The Chain

by Adrian McKinty

What your mother does in the next twenty-four hours will determine whether you live or die. And when…if we do let you go, we don’t want you to be able to identify us.”

“Two things you must remember,” a voice says through some kind of speech-distortion machine. “Number one: you are not the first and you will certainly not be the last. Number two: remember, it’s not about the money—it’s about The Chain.”

“I’ve kidnapped your daughter.”

In the future, it won’t be the state that keeps tabs on everyone by extensive use of surveillance; it will be the people. They’ll do the state’s work for it by constantly uploading their locations, interests, food preferences, restaurant choices, political ideas, and hobbies to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites. We are our own secret police.

She scrolls through names and faces and again marvels at how willing people are to spill their intimate secrets on the web for anyone to see. Addresses, phone numbers, occupations, number of kids, where their kids go to school, all their hobbies and activities.

“I’ve taken your daughter, Amelia. She’s been kidnapped. You are not to call the police. If you call the police or any law enforcement agency, I’ll kill her. Do you understand?” Helen begins to scream. Rachel calms her down by telling her that if she doesn’t calm down, she is going to put a bullet in her daughter’s brain. The conversation takes ten minutes.

It isn’t the sort of wrench that will help break a chain, but it’s maybe big enough to break someone’s head. She’ll soon find out.

“You had to be in a certain spot at a certain time. I remembered what Howard Carter said when he found King Tut’s tomb. You have to be looking, not just seeing.”

“You will be sorry, you stupid bitch. Do what you’re supposed to or you’ll never see Amelia again.

It always gets worse. First comes the cancer, then the divorce, then your daughter gets kidnapped, then you become the monster.

Goodbye, Rachel, it’s been a pleasure doing business with you.” “I can’t say the same.” “It could have been worse. It could have been a lot worse.”

What kind of a person kidnaps a disabled child? Then again, what kind of person kidnaps a kid who might die of an anaphylactic reaction to nuts? What kind of person kidnaps a child?

Now, she thinks, it is time to teach him a new religion.

Every human being walking this earth can be forced to violate his or her deepest beliefs and principles. Isn’t that hilarious?

Chemo is a little death that you invite in in order to keep the big death waiting outside on the porch.

Recall that one builds a labyrinth not to hide but to lie in wait.”

plan for what?” “The reason you’ve come here,” he replies. “And what’s that?” Pete asks. “To break The Chain, of course.”

They hoist Anthony onto the guardrail and push him over into the foaming wake behind the ship.

He examines the girl. “And with you, it’s obvious. That mop of yours. We’re going to call you Ginger.”

It grows to become a million-dollar blackmail, kidnapping, and terrorism scheme run as a family business by Oliver and Ginger.

A true predator sometimes kills even when it isn’t hungry.

You’re not going to believe this, but, um, I think that’s my ex-wife,” Marty says. Ginger takes the Smith and Wesson .38 out of her handbag and points it at his head. “I believe you,” she says.

“She’s The Chain and she’s going to kill us,” Rachel says. Pete nods. The twins are behind a low wall. Hitting them will be difficult, so instead, he raises the .45 and shoots out the light.

“What’s the plan?” “We go inside the house, rescue the kids, and kill everybody who isn’t Kylie, Marty, or Stuart,” Rachel says. “Sounds good to me.”

Kylie lifts the nine-millimeter, aims, and pulls the trigger.

Love is what undid Ariadne and Theseus.

After their confessions, Pete and Rachel are charged with felony kidnapping, false imprisonment, and child endangerment. For that alone it’s fifty years in prison.

She has survived. Life is fragile, fleeting, and precious. And to live at all is miracle enough.