Missing You Deeply

Bonnie  Shay and I found a basement and an entrance to a sub -basement... Where we were hiding from five very dangerous men....We had now run up on the missing Henry Higgins, who I had come to check on...I had no idea it was going to lead to this... I had my .38 smokeless on me and my ankle case, which held a .22

We heard some moaning....

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...come with me..." came a voice...

I turned around...and saw a man, a man who had been beaten bloody standing in a doorway..

"MISTER HIGGINS!"said Bonnie, who had actually met him...

"You're Henry Higgins?" I asked..

"Yes....I know Bonnie, but who are you ?" he asked..

"Me?  I'm Kevin Morris...My wife is Sepia Morris, one of the two realtors who you optioned for your property..."I said.

He remembered...

"You're Sepia's husband....She told me you are a private investigator..."he said..

''I take it you got caught on the wrong side of Roach's fists huh?" I said..

''You know him? That rotten piece of crap..."he spat..

"I know him....What does he want with you?" I asked..

"He wants that property....Not him....He and those three thugs are just muscle...His boss...Vern Monroe wants the property...Monroe is also a realtor... He made me an offer for this property..but your wife and her partner made me a better deal...This happens all the time in this business..."he said..

Bonnie helped him sit down...He grimaced in pain...

"You've got a fractured rib  and possibly a concussion...We've got to get you to a doctor...Is there any other way out of here?" asked Bonnie.

"Not that I know of...all of these places have sub-basements though..." he groaned..

''I know this happens a lot in business...Sepia and Bonita have been out bid before...What makes this different? Why is he so mad about being out bid? " I asked..

"He  has heard about the wall safe, hidden in that place..." said Henry...

''Wall Safe?" I asked.

"A gang of bank robbers robbed a bank ten years ago...They stole close to 3 million dollars in cash, Not to mention the same gang hit a safe in midtown and stole a large amount of jewelry that is also in that safe..." he said..

''You knew about the safe?"asked Bonnie..

"No..Not at first...Not when I bought this place...Ten years ago....You see Monroe's younger brother was the previous owner...He told me about it before he died  about five years ago....He said he was afraid of his brother, Vernon...He said he'd rather me have that loot...He was a fence and a shot caller...He put down scores...So does Vernon, allegedly..."He said..He looked at me..

"You look street wise, you know what I'm talking about?" he said..

''She does too..She was a Public Defender and an Assistant District Attorney in New York City..Plus she's from Philly.." I said and smiled at Bonnie..

He smiled weakly...

"An Attorney eh? You look more like a lawyer than an Insurance Investigator...Whatever turns you on huh?" he said and smiled, checking out Bonnie's curvaceous figure..

''Yes...Go on.."said Bonnie.

"Vernon Monroe's brother has since died...He sold that place to me...He was afraid of Vernon...He didn't trust him.The gang that robbed the bank all got killed in a shootout with the police..He felt that Vernon had dropped a dime on them... The Jewel thief is in prison on an unrelated matter..I believe he told Roach, who told Vernon about the safe and it's contents...Only they don't know where it is or  the combonation...but they've been hounding me for about a year...Today they got physical...I decided to unload this place to someone else...Let it be their headache...but I didn't mean to endanger your wife and her partner and Mrs. Shay" said Henry Riggins..

 "People like Vern Monroe and Roach don't just go away.Not when this much money is involved.." I said.

"They don't know where the safe is or the combonation..." said Henry Higgins.

"But you do don't you? And you were going to empty it before my wife and Mrs. Foxworth got the property weren't you?" I said.

"It's mine...I've sat on that money all this time..The bank insured it...They don't need it.."protested Henry Higgins..

"I don't care...I'm not a cop...You can have it for all I care..but I don't want those thugs giving my wife and Mrs. Foxworth or Mrs. Shay here any grief about it." I said.

'' The safe would have been empty by the time  Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Foxworth got the property...Roach beat me up pretty badly....Monroe told me to contact your wife and her partner and call the deal off and sell the building to him...but I wouldn't do it..." he said.

"And so they uh leaned on you pretty hard huh?" I said..

''Yeah, but I managed to get away...Looks like when you two came a callin...They did the same thing.."he said..

''Indeed...I counted five of em, all armed...Any more?" I asked.

"Nah,that's it...but it's enough..."he said.

"I can't get any signal on my phone this far down...how bout you Bonnie?" I asked.

"No, me neither..." she said..

''What are we gonna do?" he asked.

I sighed...

"I'm afraid the next move is on them." I said.

II-

''Sepia, it's been four hours...you haven't heard from Kevin?" said Bonita..

"No and that's not like him..." said Sepia..

"Let me try his cell phone..." said Robert Foxworth....

The three of them were at my office, where I was supposed to meet them ,hours ago....

"I tried....I called both of his numbers...Can't get a signal..." said Sepia...

"That's odd, how about you bae?" said Bonita...

"Me neither...This isn't like Kevin....and it's been four hours...He was just supposed to go out there and see if the guy was there..."said Robert Foxworth...

Just then Attorney Ronnie Shay walked into the office...

"Heyy Sepia how you doin? I came here to find your husband..." he said..

"Seems everybody is looking for him....I haven't seen him for four hours..." said Sepia..

''Aww man,I could use his help right now..Maybe I'll come back.." said Ronnie..

''How's my girl Bonnie?" asked Sepia..

"That's why I'm here...She's missing...I wanted Kevin to run out to this bed and breakfast out in Bayside to find her..."he said..

'That's where Kevin is...Bonita and I were optioned to sell this Bed and Breakfast belonging to Henry Higgins out there in Bayside.."said Sepia..

"Henry Higgins?  We have that place insured...We knew he was planning to sell...but we haven't been able to get in contact with him for about a week...He's blown off two meetings we had set up..Bonnie said she was going out there to see what was going on...and that was four or five hours ago..I haven't heard from her since! I called out there...A guy answered..He said Mr. Higgins was out of town on business and that he hadn't seen Bonnie." said Ronald Shay.

"That's weird....Kevin left around the same time...See I had been out there last week and the mail was piling up, so I mentioned it when we were all at lunch and he said he'd check it out and that was the last time I saw him."said Sepia..

"I'm worried Sepia...This doesn't sound right.." said Bonita..

"Let's go out there."said Robert Foxworth...

"No....Bonita...Could you and Robert pick up Kimberly for me, take her over your house?  Ronnie, I need you to stay near a phone...either at your office or here..." said Sepia..

"You're going out there by yourself?" asked Ronnie..

"No..not by myself.. Me and my girlfriends...."said Sepia, smiling..

"I'm down.."said Bonita...

"You're my sister..Neets...but I'm talking about these girlfriends...SMITH AND WESSON." she said and pulled her .22 out of her purse...loaded it ,put the safety on and cocked it..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." said both Robert Foxworth and Ronald Shay....

Bonita laughed...

"I'm going to call you all when I get out there so you know where I am...After that...if you don't hear from me...call this number...Ask for Mr. Jones.." said Sepia...

''Shouldn't you call the police?" asked Robert Foxworth...

"If whoever has hurt my husband...I assure you....THE POLICE WILL BE CALLED!" said Sepia, who got in her car and pulled off...

III-

"I STILL SAY, BURN THIS JOINT DOWN WITH THEM IN IT!" screamed an Angry Avril "Roach" Rayd...

"And you'll bring the Fire Department and the Cops....They're in the sub basement...Get your men in there and find them..Kill them quietly and leave them down there for now...but don't kill Higgins, we need him alive." said Vern Monroe..

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWW Alright.." said Roach...."Come on Guys.." he said as he and his three goons went back in the house and searched it from top to bottom, from pillar to post...

"Look Boss...Look what I found.. The basement door!" said one...

''Good lookin out..Let's go! " said Roach...

Meanwhile...below in the sub-basement...

''You're in bad shape..We gotta get you out of here Higgins.."I said..

"Kevin's right..."said Bonnie...

"I only know one way out of here and those goons are probably in here searching....It won't be long before they discover this sub-basement..."He said.

"Maybe we can wait em out until nightfall and get out..."I said.

"They're not going to just go away...They'll be waiting for us..Or worse they might try to burn this place down..."said Bonnie...

"Maybe there is another way out of here...Look, a door..." I said..

I pryed open a heavy door that appeared to lead to the sewer and a series of underground tunnels...

"Oh good ...We have a way out..." said Bonnie...

Just then, we heard footsteps....

"They're down here....Take him through the door...I'll try to slow them down..." I said..

"Okay Kev, Come on Mr. Higgins.."said Bonnie, Who put one arm over her shoulder and helped him stumble through the door...

I hid in the dark and found some rope... I tied it at an exit...

One of the goons tripped and fell down..before he could do anything...I punched him in his stomach and then hit him with a upper cut that knocked him cold...I took his .45  which was loaded...

Another thug came running through....I fired at him, over his head...He returned the fire...I returned the fire and hit him in his shoulder..

"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.." he moaned and fell down...

The third goon came in with his gun blazing...I was behind him..I fired two times , hitting him in the buttocks...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" he moaned and turned and ran for all he was worth in the opposite direction...The one I'd shot in the shoulder grabbed the one I'd knocked out and went running behind the other guy....

I was laughing, when I heard a gun click...

"Alright funny man...play times over..." came the voice of Roach....

I fired a well placed shot that knocked his gun out of his hand...

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeow!" he screamed....

"Is it..?" I asked .

"You and me Morris...We are gonna dance.." said Roach...

"I'm looking forward to that Mr. Roach!" I said and fired again...I just missed his head...He was startled..Two more shots his way let him know I wasn't playing...

He turned and ran for all he was worth....I fired one more time and just missed him, He ran faster..I laughed my head off!

Vern Monroe looked astounded as The three goons exited the building... He had heard the gun shots..

One had a shoulder wound...He leaped in his car and used his good arm and floored it... The one shot in the buttocks fell into the backseat of  another car....The other one, who I beat up and disarmed got in the drivers seat of the same car and he too floored it...The three of them were bleeding profusely... Vern Monroe was astounded...He had heard the gunfire...

Roach walked out, angry and disgusted...

Vern Monroe asked him, trying hard to hide his laughter..

''What happened?"

Roach growled..

"Morris...He took one of my men's guns....He shot two of them and he jumped the other from behind..

Vern Monroe looked incredulous..

"I saw one of them..He looked like he got hit by a mack truck...So what about you tough guy?" he asked..

He shot at me...He.........He got my gun too...." said Roach...

Vern Monroe could tell he was embarrassed...He smiled and shook his head...

"I hate to tell you this, but uh your guys got in their cars and left...I don't think they're coming back..."he said drolly...

Now Roach was furious..

"WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY THOSE COWARDLY BASTARDS....THEY LET ONE GUY...ONE GUY SPOOK EM!" HE SHOUTED....

"From the looks of things... That one guy almost killed you too." said Vern..

"I'LL KILL HIM..I'LL KIll Him ,I'VE NEVER LIKED HIM ANYWAY!!  I SWEAR I'LL KILL HIM!!" he screamed..

Vern Monroe smiled.

''Relax Killer, There may be a better way to get them out..." he said and pointed..

Sepia was getting out of her car and walking up the steps of the bed and breakfast...

''Who is that?" he asked.

Vern Monroe laughed..

"I'm guessing...that's one of the Realtors who made the deal with Higgins...She is probably Kevin Morris's wife..." he said.

"How do you know?" asked Roach...

Vern Monroe sighed..

"Her husband is missing, not the other woman's." he said..

"Yeah, you're right.." he said..

''She's our key.." said Vern Monroe.

(TO BE CONTINUED)