"I see." Manda turned back around in her seat to ponder the new information. After a few minutes she asked another question. "So, all we have to do is get the feds involved?"

Roden and Max stiffened. What a simple answer. Why didn't they think of that before? But Martin counseled them that it wouldn't work. "As smart as that sounds, if we were to inform the feds of the kidnapping, they would just contact the local authorities so that they could avoid 'stepping on anyone's toes'. The local authorities would offer up some kind of lie or excuse or something in return. I just don't think it would go anywhere."

"Well, I don't believe a word you say. You are a liar, a thief and a kidnapper." Manda accused. "Not to mention, a horrible date." Max couldn't help but laugh in reaction to that last part, and Roden gave him a stern look through the rearview mirror, which went ignored.

"As much as I hate to say it," Roden spoke up, "I think Martin is right about that one. It would take quite a bit of convincing to get the feds to look into the corruption of the local precincts. Besides, it could take a while before they cut through all the red tape and move in on the local law enforcement's turf. We need to work fast. There is no time to lose on this. We can get the feds involved after we get Ess away from Angoli."

Everyone grudgingly agreed with that, and made the decision to move forward with a plan.

"What kind of security system does this place have?" That seemed to Roden to be the logical place to start.

"Oh, the security system is excellent. Very high tech. Not to mention, there are guards." Martin unleashed the negative aspects so that he could impress them with the only positive one. "I do happen to know one weakness, though. One little hiccup in the system that they don't know about. I actually used it once to get in and acquire a little artifact for another old client of mine. It was a posthumously exhibited painting by Ary Scheffer. My client owned quite a few of the others already, but Angoli would not sell him the one in his possession for any amount, just to spite this man. I told the guy I could acquire it, and I did. Got top fee, too. They still don't know who did it or how it was done. Angoli had the entire local police force working on it, too. Apparently - and this is the best part - he didn't have it insured. A man like that should know better; but then again, I do believe he came by it illegally himself."

"OK," Max prompted, "So what is this weakness?"

"There's a security fence around the entire property. It looks like a tall cast iron fence, but between the metal posts are lasers. If you put your hand through the posts, the laser will sting you. If you leave your hand there for any length of time, the laser power increases, and it stuns you. The same lasers are positioned above the fence, as well, so that you can't scale it.

"However, there is a spot, rather secluded, where even the dogs don't think to look. . . "

"Dogs?" Manda interrupted. "There are dogs?"

"Well, yeah," Martin replied, "What over-the-top security system would be complete without dogs?"

"Well, what do we do about them?" Manda asked, sounding a little distressed.

"That's the easy part. They may be trained killers, but they're still dogs. Give them something to munch on, and you're their best friend. These pretzel sticks here that Dr. Roden bought back at the gas station should be enough. Toss them a few of those, then toss them one of these pills, and they won't bother you again."

Martin pulled a sandwich bag out of his jacket pocket with a few pills in it. "What the hell are those?" Manda demanded.

"Rohypnol." Martin responded matter-of-factly.

"Rohypnol?" Roden, first stunned, quickly turned livid. "You mean roofies? Damn it, Martin, what the hell are you doing with those?"

"Never know when they could come in handy." Martin seemed to think it was nothing at all to possess the drug.

"Oh, my god! That's a date rape drug!" Manda appeared in to be in a new state of extreme emotion that Roden had not yet seen from her.

"Were you intending to use those on Manda during your date?" Roden's revulsion with Martin reached an all time high.

From the seat beside him, Max stared Martin down, ready to wallop him once again. Such an atrocious act could not go unpunished.

Martin became a little scared at that point, "No, no." He pleaded his side. "I had no intentions, whatsoever. I just keep them around for necessary circumstances; and in my line of work, there are many necessary circumstances. Really, I had no intentions with Manda at all."

While no one could find it in them to completely believe him, they let the accussations drop for the time being. Max did, however, confiscate the pills with a disgusted look of warning aimed towards the man next to him. Finally, Roden found his voice and asked Martin to continue with his explanation on the security weakness.

"Ah, yes, yes. Where was I?" Martin, happy to change the subject, quickly complied with the request. "Ah, yes, there is a secluded spot, where water collects when there has been a lot of rain. I've tested the lasers in that area because they often get flooded in the puddle. The water shorted out a couple of those lasers a long time ago, just as I had suspected. No one has ever caught on. At least they hadn't as of three years ago, when I broke in. If that is still the case, then we can squeeze through the bars there."

"Squeeze through the bars?" Manda asked. "Are they wide enough apart?"

"Well apparently, if I did it once already . . . " Obviously.

"Alright, then. We have a way in. Possibly." Max felt relief that at least one obstacle was out of the way. Now they needed to work out the next step in the plan. Their real issue wouldn't be getting in, it would be getting Ess back out.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Slowly, recognition revealed to Ess that it was the man with the broken nose who was standing at the edge of her bed. He had a very annoyed look on his face, and when he spoke, his words seethed with his displeasure. "You were supposed to be ready when Angoli sent for you. You're getting off to a very bad start," he accused. "You'd better shape up if you don't want any trouble."

Ess just gave him an incredulous stare. She had agreed to nothing, and she didn't intend to, either. Did they seriously think she would simply obey? That she would comply with their perverse arrangements?

"You'll be too late for breakfast, now. I'll have to come back for you after Mr. Angoli takes care of his morning business. You'd better be ready by lunch, which he takes at precisely one o'clock." With that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him and locking it with a noisy flourish so that Ess would be reminded of her prisoner status.

She got up, and dressed herself from the selection in the closet, choosing the most demure dress that covered as much of her skin as possible. Her shoes, while stylish, were sensible flats that would be relatively appropriate for running, should that opportunity arise.

Once prepared, she resumed her seat on the bed, and waited. The clock on the mantle ticked away, producing the only sound in the room. The constant rhythm began to drive her mad; and it became almost a relief when she finally heard the sound of her door being unlocked.