Carter stood up and smashed his fist into the van roof. "Dang it! We lost visual." He said as the computer screen went black. Then he got on the radio to chat with the agents flying in the helicopter.
"What's going on out there? Do you guys see anything?" A crackle of static came over the radio as Carter eagerly awaited their response.
"There seems to be what looks like a white t-shirt hanging from a window. We can't see inside because the drapes are closed." Said a man's voice above the chopping sound of the helicopter.
Carter picked up a bulletproof vest in the corner of the van and fastened it to his burly frame. Then he donned a dark blue wind breaker and loaded his glock 40.
"What are you doing?" Asked Paul.
"There's no point in us both staying here. If he's been watching the judge this entire time he's got to be close by. I've got a hunch where he might be hanging out."
Paul turned up the volume on the computer and was relieved to discover he could still monitor the audio."Shouldn't you first get authorization from Max?"
Carter looked at him like he might be one of those freaks also known as a mind pretending to be stuck in an invisible box." We don't have time for that." He said and jumped out of the van and into the night.
Tina's mood suddenly perked up when she saw her father appear on the screen of Vinny's lap top. Occasionally the screen went sketchy but for the most part Vinny and Tina could see everything the judge was doing. Vinny saw the judge gaping as he stared at the desk clerk lying on the ground. The Gadget Man barked into his cell phone," That guy tried to rape your daughter. I had to put him down."
The judge saw the condom laying 3 inches from the desk clerk's hand." Thanks, I guess." Said the judge.
" Let's not waste any time." Said Vinny," Do you see the attache case opened up on the desk?"
The judge looked to his left and saw the opened up attache case with wires spewing out from it." Yes, I see it."
The robotic voice said," Good, walk over to it, open the brief case of money, and set it next to it on the desk."
The judge opened the brief case full of money and set it next to the attache case. Then he looked up at the camera and awaited further instructions. He heard the robotic voice say," Place each stack of bills on top of the metal detector one at a time. Then drop them into the trash can below at your feet. Continue to do so until I say stop." The judge paused a minute looking at the 21 stacks of hundred dollar bills. Would the kidnapper get mad when he finds out one of them has a tracking device?
"Hurry up. We don't have much time." Said the robotic voice. One by one the judge placed the stacks of bills onto the metal detector then into the empty trash can. When he got to the 8th stack of bills the metal detector beeped as loud as a fire alarm.
"Throw that stack of bills onto the floor." Said the robotic voice. The judge threw the stack of hundred dollar bills over his shoulder like he was throwing a sash at a wedding." Hurry up with the other 13 stacks of bills." Said the robotic voice. The judge went a little faster like a Chinese factory worker but the metal detector never went off again. The money in the small trash can was clean.
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Carter rushed through the door of the doughnut shop brandishing his glock 40." Nobody move!" He shouted. Everybody froze looking petrified thinking he was about to rob the store. Carter made his way to the back corner where a man was gazing into his lap top and sipping coffee. Carter yanked the lap top out of the man's hands and stared at the screen. The tycoon became enraged and stood up from his seat showing no fear of Carter's weapon.
"Hey man what gives?" Shouted the wiry tycoon. Carter felt like a complete idiot staring at the information on the screen realizing it had nothing to do with the kidnapping.
"I'm sorry sir." Said Carter handing back his lap top," I'm with the FBI investigating a kidnapping." He pulled out a picture of Tina and showed it to the rest of the patrons." Has anyone seen this girl?" He said wistfully. Carter got about as much attention as a fat woman in a beauty pageant.
Evidently he was not familiar with " The Chicago way" and how people acted in the windy city. Everyone seemed to ignore him except for the angry tycoon that gave him his undivided attention.
"You people think you can just waltz in anywhere you darn well please and expect people to pay you some respect. I have friends in the FBI and I want to know who your boss is?"
The thought of Max finding out about this little blunder didn't sit too well with Carter." Uh, umm.... I gotta go." He said dashing out the door.