Revenge

James glanced as they indicated the double-painted window they’d somehow removed. This was well planned, and he suspected there had to be someone on the inside who’d made that possible. The police would question all servants who served the mansion in the morning. The Astor money was not going to fall into the hands of these idiots, and he’d see the security service was replaced with people who knew the risks of terrorists and how to handle them.

Maria Alice had been the representative of Brazil in Miss World competition, and he’d wined and dined her as the winner lavishing gifts on this woman he targeted for personal gain. She was a good drawcard for his business and knew how to present herself and organize events he had an interest in, so she was an asset to him.

But assets could be bought in replacement of those lost and there was no way he’d pay five million dollars to purchase her from the kidnappers. He could buy a replacement much cheaper than five million dollars. The prenuptial agreement had covered him well so she couldn’t walk away with one cent of Astor money anyway, and she’d been gullible enough to sign it.

The kidnappers turned to Maria Alice.

“Pack a carry bag with the clothes you’ll need for your holiday. We need to get moving.”

Maria Alice looked at her husband.

“You’re going to let them take me?”

James tried to fake sadness.

“I have no choice as I have to arrange the money transfer to get this settled.”

The gun returned to James’ head.

“Actually, we were only fooling you Mr. Astor. The woman has no value to us as you probably have no intention of paying for her release. You’re coming with us Mr. Astor as we knew you’d want to save your own skin so there is every reason for you to cooperate with us because we know your type.”

“No way I’m climbing out of that window.”

A hood was placed over his head with slots to breathe but not see and he was tied up and a long rope attached.

“Oh, incidentally you won’t need to jump as we’ll tie you up neatly as a package and lower you out the window to our men who’ll be waiting in your security uniforms to receive you, and we’ll follow. A helicopter will pick us up for our intended destination on our signal and no doubt the shift security workers presenting themselves for work tomorrow will untie their trussed-up turkeys your unreliable security force and they will alert the police. We’ll be far away by that time and untraceable. Your borders are far from secure from infiltration. Prepare for a happy vacation.”

Maria Alice watched the exit by helicopter, phoned the police and then Roger and Vincent. The police were there on the grounds within a half hour and untied the security personnel. They alerted the FBI who scanned the skies for a helicopter, but there was no record of a flight, and it was not reported to authorities. No results.

The next day everyone in the employment of the Astors was questioned for hours, including Roger, Vincent and their families. They questioned Maria Alice for hours as she’d been directly involved at the time of the kidnapping, and she repeated the story over and over until satisfied the FBI released her from questioning. Because the men were hooded, she could not identify them.

But every movement of the family and their employees was watched by plain clothes officers and the phones tapped. The FBI then extended their interest to the subsidiary corporations to see if there was any hint of antagonism toward James and the net swept into their area of interest competitors and those who may have a grudge against the family for past dealings. The investigations led nowhere so they watched and waited for the next move by kidnappers.

Eventually the demand came with very specific instructions as to how the ransom money should be paid in bitcoin so there was no possibility of catching someone picking it up and it would be quickly laundered through several financial institutions making it difficult to pick up before reaching a deposit in a safe offshore haven account. As the kidnapper’s predicted James was more interested in saving his own skin than his wife and on his safe release from an unknown suburb in Mexico City he found his way back home through contacts in the US Embassy In that city.

On his return he was embarrassed and aggressive and took it out on his wife as he usually did when things were not going well for him. She’d been emotionally and physically abused since marrying James and had recently confided in his sisters Margaret and Bernice she felt she could handle him no longer and was thinking of divorce. This had found its way through the sisters to their husbands and Roger the legal counsel advised James he was opening himself up to the bad press for the Astor empire, not to mention the possibility of legal action.

Then his sisters made it very plain that the ransom money paid was entirely James’s responsibility and the holding company needed to be reimbursed for the full five million dollars out of his own wealth as minority shareholders would certainly not tolerate the company taking the loss as it would become an instant public debate through power of news media.

James was so angry he rushed to find his wife and beat her severely, telling her if she pursued divorce as she’d indicated to his sisters she’d be driven from the home without a penny. The prenuptial agreement she’d signed would see to that and if she chose to challenge this in court the company would keep her tied up in court until the cost of legal representation drove her into poverty.

She’d taken the abuse up to this point because of the perks of living a rich lifestyle but decided to ask for a divorce and just walk away from the marriage with nothing. Her family in Brazil who knew of her difficult marriage would send her a ticket home.

So, Maria Alice filed for divorce and was driven from the Astor mansion, and she fled to a Portuguese friend’s home for temporary shelter. She informed her family in Brazil and a ticket arrived and she fled the US determined never to leave her homeland again. Her family had connections, and she knew she’d get a good job and the support of her family as she recovered her feeling of self-worth.

She was met at Galeão International Airport, by her whole family and given a hero’s welcome. She was revered in Brazil for her claim of the Miss World title and her return was reported widely. Job offers poured in and she relished the support and well wishes of so many after her horrendous experience in marriage.

When the rapturous welcome subsided and visitors diminished in numbers over the first few weeks her father called her into his office. He embraced her and kissed her on both cheeks.

“So good to have you home again daughter. It has cost us one million dollars to pay for the men and logistics necessary to release you from your torment. But there is still four million dollars of the kidnapping money available in that offshore account. I have a list of investment opportunities to suggest to you, but you may have some ideas of your own about setting up a business and we can talk about that. If you have time now, we can look at some of those opportunities to put that money to use and it’s good your ex-husband James was so generous in his settlement money for all the years you suffered with him. Nice to have you home again.”

“Thank you, daddy. I had no idea you were going to stage a kidnapping and was really scared when it happened but knew you’d find a way to rescue me and make sure I was reimbursed well for all those years of suffering. Let’s look at some of those investments and I do have a wish to set up a business of my own, but I’ll need your advice on that too.”

Just then Maria Alice’s mother entered the room with drinks and a freshly baked cake.

“We must fatten you up Maria Alice. You are so skinny since you’ve been in the USA. Who will marry you looking like that?”

Maria Alice and her father burst into laughter.

Maria Alice hugged her mother.

“Love you Mom but I have no wish to be fattened up like an animal for sale. But the cake does look delicious, so I think I’ll give in to you this time.”

Conclusion

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