It was too late to back out now and Albert had no idea how right he was to think that because Francis chose that moment to break cover.
Both dogs went berserk, which drew Albert’s attention in the wrong direction. Rex was barking and bucking, tugging hard on his lead so that it bit into his throat and made him cough. Hans was no different, following Rex’s lead in promising violence would ensue the moment they got free. However, all they could do was watch as the human they wanted to bite ran at Rex’s human from behind.
Albert sensed him coming far too late to do anything about it, but he was almost at the lockup door by then. He turned just in time to face the man as he grabbed Albert around his neck. One meaty hand gripped hard and pushed him through the door and into the darkness inside.
Cryptic Secrets
‘Whoa, easy, big fella,’ Albert begged. ‘I’m just an old man. I’ll do what you ask.’
Francis had hold of the old man’s neck and felt confident he could just crush it in his hand if he chose to. His job was to take the old man back alive so the earl could speak to him. Francis had no idea what that was all about, but the old man had no way of knowing his life wasn’t currently in danger.
With a final check that they hadn’t been spotted, Francis shut the door. The dogs were going nuts but by the time they drew anyone’s attention, he would be in the car and ready to leave.
‘Who are you?’ Francis demanded gruffly, shoving the old man away. He knew his name was Albert but that was all he’d been able to get out of Victor no matter what he threatened him with. The baker claimed the old man was just a customer who popped in a couple of days ago and had been snooping around ever since.
Albert did his best to look terrified, which wasn’t much of a stretch. ‘Me? I’m just a tourist in town to sample the food.’ The man seemed to consider Albert’s answer for a moment. He looked like he might argue, but his surly face merely grunted his disinterest.
Backing away, Albert said, ‘I came here to meet a friend. Are you the man who tried to snatch him last night?’
‘What if I am?’ growled Francis. ‘It’s of no concern to you.’ He looked about for the duct tape and cable ties.
‘No concern to me? I should say it is, young man. Where is Victor? Is he here?’
The brute’s attention was focussed elsewhere; it looked like he was looking for something, so Albert seized the chance to get a little space between them, darting down the side of the red Ford Mondeo taxi. He wasn’t sure what to expect but should have guessed the man would have stolen a taxi since he offered to pick him up in one.
The boot of the car was open, the lid held in the air under spring tension, and inside was the bound form of Victor. Even stuffed into the dark recesses of the car’s boot and with duct tape wound around his head so it covered his mouth completely, Albert could still see who it was. It came as a relief because it meant the man hadn’t snatched yet another person, but it also told Albert that Victor was still alive, a fact he couldn’t be sure of until now.
Francis couldn’t find the duct tape and it was beginning to annoy him. He wanted to get going. His plan was to immobilise the old man the same way he had Victor, but if he couldn’t, he would have to settle for knocking him out – carefully, so he didn’t kill him.
‘What is this all about?’ Albert asked hoping the man would reveal his master plan. However, speaking let the brute know that he had moved.
‘Wouldn’t you like to know,’ he snarled. The old man was over at the boot now, which suited Francis just fine since he planned to stuff the man into it. That’s where he’d left the supplies, now he remembered. ‘Just stay right there,’ he ordered as he started to advance.
Albert didn’t stay though, he wanted a little more time and he’d already found the duct tape and cable ties just inside the boot, guessed what they were for, and hid them under the car. As Francis advanced, Albert ducked back along the side of the car.
It wasn’t a game that would go on indefinitely, but he was desperate to get at least one answer.
‘You don’t want to tell me why you are kidnapping Victor? How about me? Why would you want to kidnap me? I’m just an old man on a tour of the country.’
‘I told you to stay there,’ growled Francis, beginning to get impatient. ‘If I have to chase you, you won’t like it when I catch you.’
‘I dare say that will be true either way, young man. You’re really not going to tell me why you are kidnapping a random old man?’
Francis got to the boot. The old man was now at the front of the car. He wasn’t bothered about Albert’s silly stalling tactics; he could catch him in seconds. First to grab the duct tape though. ‘Where is it?’ he roared while pulling his machete from its sheath as a display of what would come if the old man didn’t start playing ball.
‘Where is what, dear boy? You mean the duct tape? How about a little quid pro quo?’ Albert watched the man’s face crinkle with lack of understanding. ‘Look, I’ll tell you where the duct tape and cable ties are, if you will answer
