Laura snorted, returning her gaze to his face. “You still haven’t figured it out, have you?”

Tension tightened the back of his neck, as she rolled out of bed. In a quick move, she opened the top drawer of her nightstand. Putting both hands into it, she grabbed a gun with her right and a wig with her left hand. She tossed it on the bed and aimed the gun at him.

“Laura, what the f…”

“Shut up!” She yelled. “There’s a remote control on your nightstand. Turn the TV on.”

Tim reached for the remote on the nightstand, maintaining eye contact with her, shocked to his very core. The image on the small TV behind her made his heart sink. Jon and Josephine were sitting on small, wooden chairs next to each other, with their hands bound, their ankles tied to them and their mouths duct-taped shut.

“No…” A whisper of despair left his lips. The remote control slipped through his fingers. Tim dropped his face into his hands, unable to believe his eyes.

“Jitter messed with my father when he blackmailed him.” She said, through clenched teeth. “You messed with me, when you got involved with her. Your buddy is a great hacker; I’ll give him that. He got sloppy, though. The cops found tire marks outside Bradford’s house. You’re a damn good burglar, too. But you were unlucky. The coffee house where you ran into each other is mine. Your precious little doctor just couldn’t stay away. My men grabbed her outside JFK last night. A friend gave me Kirkland’s number. I told him I was a scientist, but he interrupted me, before I could give him my name. He didn’t want to know it. That was his one condition to meet with me. That parking lot is huge; I didn’t want anybody to recognize me. I had to wear a wig.”

“What about your father?” He asked, his voice trembling as he dragged his hands down his face. “Is he behind all this?”

“Actually, dear old daddy has no idea.” Laura informed him. “He’s not even in town.”

“I need proof of life.” Tim said in a voice that had recovered its even tone.

“Hold on.” She spoke in a firm tone. Bending down, she pulled her cell phone out of her purse. Seconds later, a man with a cell phone in his hands entered the picture and put it to Josephine’s ear.

“Nod if you can hear me.” Laura commanded. Josephine complied.

“What do you want?” Tim inquired, as tears welled up in his eyes, his blood pumping in his veins, as his heart pounded in his chest.

“Your cut from the burglary,” Laura smirked. “My men found $600,000 in your friend’s apartment. I’ll text you the coordinates. Don’t involve the police. Bring me the money by 8pm tomorrow, or I swear to God…” She paused and tightened her grip around the handle of her gun. “I’m going to cut them both to little pieces.”

“Is this what it’s all about?” He wondered, his voice rumbling like thunder: “Money?”

“No, you fool!” she cried, her chest pumping in and out. “You said ‘no’ to me, but that wasn’t enough, was it?” Her voice broke; her hand started shaking, as she blinked back tears. “You got in a relationship with the woman who destroyed my family. You betrayed me! I just want to take your money, because I’m pretty sure you’ll use it to help her out!”

Tim slowly put his hands down on the bed, believing that her imminent emotional breakdown would give him a chance to disarm her. Just when he leaned in towards her though, she gripped her gun tightly in her palm.

“Get back!” Laura shouted, as two tears spilled from her eyes. “Put your clothes back on.”

He had no choice but to comply. Hoping to find a similar opportunity, he did as he was told. It was hopeless; she kept her gaze fixed on him and pointed her gun at him the entire time. Tim kept his mouth shut, knowing that any attempt to convince her to release Jon and Josephine would be futile. Sinking into the depths of despair, he left Laura’s bar, unable to fathom what had happened to his friend and the brunette who had so suddenly vanished from his life.

Laura, you crazy bitch... The spoiled little girl who doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, wants to punish me. I should have known. How the hell did you get into this mess, Tim? She masterminded everything and you fell right into her trap. What do we do now? Money comes and goes; I don’t care about it. How can I be sure that she won’t kill us all? I can’t. I just can’t…