Soul Hostage Read Free Page B

“What’re the kids’ names?”
    Laura looked up with a face full of terror and appeared unable to speak.
    Joey continued, “Oh, it don’t really matter.  What alluh yuh should remember is we know yer names and where yuh live.  What my very smart friend here did was show yuh the description to give tuh the police.”
    He looked around at his audience who appeared to be listening carefully and so he continued but in a louder voice, “Now, jus’ so we understand each other, if I look in the paper or watch the news in the next coupla days and see a little drawing that don’t look like those fags in the magazine, I’m gonna come back here to-” He pulled a license out of his hand.  “I’m gonna come back here tuh four forty-five Almond Drive.”  The elderly couple looked up with the expected frightened response.  “And then, I’m gonna pay a visit to… Well, yuh got the idea.”
    “What about him?”  The blonde asked indicating the old man.
    “Whadda yuh mean?” Joey answered impatiently.
    “How should we describe him?” 
    I could see the genuine confusion on her face as well as sense Joey’s growing annoyance. “Don’t you think the police will know what he looks like?  I asked quietly.
    She turned her eyes to me.  “Well, I’ve lived here since I was six-years-old, and I have never seen him before.  So I don’t know that the police have.”  The others nodded in agreement. 
    “Well, I guess you can tell them whatever you want about him or just leave him out.  I don’t expect him to be with us too long any way.”  I turned to see the old man smiling at the slightly-veiled threat.
    I felt a little uneasy with the news that no one there had seen Louis Stoaffer before then.
    Before I had much time to consider this fact, Joey broke in, “Okay, let’s tape them up.”  He produced rolls of silver duct tape from somewhere. 
    We quickly went to work on them.  For my part, I tried to place the tape as gently as possible without hurting anyone. This effort was not made by Joey as I heard squeals of pain from the elderly woman. 
    As I taped her hands, feet, and mouth, the            blonde woman glared at me with the same hatred she had        earlier directed at my partner.  Once done with her, I looked into the very frightened eyes of the children as I stuck strips of tape across their mouths as gently as possible.  It was not a sight that was easily forgotten.   
    Once we were finished, Joey looked over all the tape as if he didn’t quite trust my dedication to the job. When he was satisfied that they were secured, he asked, “Okay, yuh ready to get outta here?”
    Just as I was about to answer, I looked towards the old man snatching rolls of peppermint candy off the shelf and shoving them in his pockets.  Then something caught my eye from beyond him outside of the front window.  The same two cops that I had seen earlier were walking slowly by.  Luckily, they seemed completely uninterested in anything that might be happening inside the store. 
    Without waiting any longer, Joey moved next to Louis Stoaffer and grabbing the back of his arm just above the elbow pushed him toward the door at the back of the store. 
    And I followed.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 2
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    You want to hear something funny?  I kind of looked up to Joey. It was not like I had to stand on my toes or anything.  I mean, he was about five six, and I am just about six foot tall.  That was supposed to be a joke. 
    Anyway, I looked up or admired him for his total lack of restraint.  Joey did whatever popped into his brain.  He did not care about  right or wrong or what other people might think or who could get hurt. That is total freedom, and it sort of made Joey and I complete opposites.  Besides the fact that I am a lot taller than him, Joey looked sort of Mexican and I am too thin and too