Kidnapped!
The below is a fiction story, drawing on many accounts of kidnapping scams that people experienced. Any resemblance to people, living or dead, is strictly coincidental. The scenario and coping techniques are, however, altogether realistic.
“Well, looks like we’re gonna be celebrating Valentine’s Day together again, Margaret. Aint that special?” Kathy laughed as she threw her purse over her shoulder and picked up her briefcase.
“2 years in a row, Mom,” Margaret replied, tucking her phone in the front pocket of her laptop bag. “Have a good day at work. And I gotta hurry cuz I’m runnin late again.”
“You have a good day at school, Hun. I love you. See you at Henry’s tonight.”
“6 sharp. Be there or be square,” Margaret said, then ran out into the cold crystal clear morning.
The call came when Kathy was about halfway to the law office she owned with her best friend June. The person had already hung up by the time she stopped at a red light and glanced at the number. She didn’t recognize it. She was about to blow it off as a spam call when the tone notifying her of a voice mail sounded.
A horn honking behind her quickly let her know she hadn’t accellerated in the allotted nanosecond after the light turned green. She wanted to give the driver the finger, but decided against it. Too risky these days. Anyone and their family as well as their pets, it seemed like, could carry a gun nowadays. Things could get out of hand very quickly.
At the next light, Kathy spoke into her phone. “Check voicemail.”
“Please enter your pin,” the voice on the other end advised. What she heard next made her unable to breathe. A lady was screaming and crying, “Mom, help me! Please, help me!”
Was it Margaret? It was hard to tell. She sounded far away from the phone, and with the crying changing the quality of the voice, Kathy couldn’t be entirely sure.
“Now you listen here,” a man’s gruff voice said. “We’ve got your daughter. We want a hundred k, delivered by the end of the day, via Zelle, to darkbunny2021@xmail.com. You fail to follow instructions, or you tell someone about this, and Margaret’s dead, you understand?”
O my God, he knows her name! Kathy gasped. It must mean he has her!
Though she was driving like a hellion, it still felt like an eternity till she arrived at work. She threw open the door and raced in, nearly mowing down her partner.
“Woe, Girlfriend, what’s up?”
Kathy, crying now, told June about the voice mail.
“Breathe, Girl.” Kathy complied. “Do it again. Now, is there anything about your family that you and Margaret would know that others wouldn’t?”
Kathy thought for a moment. “Maybe Johnny’s nickname?” she finally replied, referring to her late husband. “And what we said it stood for.” Despite the seriousness of the situation, Kathy couldn’t help but smile a little at the memory.
“Which was?”
“It was JB. Of course it was the initials of his first and middle names, but we always said it stood for ‘Jelly Belly’ because he loved their candy.”
“There you go. Now call this bastard and see if he gets that one right. I think you’ll find this is all a terrifying scam.”
Kathy shakily brought up the list of her most recent phone calls and tapped on the number. It rang several times. At last the voice she’d heard in the voicemail came on the line.
“You got the money yet?”
“I need to ask Margaret something. I need for her to tell me her Daddy’s initials and what we said they stood for.”
“J M,” a woman’s voice said after a long silence.
Well, nice guess, Kathy thought. John Mackentyre. “Go flagellate yourself,” Kathy said, and hung up.
At 6 o’clock that evening, Kathy walked into Henry’s. She sat across from Margaret at a table for two. Tears came again as Kathy shared the harrowing story with Margaret.
“I’m so sorry, Mom. I can’t even imagine what an ordeal that was.”
“You’re safe. That’s all that counts.”
They ordered veggie burgers and salads. When they got their water with lemon, they clinked their glasses together.
“Next year at Henry’s with a double date,” said Kathy.
“But no kidnapping scam calls,” replied Margaret.
“Happy Valentine’s day,” they said in unison.
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