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"Diego? Diego, it's me! Are you under there?"

The muffled voice that made that inquiry was decidely a female one. And, Diego obviously recognized her voice the same way she knew about him. Because, the next thing I knew, he was dropping down from the underside of the box-spring mattress like a frigging acrobat...or paratrooper.

"Over here. Come on out, Ned. She's on our side!"

If I had any doubts to that effect, they were eliminated when I saw "Uga" open up a gym bag and remove an interesting assortment of items. Namely, a sleeping bag; two plastic binding strips; and a ball gag. The latter three were used to secure the still-unconscious Courtney. She was then stuffed into the former, by "Uga," who promptly threw her captive over her left shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

When this had been accomplished, "Uga" shook her sneaker-clad right foot. Diego jumped on to the toe of it. Following which, she dropped him into the gym bag. She then indicated to Ted and I that we should do the same. With little other choice in the matter, that's exactly what we did.

As if to reassure us, "Uga" carried the gym bag unzipped. So, we clearly overheard the conversation that she stopped to have with the sorority house mother.

"Homeland Security deeply appreciates your co-operation, Mrs. Ericson. And, remember: we relocated her for her own protection."

"Oh, don't worry," replied Mrs. Ericson: "I'll be sure to tell that to anyone who asks. They'd never believe the truth, anyway!"

After that, came a twenty-minute car ride. And, when I next saw daylight, it was coming through a motel room window. Thereby allowing Ted and I to get our first good look at our rescuer...who turned out to be a beautiful Sansei woman in her mid-to-late twenties.

Diego proudly made the introductions: "Ted Ivanov? Ned Fogarty? Meet Special Agent Naomi Watanabe; formerly with the FBI (San Francisco branch)."

To Be Concluded
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