Violet Times

by Echo Breeze

Chapter 7: Snatched

Oak and I had just sat down and were waiting for my parents to tell us what they wanted to tell us. I couldn't help the feeling of unease I had, like nothing would ever be the same again.

"So, where do I begin?" my father said.

"Just start from the beginning, dear." my mother said.

"Alright. It started twenty three years ago. I was a junior agent with the Cloudsdale FBI. I had mostly done small cases. Kidnapping, extortion, all those small things. But one day, my superiors decided it was time for me to step up and take on a bigger case. I was assigned to a joint operation with the DEA into a drug cartel operating out of a candy factory in the industrial part of Cloudsdale.

My cover was simple. My name was Dean Shadow. An average twenty-four year old from Cloudsdale University with no aspirations and a degree in engineering. My real name is Grey Enigma. Your mother was the DEA agent that was assigned as my point. I got to the factory, and I could not see any evidence of foul play. So, I did what I was trained to do, I blended in with the rest of the workers, doing my best to get a promotion, and hopefully, to find out what was going on." my father said. He suddenly got a dark look in his eye.

"Fifteen years later, I was promoted to supervisor, and I had access to more of the factory. One night, I stuck around 'til late after work, and I saw my supervisor in the FBI and your mother's supervisor talking to the boss. It turned out they were on his payroll. I turned and ran, but I think they heard me. I was chased out of the factory. I thought for sure that a fifteen year operation would be burned because I would get caught, but I managed to evade them. I ran straight for the apartment that was listed as a safehouse, I'm sure you remember it, Violet, and I told your mother about what I had seen.

You were in bed at that time. Your mother phoned her department head to report it, but it was too late. I got back to the factory the next day to see that the Department of Health were swarming the place, along with the DEA and FBI. It would seem as though there was a pest problem or something. Somehow, someone released roaches into the factory. Four years later, the place was condemned, and all the workers retrenched. The operation got burned, and your mother, you and I were placed into witness protection. I kept the name of Dean Shadow, but when we named you, we decided to keep Enigma, as a symbol of what we used to be. The FBI and DEA essentially blacklisted and fired us, and we moved to Canterlot." he said.

"Canterlot was intended to be a chance for a fresh start, but I couldn't get a job as I had no references. I became a man I didn't like. All the booze to wash away my failures turned me into a rage monster, beating the two of you on a regular basis. I took that drive the other day to get some fresh air and clear my head. I was going clean for the two of you, but the shit hit the fan. As I was going over the East highway overpass, a big rig seemed to have lost control and ploughed right into the car. It hit the passenger side. Emergency services said that if it had hit the driver side, I wouldn't be alive. The driver of the rig was missing in action." he finished.

"So, the accident was intended as an assassination." I said, trying to wrap my head around what was being said.

"Yes. It was." my mother said. "And now they know that they have failed, so they're gonna try again. That's why we said to watch yourself. Especially with Winter Break around the corner."

"And it's also why you didn't protest when I said Oak is going to be staying with me." I said. I looked over at Oak. His face was contorted with confusion.

"Yes, Violet. That's right." my mother said.

"Hold up, just a second. Y'all said that beside the detectives, only the family knows. Why'd ya tell me then?" Oak asked, his confusion bubbling over.

"Look, we know you only started dating our daughter yesterday, and it's all a bit sudden, but we can tell that you're alright. We know you can keep her safe. You're part of the family now." my father said, to which my mother nodded in agreement.

"So, y'all approve of me then." he said in surprise.

"Yes. We see that you make our daughter happy, and that is all we want." my mother said.

"Yes ma'am. And ah swear that Ah'll keep her safe." Oak responded.

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A month and a half later, my father was back at home. Things were far from normal though. I spent most of that month and a half looking over my shoulder. The only times I felt safe were when I was at home and when with Oak and the others.

I walked into the kitchen one morning to find my father cleaning two old service revolvers. He looked up as I got to the refrigerator to get a glass of orange juice.

"Hey, Vi. How you holding up, sweetie." he asked.

"I don't know father. I'm scared. I don't know when they're gonna strike again." I said. Just then, the phone rang. I picked it up.

"Hello." I said as I put the receiver to my ear.

"Hey, Vi. Ah'm runnin' a bit late. Ah came out ta find that Ah got a puncture on the 'Bird. Ah'll see ya in a few, darlin'." Oak said. I was glad to hear his voice. With my mother and father back, he didn't need to stay with me anymore. The weekend was boring without him, or the others.

"Alright, babe. See you soon." I replied.

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I was sitting in the black surveillance van across the road from the apartment that Dean Shadow was staying in. I just heard the conversation his daughter had with her boyfriend through the bug that I had planted. I dialed the number of my employer.

"Hello." the man on the other side said.

"Good morning sir. Just calling to let you know that I'm moving on the girl as soon as she comes out. Her boyfriend is running late." I said.

"Very good, Scissor. Let me know when it is done." he replied and ended the call. Soon we would have the leverage to get Dean Shadow to shut up.

__________________________________________

I was running late. Violet and I would miss the first lesson at this rate. I had just finished changing the punctured tyre with the spare and was on my way to fetch her. I gunned the motor and shot off towards her apartment.

"Ah'm comin, Vi." I said to myself. Ten seconds later, I was on the western highway, doing a hundred and ten miles per hour, just to get us to school without tardiness.

Ten minutes later, I was approaching Violet's apartment building. As I got to the front entrance, I saw Violet being dragged into a black van, kicking and screaming. The man who was dragging her shut the van door and climbed into the driver's seat. He took off at a pace that was impossible. I looked up to see Mrs. Enigma screaming from the kitchen window. I gunned the motor, and took off after them.

I took out the cellphone that I had bought with my last lot of allowance and dialled 911.

"911, what's your emergency?" the operator answered the call.

"Yes, I'd like to report a kidnapping. The victim is Violet Enigma, my girlfriend. They are in a black 1970 Dodge Caravan. I'm in pursuit of them now. They were last seen heading toward the eastern highway." I said.

"Okay sir, and what car are you in?" the operator asked.

"I'm in a black 1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am." I replied.

"Very well sir. We have logged your call and units will respond." the operator said.

"Thank you." I replied and hung up. "Don't worry Vi, I'm right behind you." I said as I downshifted and mashed the pedal to the floor.

__________________________________________

I could not see anything through the bag that the man had put over my head. My hands were tied, so I couldn't move either. I could hear though, and he was on the phone.

"Yes sir, I have her," he said. "No sir, I didn't hurt her. Yes sir, I understand. Heading to that location now." I heard him throw his phone out the window. Suddenly, we swerved violently to the right. "Hey, Violet. Guess who's on our ass. It's that pretty boy of yours. I'm gonna shake him."

I could hear the van struggle for traction as we swerved violently to the left. I heard tires screeching from behind us. I decided to take action. I got to my knees and started scooching over to the back of the van.

If I could find the inner door handle, I could maybe hook the bag over my head off with it. It was a long shot, but I had no other choice. I got to the rear doors and felt something dig into my neck. 'Yes, this must be it.' I thought to myself as I hooked the bag on it. We veered to the left again, and I fell over, the bag being ripped off as I fell.

I recovered long enough to sit down on the floor of the van to survey the situation. There was one person in front, the man who had abducted me. There was also a switchblade lying on the floor next to me. I turned and grabbed it with my hands, which were tied behind my back. I turned it in my hand and flicked it open, and set to work freeing myself of the ropes. Once that was done, I grabbed the bag, and put it back over my head, my hands behind my back, just in time for him to turn around.

"Man, this boy doesn't give up, does he?" he said.

I waited five minutes to be sure that he wasn't paying attention to me before removing the bag again. I crept up behind him, switchblade at the ready. I leaped up and pressed it to his throat.

"Alright, dirtbag," I said to him with gritted teeth. "If you don't wanna end up as another crime statistic, I suggest you stop the van. Nod if you understand." he didn't nod, but I could see him falter. I pressed the blade harder.

"Nod!" I yelled into his ear. That seemed to frighten him, because I could feel the van slowing down. I could hear sirens wailing in the distance. "Head toward those sirens." I said.

"Are you crazy, I'd rather die." he said, venom dripping from his voice with every hissed word.

"Be careful, because that can be arranged." I said with unmasked hatred. He nodded and made a right, heading for the line of police cars that were coming down the road. I heard tires screeching behind us as we came to a stop just before the roadblock they had hastily set up. Oak came screeching to a halt behind us. I saw his gun protruding from his belt, I grabbed it, cocked it, and put it to his head. The police officers had all exited their vehicles.

"Step out of the vehicle with your hands up!" one of the officers said over a loudspeaker. I pushed the gun into his temple.

"Do it." I said. He nodded, put both his hands out the window, and opened the door from the outside. He then stepped out into the dull, cloud-covered morning, and was told to lie down face down on the sidewalk with his hands behind his head. I stepped out after him, made sure to unload the gun the way my father showed me, and went over to the officers. I handed them the gun, and went over to Oak. He hugged me as I approached, and I broke down and cried, for the first time since I was abducted. He held me tighter.

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I was sitting in the kitchen. I was worried. Violet had just been abducted, and I didn't know when the abductors would call. My wife said that Oak was in pursuit, as she saw him. She had taken it worse than me. I just sat there, cleaning my gun, while waiting for the bastards to call. Suddenly, the phone rang.

"Hello, Dean Shadow speaking." I said as I put the receiver to my ear.

"Howdy, Mr. Shadow. It's Oak. We got her. The police are sendin' a car fer y'all" he said.

"Can I speak to her, please." I asked Oak.

"Yes sir, here she is." Oak replied.

"Father." Violet said, unmasked emotion evident in her voice.

"Hey, Vi. How you holding up." I asked.

"I'm fine now. You should have seen it. I was brave." she said.

"I want to hear about it when we get there. I'll see you soon, sweetie." I said as I put the receiver back in it's cradle. I then went to the bedroom, where I found my wife going through old photo albums. "They've got her dear. Oak came through. PD is sending a vehicle to fetch us." I said, which caused her to jump up and hug me.

"We're coming, Vi." we said in unison.