real weird customer. She was already spooked tonight because she said he was acting strange. We need to check the security cameras.”
Jack was starting to worry. “Damn it! Who else knew about this?”
Toni shrugged. “We all knew. He wouldn’t let anyone take his order but Julie. He doesn’t talk to her, just stares at her all the time. It freaks her out.”
Now panic was setting in. “Why am I just now hearing about this?” Jack asked.
Brendan heard his call go to voice mail. “Damn it! No answer. Please, Jack. We need to check the security cameras.”
Jack waved at the bartenders as they handed him the deposit bags. “Toni, you and Wynn go home. We’ve got this.”
Toni’s voice was shaking. “I sure hope she’s okay.”
“Come on, kid, I’ll walk you out,” Wynn said and escorted her from the bar as Brendan and the other two bouncers followed Jack back into the office.
“Deuce, keep an eye on that fire for me,” Jack said.
Deuce did a U-turn and headed for the back door.
Jack had already shut down the computer system and had to reboot it. Waiting for it to come back online was torture.
“Have you called Grayson?” Brendan asked.
“About the fire, but not this. He’s on his way down,” Jack muttered. “Okay, we’re up and running. Give me a couple of seconds…”
His voice trailed off as he began accessing the cameras and, one by one the individual screens went live.
“Now we need to go back on the timeline and see what we have,” Jack muttered.
“You won’t need to go back more than fifteen minutes because that’s about how long it’s been since I talked to her,” Brendan said.
“Got it,” Jack said, and a few moments later, he began to point at the screens. “Okay, everything looks normal here. Customers are still in their seats. Oh look, this must be where the news begins to spread because everyone begins answering phones and sending texts.”
Brendan was focused on the camera aimed at the bar and the stage behind it. The dancers were still performing when he caught a glimpse of Julie’s head moving back and forth among the customers. She was so small he could barely see her, but she was there, so he began watching for the footage for a glimpse of the man in question.
“There, that’s the guy,” Brendan said, pointing at the broad back and bald head.
“Can’t see his face from this angle,” Jack said and began looking at the other cameras.
“There goes Julie!” Marco said, pointing to a different screen showing Julie suddenly running out from behind the bar.
Brendan saw the bald-headed man throw money on the counter and take off after her.
“There! Look! The son-of-a-bitch is following her!”
They saw her move out of view, then picked her up on a different camera as she went into Jack’s office, then again as she and Jack went down the back hall. Another camera picked her up she came running back into the bar.
When they saw her take out her phone, Brendan pointed.
“That’s when I called her. She told us Jack said to clear the bar, and that’s the last time I talked to her.
“Oh! Oh, son of a- bitch!” Jack moaned as he pointed at a different screen. They were witnessing her abduction.
There was a momentary look of shock on Julie’s face before the man hit her. He caught her before she fell, threw her over his shoulder, and went out the back door while everyone else was running for the front.
Brendan was in shock. The act was so brazen he could hardly believe it was real.
“I’m calling the police. Pull up the shots on the back exit,” he said, and then the 911 dispatcher answered and he began giving her the information while trying not to panic. Time was still on their side, but this was a nightmare. He couldn’t believe they’d let this happen.
Jack scanned the footage, groaning again as the camera caught the abductor walking out with Julie slung over his shoulder like it was of no concern.
Jack pointed. “There he goes... down
Jack was starting to worry. “Damn it! Who else knew about this?”
Toni shrugged. “We all knew. He wouldn’t let anyone take his order but Julie. He doesn’t talk to her, just stares at her all the time. It freaks her out.”
Now panic was setting in. “Why am I just now hearing about this?” Jack asked.
Brendan heard his call go to voice mail. “Damn it! No answer. Please, Jack. We need to check the security cameras.”
Jack waved at the bartenders as they handed him the deposit bags. “Toni, you and Wynn go home. We’ve got this.”
Toni’s voice was shaking. “I sure hope she’s okay.”
“Come on, kid, I’ll walk you out,” Wynn said and escorted her from the bar as Brendan and the other two bouncers followed Jack back into the office.
“Deuce, keep an eye on that fire for me,” Jack said.
Deuce did a U-turn and headed for the back door.
Jack had already shut down the computer system and had to reboot it. Waiting for it to come back online was torture.
“Have you called Grayson?” Brendan asked.
“About the fire, but not this. He’s on his way down,” Jack muttered. “Okay, we’re up and running. Give me a couple of seconds…”
His voice trailed off as he began accessing the cameras and, one by one the individual screens went live.
“Now we need to go back on the timeline and see what we have,” Jack muttered.
“You won’t need to go back more than fifteen minutes because that’s about how long it’s been since I talked to her,” Brendan said.
“Got it,” Jack said, and a few moments later, he began to point at the screens. “Okay, everything looks normal here. Customers are still in their seats. Oh look, this must be where the news begins to spread because everyone begins answering phones and sending texts.”
Brendan was focused on the camera aimed at the bar and the stage behind it. The dancers were still performing when he caught a glimpse of Julie’s head moving back and forth among the customers. She was so small he could barely see her, but she was there, so he began watching for the footage for a glimpse of the man in question.
“There, that’s the guy,” Brendan said, pointing at the broad back and bald head.
“Can’t see his face from this angle,” Jack said and began looking at the other cameras.
“There goes Julie!” Marco said, pointing to a different screen showing Julie suddenly running out from behind the bar.
Brendan saw the bald-headed man throw money on the counter and take off after her.
“There! Look! The son-of-a-bitch is following her!”
They saw her move out of view, then picked her up on a different camera as she went into Jack’s office, then again as she and Jack went down the back hall. Another camera picked her up she came running back into the bar.
When they saw her take out her phone, Brendan pointed.
“That’s when I called her. She told us Jack said to clear the bar, and that’s the last time I talked to her.
“Oh! Oh, son of a- bitch!” Jack moaned as he pointed at a different screen. They were witnessing her abduction.
There was a momentary look of shock on Julie’s face before the man hit her. He caught her before she fell, threw her over his shoulder, and went out the back door while everyone else was running for the front.
Brendan was in shock. The act was so brazen he could hardly believe it was real.
“I’m calling the police. Pull up the shots on the back exit,” he said, and then the 911 dispatcher answered and he began giving her the information while trying not to panic. Time was still on their side, but this was a nightmare. He couldn’t believe they’d let this happen.
Jack scanned the footage, groaning again as the camera caught the abductor walking out with Julie slung over his shoulder like it was of no concern.
Jack pointed. “There he goes... down
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