Chapter 23

Erin sat scrunched up trying to figure out how long she had been in there.  She ran her hand through her hair and got her watch caught in it.  “I’ve got to remember not to do that.”  She said to herself.  She still wasn’t used to wearing a watch.  Sonny had given her this watch for Christmas, he said that some day it might come in handy, she still didn’t understand what he meant by that, she just guessed that he was referring to her habit of being late.  She had never really understood how to work all the little gadgets that were built into it.  “Now’s a good as time as ever.”  She thought.  Erin set the flashlight down and began to play with all the buttons.

Sonny’s home

Sonny sat staring out the window.  For once he didn’t know what to do.  When Erin had been kidnapped before, at least they had clues to who had taken her.  A beeping sound woke him from his thoughts; it was his watch.  He had forgotten that he had set the timer to tape something for Erin.  Sonny turned off the timer then stopped.  Something clicked inside his head, he remembered that he had given Erin a watch for Christmas.  It was one of those new one’s will all the special little devices, it was like something he would have seen on James Bond when he was growing up.  Sonny ran up into the room that he had set up for Erin when she came to visit, he had kept a copy of the manual.  Sonny was sure that Erin hadn’t read it, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.  He found what he was looking for and hurried out the door and to his car.

Erin

Erin silently kicked herself for not reading the manual, like Sonny had told her to.  Sonny had told her about the little things but she still didn’t take the time to read it.  She kept playing with the buttons for a few more minutes, then leaned back and smiled.  Finally she was getting some where, the little screen said ‘pager’.  Now all she had to do was figure out what Sonny’s or Jason’s code number was and she was all set.  She pushed a few more buttons and send a little thank you to Sonny for knowing her so well.  He had already programmed in both his and Jason’s numbers.  All she had to do was push a button.

Jason’s penthouse

“Sonny what are you doing here?”  Robin asked getting up off the couch worried.  Had the kidnappers contacted him, had he heard something they hadn’t.

“I remembered something.”  Sonny ignored Robin and went right to Jason.  “Do you remember the watches I gave you and Erin for Christmas?”  Jason nodded.  “I doubt that you read the manual, but there is a built in pager that can send and receive messages.  All we have to do I send Erin a message.”

“And hope that she’s wearing the watch.”  Robin reminded him.

“It’s just a chance that we’ll have to take.  The only problem is, I don’t know how to do it.  I tried reading the manual but I can’t understand it.  I was hoping you would.”  Sonny handed Robin the manual.

Robin curled up in the corner of the couch and began to read the manual.  “Are you sure you should do that?”

“Do what?”  Robin asked looking up.

“Sit like that.  Isn’t that dangerous for the baby?”

“It’s fine Sonny.”  Robin rolled her eyes and went back to reading.  A few minutes later she let out a frustrated sigh and got up.  “I can see why you had a hard time with this, it reads like a VCR manual, I don’t even understand it.”

“Oh, great!  Now what do we do.”  Sonny said defeated.

“Hold on a minute.”  Jason picked up the phone.  “Hey…yah…I do have something you can do.  Can you get over here?…Okay, I’ll see you in ten.”  Jason hung up the phone.  Sonny looked at him confused.  “What?”  Jason asked.

“Who did you call?”  Sonny insisted.

“The only computer genius I know, Lucky.”

A few minutes later Lucky showed up.  All Sonny did was hand him the manual and asked him if he could make heads or tails out of it.  Lucky was a little confused but Sonny explained why they needed to know how to work it.  “Why use the pager?  Why not just use the tracking system?”

“What tracking system?”

“Didn’t you know?  The watch was taken off the market because of the tracking device on them.  The government said it was a threat to national security and pulled it.”  Lucky explained.

“Next you’ll show me how to do that, but first show me how to send her a message.”

“Okay but first give me a minute to read over the manual.”  Lucky sat down in a chair and began to read.

Robin’s nerves were at the breaking point and she was beginning to fell a little queasy from stress.  “I need a drink, does anyone want anything?”

Sonny looked at her shocked.  “Of all the people who I thought would be up on all the latest news, I thought it would be you.  Don’t you know it’s dangerous to drink in your condition?”  Sonny scolded.

Robin looked at him trying to keep calm.  “I was going to get some water, not alcohol.  Now do you want anything?”

“Is there any wine left from last time I cooked?”  Sonny asked.

“I think there is some in the kitchen.  I’ll go look.”  Robin walked quickly into the kitchen.

A few minutes later Lucky put the manual down and got ready to show Sonny how to work it.  “Okay first off-”

A small buzz came from the watch and a little blue light began to blink.  “Hold it Lucky.  What does this mean?”  Sonny asked indicating the blinking light.

“Let me see.”  Sonny handed Lucky the watch.  Lucky looked at him in surprise.  “It means someone just paged you.

Sonny snatched the watch back and read the message.

 

Sonny I hope this gets to you.  I’m alive as you can tell.  I don’t know where I am.  The only thing I know is that Mickey…

 

The message ended there.