“And why didn’t he?”
“My friends came and rescued me.”
“That won’t be happening in this case.”
“Never say never. And you have no intention of letting me go.”
“And why is that?”
“You let me see your face. I can identify you. So, you can’t let me go.”
“We’ll see. As you said, never say never.”
“What is Sally Fontaine to you?”
“As I told you, she was one of my loyal followers.”
Julie snorted at this.
The man pulled out a picture from his pocket. “Perhaps you will recognize your friend.” He showed it to Julie.
It was of a teenage girl standing next to a younger version of the man across from Julie. He was dressed in a similar black SS uniform. As Julie looked closer she could see that the girl was Jessica Reel. And there was something else.
“She’s pregnant,” exclaimed Julie.
“Yes, she was carrying my child. Our love child, as I liked to say.”
“But she looks my age and you were a grown man. Are you a pedophile too?”
The blow knocked Julie out of her chair and she landed on the hard clay. An instant later she was jerked up and thrown back into the chair by the men behind her. The man across from her was rubbing his hand where he had struck her.
“Forgive my outburst of anger. But your words struck a chord deeply in me.”
Julie rubbed the blood off her mouth and stared across at him.
“We were very much in love,” he said. “Despite our age difference.”
She said, “But no longer in love, then.” He cocked his head at her. “If you have to kidnap me to get to her.”
“Time passes and things change, it is true. But my feelings are still there.”
“And the child?”
“Another empty hole in my heart. I wish to rectify that.”
“Did you know Sally’s father?”
“Earl? Yes, a good friend of mine.”
“I’m sure he is. Is that how you got on to her and to me?”
“You really are extraordinarily precocious. I could use someone like you in our effort.”
Julie didn’t bother to respond to this. “So what’s the next step?” she said.
“We have made contact. We expect her to do the same shortly.”
There was a buzzing sound. Julie looked around for a moment before realizing it was coming from the man’s pocket.
He took out the phone and looked at the screen. “Speak of the devil.”
He turned and left the room.
Chapter
40
SO TELL ME, DO YOU prefer Sally or Jessica?”
Reel said, “How are you, Leon? Still playing behind closed doors with your little swastika?”
Leon Dikes smiled and looked toward the doorway to the room where Julie was being held. “It’s so wonderful to hear your voice, Sally.”
“Let’s live in the present. The name is Jessica.”
“All right, Jessica.”
“Next time you see Earl, tell him I said hello. It’s heartwarming to see that you two have remained close.”
“The truth is, I never really cared for your father, Jessica. He’s uncouth and uneducated. I have a PhD.”
“Yeah, in the I Love Hitler program at the University of the Demented.”
“Actually, it was political science and it was at Berkeley.”
“Now, that’s something I never knew about you, Leon.”
“But your father did prove useful. He was dying, but he was dying unfulfilled.”
“Let me guess. I was the last item on his bucket list?”
“It was a mutual goal. You cost me several years of my life in prison.”
“What you did should have cost you your life. You got a ridiculously short sentence because I was prevented from coming back and testifying against you.”
“But you decimated my organization. It took me a long time to rebuild it.”
“Goody for you. Let’s talk about the future.”
“Julie is a very intelligent girl. She could go far in any field she chooses. Will she get the chance?”
“Let her go and the answer is yes.”
“I would like to let her go. If my price is met.”
“I’ve got a few bucks in my 401(k).”
“You and my daughter are the price.”
“She’s not your daughter.”
“I am her biological father.”
“You raped me.”
“Your words. But in any case it does not take away my status.”
“It most certainly does. And it did. The court already ruled on that.”
“American courts do not have jurisdiction over me.”
“Not really sure how you figure that one. But I don’t want to get into that. You take me in return for Julie. It’s me you really want, after all.”
“I said you and my child.”
“It’s called compromise, Leon. You never get all you want.”
“I do. Because if I don’t I will impregnate Julie, hold her for the term of the baby. And then kill her. That way I will have my child. Those are my terms. They are not negotiable. You know me well enough to understand that.”
Reel didn’t say anything for several moments. “It will take me some time to get hold of Laura.”
“Laura? You named her after—”
“My mother, yes.”
“I told you her name was Eva.”
“I was not naming my daughter after Adolf Hitler’s mistress.”
“They were lawfully married. Eva Braun was Der Führer’s great love.”
“Yeah, he married her and then killed her. Some love.”
“I will not argue political philosophies with you. His mind was too advanced for someone like you to understand.”
“And thank God for that.”
“I will give you two days to locate ‘Laura.’ Then I will call and give you instructions on the exchange.”
“Look, Leon, I can’t just take Laura from the life she has and give her to you.”
“Then I will get to you another way. And I will have my new child with Julie. And I will send you Julie’s head nine months from now. It is simple. Do not worry yourself over it, Sally. You are female. Know your limits. Remember, I often counseled you about that.”
“Well, this female brought you and your horror act down.”
“You were lucky beyond all reasoning.”
“I was smarter than you!”
“Do you want me to send you the girl’s head now?” barked Dikes.
Reel calmed. “Call me in two days.”
“You can count on it.”
“And if you harm Julie in any way you will seriously regret it.”
“I have already struck her once. She was disrespectful. You know I do not tolerate that. Two days, Sally. Please be ready to deliver what I ask.”
He clicked off.