When Walter gets home from work, his baby son is crying. His wife has tried everything to get their son to be quiet, but nothing works. Walter opens the crib to look inside and is shocked by what he finds.
As Walter came in from the garage, an ear-splitting wail rang through the house. By the sad look on her face, he knew that his wife Abby was again bothered by Logan’s cries. She was sitting in the kitchen.
He gives her a hug from behind and says, “Oh, honey.” “How long has he been crying like that?”
Walt, I’ve tried everything! Abby started to cry. “We fed him, changed his diaper, bathed him, and burped him!” I even checked his fever! I have no idea what to do next. He won’t stop crying!”
Everything in their lives changed when they had a baby a month ago. And Logan’s cries were the thing that really upset Walter.
Walt told Abby, “Come on, let’s work this out together.” He then led her to Logan’s room.
He happily walked over to Logan’s crib. But the only things he saw in the crib were a note and a dictaphone. Walt put the dictaphone’s stop button on, and Logan’s sobs stopped.
“What did you do?” A voice called from behind Abby. Walter wasn’t paying attention. He put the note down and lost focus. Because Abby grabbed the note from his hand and opened it, he didn’t know what had happened.
“I told you being rude to me would make you feel bad.”
Put $200,000 in one of the boxes near the pier if you want to see your baby again.
You won’t see him again if you call the cops.
“Oh my God!” Abby let out a gasp. “What does it mean?” Was I mean to someone? Were you? Who would take Logan?”
Walter thought back to the cleaner he had been mean to at the maternity hospital. He brought Abby a cute bear-shaped pot while she was in the hospital, but he fell over the janitor’s broom and broke the pot.
Walter was so mad that he called the man bad names. The cleaner told Walter, “You’ll regret it!”
Walter snapped out of his thoughts and said, “Honey, we’ll have to call the police.” “That must be him!”
“What?” Walt, the note says that if we call the cops, we’ll never see Logan again. We should just pay the back-up!”
“We don’t know if that will get him to give Logan back.” Honey, think about it. This guy cleans up… We know where he works, so the cops might be able to go straight to the maternity hospital, arrest him, and bring Logan home to us. He wouldn’t know if we told them.
Abby said yes.
Walt put their car in front of the station. Walter’s phone rang with a message just as he and Abby were getting out of the car.
“You have been warned once and only once.” Your kid will go into the bay if you go into that police station. Bring the money to the address given below.
Abby let out a gasp as she read the message, and Walter looked around to see who had taken her. But there were too many people. Now, the only way to get Logan back was to pay the fee.
Walter chose to go to the bank right away by car, but Abby’s situation got worse. She had already thrown up once and was about to do it again. Walter thought it would be best to drive her home.
He told her, “Don’t hate me for it, honey; that’s what’s best for you.” Abby didn’t say anything either.
“Okay…But Walter, does that thief know how to take care of a baby?” She asked as she started to cry.
Walt didn’t say anything and took her home. But he could still think dark thoughts in his mind. He could picture Logan crying out for help in a dark room, but no one ever came.
Walt got himself together and drove to the bank. Then he went to the storage locker the kidnapper had told him about and put the money inside it.
Walt couldn’t see the cleaner because there were too many people, but he knew that the cleaner would be nearby watching him. Walter went back to his car, drove a short distance, and then parked back by the lockers. Not long after, he saw the cleaner from the maternity hospital.
The cleaner opened the locker. Before Walter could see the cleaner again, a group of tourists walked by and blocked his view.
“Get it moving!” Walter lost it.
As the guests made their way to one of the statues, painful minutes went by. Walter swore when the last few people in the group finally passed the lockers. The cleaner was no longer there.
Walter could hardly breathe as he looked around the crowd. It shouldn’t have been hard to find the man because he was wearing the kind of flashy shirt that you can find in hippie-themed shops.
There you go! When Walter saw the cleaner crossing the street, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. He had the money bag that Walter had put in the locker with him. Walter jumped out of his car and ran after him.
Before he got to the bus stop, the man led him around a parking lot, past a number of restaurants and museums. They were going to get to another set of lockers.
The cleaner put the bag inside a locker. Walt was ready when he turned around. The cleaner was pushed up against the lockers, and he held him there with his elbow.
“Where is my son?” Walter told him to. “You jerk, I did everything you asked; now give Logan back to me!”
The man said, “Look, I was paid $100 to get the package and then bring it here.” “I don’t know about your son!”
“You scumbag!”
“I’m not!” Someone paid me to bring the package to them! One day, I saw him in the parking lot after work, but I couldn’t see his face because he was standing with the light behind him. I have two kids of my own. I would never hurt someone else’s kid.
Walter knew the older man wasn’t lying because of the way the janitor’s eyes looked. After letting the man go, he opened the locker. But it wasn’t full. There was a cut in the back.
Walter ran in a circle to the back of the lockers. A thin steel plate, held in place by two screws but not tight, covered the hole from the back. The man put the money in a bag that no one else in the room had.
Walter didn’t know how to tell Abby the truth. Logan was a miracle child for them. They had been having problems for a long time before they had him. He had lost the only chance he had to get Logan back.
Walter went into his house. He looked in every room downstairs but couldn’t find Abby. He checked their bedroom upstairs and saw that Abby’s things were gone.
Walter thought at first that she had been taken away. He called her. a million times. But she didn’t answer. Then he realized that the person who took Abby wouldn’t have kept all of her things. Her hand cream was even gone.
To put it mildly, Walter was shocked. This is not fair for Abby to do to them. That’s why she was so eager to get home after being sick. She also told them they had to pay the ransom. Logan was taken by Abby. Did she have a partner?
The fact that the kidnap money was fake was the only thing that made Walter feel better. He was going to get his son back.
Walter went to the hospital where Logan was born and found the guy he was looking for near the vending machine. It was a doctor.
Walter came up to him and said, “Hi.” “Please help me.” Someone please call my wife—”
The doctor responded sharply, “I’m not a phone service.”
“You don’t get it.” I’ll gladly pay you a lot of money for your help and silence, doctor.
The doctor looked at Walter with narrowed eyes. Walter told him what was going on and what he wanted the doctor to tell Abby. He slowly smiled.
Then Walter got his wallet and showed the doctor the bills inside it in a sneaky way. The man said “yes.” “All right, let’s make a deal.” Join me!”
Walter went with the doctor to the second floor to a nurse’s station. From what I could tell, all the nurses were in the halls checking on their patients. No one paid much attention when the doctor picked up the phone and called Abby.
If this is Dr. Jones from the maternity hospital, I hope this finds you well. I’m calling to tell you that one of the regular tests we did on your son after he was born revealed something very serious. He needs to come in right away for treatment.
Walter could hear Abby’s sad cries from the nurse’s station across the room, but he couldn’t understand what she was saying.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t talk about the specifics on the phone.” For now, all I can say is that he has a very rare genetic disorder. He looks fine right now, but that could change at any time. He has a greater chance of getting SIDS and a number of other diseases that can kill him. Ladies and gentlemen, you need to bring him in today.
After a few minutes, Dr. Jones hung up the phone and gave Walter a thumbs-up.
“She is going to bring the baby in right away.” Dr. Jones put out his hand and moved his fingers around. “I did what I could.” It’s now your turn to pay.
Walt gave the doctor his money and then went back downstairs. He was just walking around for a while when his phone caught ringing. He grew angry when he looked at the caller ID.
Walter told her, “You’re crazy to call me after what you did.” “Where is Logan?” I want you to get him back.
“That’s what the person who doesn’t care about him enough to pay the ransom says!” She screamed. “That money was all fake, you stingy jerk.” Logan really needs to see a doctor right away, but I can’t take him because of you. Walt, where is the real money?”
“In my account, the whole time.” What’s wrong with Logan? Is this just another way to scam me out of money?
Abby yelled at him and started to cry. “I told you he was sick!” Please send me the money so that he can get medical care. Without it, he’ll die.
“I’m not going to let my son die!” Walt said, “I’ll pay,” and then he hung up.
It broke his heart all over again when Abby admitted that she was the one who took Logan. He had to calm down for a moment before he could use his money transfer app to send her the money right away. He only had to wait now.
***
Walter’s lips were wet with tears when his little brother James walked into the hospital with Abby. While Abby talked to the front desk worker, James held Logan against his chest.
At first, it looked like everything was moving slowly as the cops and FBI agents surrounded Abby and James. Walter had already told the police.
An FBI agent yelled, “You’re being arrested for kidnapping!” “Raise your hands and slowly hand the child over.”
“Get away from us!” She screamed as she moved to stand between Logan and the FBI man. “My son is not feeling well.” He should see a doctor.
Walter yelled as he walked up to the group, “No, he’s not.” “Logan is fine in every way.”
Abby fixed her eyes on him. Walter saw her eyes turn from ones of fear and doubt to ones of burning anger. She moved quickly toward him as if to attack him. But the cops hit her. She and James were caught.
Walter was glad to see his son again and gave him a big hug. Abby wasn’t done yet, though.
“Do you think you’ve won?” Logan does not belong to you! Remember that you couldn’t make me pregnant? It’s clear that whatever’s wrong with you doesn’t run in your family!” She yelled.
Walter went cold. When he looked at his brother, he wouldn’t even turn around to see him. Walter was hurt by it. But it didn’t matter because Logan was with him.
He replied, “If I have to, I will adopt him!” “I’ll watch him grow up while you two stay locked up!” He said this and then left with Logan
FIN.
***********************************************************************************
Walter returns home from work to find his baby son crying. His wife has tried everything to quiet their son, but nothing works. Walter decides to check the crib and is shocked by what he finds there.
An ear-splitting wail echoed through the house as Walter entered from the garage. His wife, Abby, sat in the kitchen, and by the distressed look on her face, he knew Logan's cries were bothering her again.
"Oh, honey," he says and hugs her from behind. "How long has he been crying like that?"
"I've tried everything, Walter!" Abby broke down into sobs. "He's been fed, changed, bathed, and burped! I even took his temperature! I don't know what to do now. He keeps crying!"
After becoming parents a month ago, everything in the couple's lives changed. And if there was something that really distressed Walter, it was Logan's cries.
"Come, we'll figure this out together," Walter said and took Abby to Logan's room.
He cheerfully approached Logan's crib. But all he saw in the crib was a dictaphone and a note. Walter pressed the stop button on the dictaphone, and Logan's cries stopped.
"What did you do?" Abby called from behind. Walter wasn't listening. He held the note and zoned out. It wasn't until Abby snatched the note from his hand and opened it that he realized what had occurred.
"I warned you that you'd regret being rude to me.
If you want to see your baby again, leave $200,000 in the luggage storage lockers near the pier.
If you go to the police, you'll never see him again."
"Oh my God!" Abby gasped. "What does it mean? Was I rude to someone? Were you? Who would kidnap Logan?"
Walter recalled the janitor he'd mistreated at the maternity hospital. He was bringing a cute bear-shaped pot for Abby while she was admitted to the hospital, but the pot broke when he tripped over the janitor's broom.
Furious, Walter called the man awful names, and the janitor said, "You'll regret it!"
"We'll have to go to the police, honey," Walter said, snapping out of his thoughts. "It must be him!"
"What? The note says we'll never see Logan again if we go to the police, Walter. We should just pay the ransom!"
"We don't know if he'll return Logan if we do that. Think about it, honey. This guy is a janitor... there's no way he'd know if we went to the police, and since we know where he works, they might be able to go straight to the maternity hospital, arrest him, and bring Logan home to us."
Abby agreed.
Walter parked their car outside the station. He and Abby were about to exit the vehicle when Walter's phone buzzed with a message.
"This is your first and last warning. If you enter that police station, your kid's going into the bay. Get the money to the location mentioned below."
Abby gasped as she read the message, and Walter looked around, trying to spot the kidnapper. But there were too many people. The only way to rescue Logan now was to pay the ransom.
Walter decided to drive to the bank right away, but Abby's condition deteriorated. She threw up once and was about to throw up for a second time. It was better to drive her home, Walter decided.
"Don't hate me for it, honey, but that's the best for you," he said. And Abby didn't protest.
"Fine…But Walter…does that kidnapper even know about caring for a newborn?" she asked and broke down into tears.
Walter said nothing and drove her home. But his imagination wasn't immune to dark thoughts. He kept imagining Logan in a dark room, crying for help that never came.
Somehow pulling himself together, Walter drove to the bank. Then he visited the storage locker mentioned by the kidnapper and placed the money inside it.
There were too many people around for him to spot the janitor, but Walter knew he would be somewhere nearby, watching him. So Walter returned to his car, drove a short distance, and parked around the lockers again. It wasn't long before he spotted the janitor from the maternity hospital.
The janitor opened the locker. Walter sat up straighter, but then a tourist group walked past, hiding the janitor from view.
"Move it!" Walter snapped.
Painful minutes stretched out as the tourists headed toward one of the statues. After the last few people in the group eventually passed the lockers, Walter swore. The janitor had disappeared.
Walter barely dared to breathe as he scanned the crowd. The man had been wearing the sort of flashy shirt sold in the more eclectic, hippie-themed stores, so he shouldn't have been hard to spot.
There! A wave of relief washed over him as Walter spotted the janitor crossing the road. He was carrying the bag of money Walter had placed in the locker. Walter leaped from his car and followed him.
The man led him around a parking lot, past a variety of restaurants and several museums before he turned into a bus station. They were heading toward another row of lockers.
The janitor placed the bag inside a locker. When he turned around, Walter was ready. He shoved the janitor up against the lockers and held him there with his forearm.
"Where is my son?" Walter demanded. "I've done everything you asked, you jerk; now return Logan to me!"
"Look, I was offered $100 to collect the package and then drop it off here," the man said. "I don't know about your son!"
"Don't you dare lie!"
"I'm not! Some guy paid me to deliver the package! I ran into him in the parking lot after work one day, but he was standing with the light behind him, so I didn't see his face. I have two kids of my own. I'd never hurt someone else's child."
Something about the janitor's eyes told Walter the older man wasn't lying. He let the man go, then opened the locker. But it was empty. Somebody had cut a hole in the back.
Walter jogged around to the back of the lockers. The hole was covered from the back with a thin steel plate, loosely secured by two screws. Nobody around was carrying a bag like the one he'd placed the money into.... (continue reading in the 1st comment)