Sarah Benson let out a scream and the fainted on the floor. Pops came running, cigar in his mouth. He grabbed his daughter in law and help her up, then hit the Red Alert on the Benson radio network, which called all to report to the house as soon as possible. As he gave Sara some water, she tried to speak, couldn't, and just pointed to her son Ray's open laptop......It was a picture of Billy, shirtless, in some brick building, lashed to a frame, his arms high above his head, wrists tied to both sides, biceps tied to both sides with a rope arojnd his neck, soaked in sweat, beaten up and unconscious, the ropes burning his skin, and a note..... More to come.Chapter 1: The Photo
Sarah Benson let out a scream and then fainted on the floor. Pops came running, cigar still clenched between his teeth, ash scattering across the kitchen floor.
"Sarah! Sarah, what the hell—" He knelt down and scooped her up, his old bones protesting as he lifted her to the nearby couch. Her face was pale as paper, eyes rolled back.
"Come on, darlin', talk to me." He patted her cheek gently, then hurried to the sink to wet a dish towel. "Sarah, you're scaring an old man here."
He pressed the cool cloth to her forehead and she stirred slightly, her lips moving but no sound coming out. She kept pointing toward the kitchen table, her hand shaking.
"What is it? What's got you—" Pops followed her trembling finger to Ray's open laptop on the kitchen table.
"Jesus Christ," he whispered, the cigar falling from his mouth.
It was Billy. Shirtless, in some brick building, lashed to a wooden frame with his arms high above his head, wrists tied to both sides. Biceps bound with rope. Another rope around his neck. Soaked in sweat, beaten up, unconscious. The ropes had burned red marks into his skin.
And a note at the bottom: More to come.
Pops grabbed the nearest chair and hurled it against the wall, the wood splintering into pieces. "Those bastards! Those goddamn sons of bitches!"
As Sarah tried to speak but couldn't, just pointing weakly at the laptop, Pops lunged for the Benson radio network control and slammed the Red Alert button.
"All Bensons, all Bensons," his voice cracked over the frequency. "Drop whatever the hell you're doing and get to the house NOW. This is not a drill. Billy's in trouble. Deep shit trouble. Move your asses!"
The radio immediately crackled back to life.
"Pops, this is Josh. What's—"
"Just get here! Bring Rebecca! Now!"
"Ray here, on my way from the south pasture."
"Jake responding from the equipment barn."
Within minutes, truck engines could be heard roaring toward the ranch house from all directions.
Chapter 2: Six Miles Out
Four hours earlier
Billy Benson adjusted his hat against the late afternoon sun and cut the engine on his ATV. The irrigation intake at Cedar Pond was acting up again - water pressure had been dropping all week, and somebody needed to check if debris was clogging the system.
He grabbed his tools from the back and walked to the concrete housing that covered the pump mechanism. Six miles from the ranch house, this was about as far from civilization as you could get on Benson land. Just him, the cattle, and the steady hum of machinery pulling water from the pond.
"Let's see what's got you all choked up," he muttered, kneeling down to lift the heavy metal cover.
The intake screen was packed with leaves and branches - probably from last week's storm. Billy rolled up his sleeves and started pulling debris free, tossing handfuls of soggy vegetation aside. This was going to take a while.
He was so focused on clearing the blockage that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching through the tall grass behind him. Didn't notice the shadow falling across his work area.
The first thing Billy knew, something sharp jabbed into his neck. He spun around, hand flying to the injection site, but his vision was already getting blurry.
"What the hell—"
Four men in dark clothing surrounded him. Billy tried to stand, tried to reach for the radio clipped to his belt, but his legs gave out. The drug was working fast.
"Easy there, cowboy," one of them said. "Just take a little nap."
Billy's last coherent thought was that Jake was going to give him hell for getting jumped like this. Then everything went black.
By the time the Bensons realized he was missing, Billy was already tied up in an abandoned warehouse thirty-five miles away, and his captors were setting up their camera.
Chapter 3: The Call
The kitchen was packed with Bensons within ten minutes. Ray burst through the door first, followed by Jake and Billy Jr. from the equipment barn - the eleven-year-old had been helping his uncle work on a broken hay baler. Josh and Rebecca came running from the chicken coop, still brushing feathers off their clothes.
Rebecca immediately went to Sarah on the couch. "Honey, are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?" She felt Sarah's forehead, then looked at the laptop screen. Her face went white. "Oh my God..."
Josh stared at the image of his youngest brother. "Jesus Christ, who would—"
Billy Jr. took one look at the laptop screen and went pale. He grabbed onto Jake's arm, his small hands gripping tight. "Uncle Jake," he whispered, his voice shaking. "Is Uncle Billy gonna be okay?"
"Someone's gonna pay for this," Jake snarled, his face red with rage. He put his arm around Billy Jr., pulling the boy closer. At nineteen, Jake was only a year older than Billy, but they'd been inseparable since toddlers - so close everyone called them twins.
A burning smell started filling the kitchen.
"Shit, the chickens!" Rebecca ran to the oven, pulling out two charred birds. Smoke billowed across the room, adding to the chaos.
Fifteen minutes later, the Nelsons' truck pulled up. Sheriff Wade Nelson walked in with his wife Mary, daughter Edna, and deputy sons Ryan and Wilson right behind him. They'd all heard the Red Alert on their radios too.
Edna, Billy's eighteen-year-old girlfriend, took one look at the laptop screen and burst into tears. Mary put her arm around the girl while staring at the horrible image.
"How long has he been missing?" Wade asked, surveying the scene.
"Since this morning," Ray said, pacing. "He went to check the Cedar Pond intake around ten. Should've been back hours ago."
Billy Jr. pressed closer to Jake, still staring at the terrible photo. His hero uncle, bloodied and tied up. The kid who'd taught him to ride, shoot, and cuss like a cowboy.
The phone rang.
Everyone froze. Pops looked at the caller ID: Unknown Number.
"That's them," Wade said grimly. He pulled out a small recording device. "Answer it. Keep them talking."
Pops picked up on the fourth ring. "Yeah."
"You see the picture?" The voice was electronically distorted, robotic.
"I see it, you sick bastard."
"Good. Here's how this works. Two million dollars. Electronic transfer. You have forty-eight hours."
"Two million? What makes you think—"
"We know what you're worth, old man. All that land, all those cattle. Don't play poor with us."
Jake stepped forward, Billy Jr. still clinging to his side, but Wade grabbed Jake's free arm, shaking his head.
"I want to talk to my grandson," Pops said.
"Maybe later. If you're good. Right now, here's what you need to know - we're watching. Every move you make, every word you say. You call the FBI, the boy dies. You try to find us, the boy dies. You do anything except get our money, the boy dies. Are we clear?"
"Crystal."
"Forty-eight hours. We'll call with transfer instructions." The line went dead.
The kitchen erupted in angry voices.
"Two million dollars?" Ray ran his hands through his hair. "How the hell are we supposed to—"
"I'm gonna kill those bastards," Jake growled, his fists clenched.
"We have to call the FBI," Josh said. "This is kidnapping."
"Did you not hear what they just said?" Wade snapped. "They kill Billy if we bring in the feds."
"So what, we just give them the money?" Rebecca asked, still holding the smoking chicken pans.
"We don't have two million sitting in checking," Ray said, pacing faster. "The ranch assets are tied up in land, cattle, equipment—"
"Then we sell something," Pops said grimly.
"In forty-eight hours?" Ray shook his head. "That's impossible."
"Nothing's impossible when it comes to family," Mary Nelson said quietly.
Edna was still crying. "What if they hurt him more? What if they—"
"They won't," Jake said firmly, though his voice shook. "Billy's tough. He can handle this."
"But how do we even plan anything?" Josh asked, looking around nervously. "If they're watching us, listening to us..."
Wade held up his hand for silence. "That's exactly right," he said quietly. "They said they're watching. That means we assume they can hear everything we say in here. From now on, we're very careful about what gets said out loud."
Everyone looked around the room, suddenly aware that their words might be monitored. The weight of it settled over them - trapped in their own home, afraid to speak freely.
Billy Jr. looked around the room at all the worried, angry faces. His mind was racing while the adults stood there looking helpless, afraid to even talk. He tugged on Pops' sleeve.
"Grandpa Pops, can we step outside for a minute?" His voice was steadier now, more determined. "I think I know how we can talk without them hearing us."
Chapter 4: Billy Jr.'s Solution
Pops followed Billy Jr. out to the front porch, his weathered hands shaking as he lit another cigar. The boy stood at the railing, looking out over the ranch that had been in their family for four generations.
"What you thinking, son?"
Billy Jr. pulled out his phone. "They can listen to our radios, right? And maybe they got the house bugged somehow. But they can't read our text messages."
Pops stared at the kid. "Go on."
"We make a group text. Everyone in the family. The Nelsons too. We can plan everything without saying a word out loud." Billy Jr.'s fingers were already flying across the screen. "I'm adding everyone now."
"You think that'll work?"
"Uncle Billy taught me that when you're hunting, you use hand signals so you don't spook the game. This is the same thing, just with phones."
Pops took a long drag on his cigar. The kid was eleven years old and thinking clearer than any of them. "Show me how it works."
Billy Jr. held up his phone. "See? I just created a group called 'Family Business.' I'm adding you, Dad, Uncle Ray, Uncle Jake, Sheriff Nelson, Ryan, Wilson..."
"What about the ladies?"
"Mom, Grandma Sarah, Mrs. Nelson, Edna. Everyone." He finished typing. "Now watch."
The phone buzzed with responses almost immediately.
Ray: This actually might work
Jake: Kid's a genius
Wade: My boys are setting up encrypted messaging too
Josh: Why didn't we think of this?
Billy Jr. looked up at Pops. "Because you're all adults thinking about adult problems. Sometimes you need a kid to see the simple answer."
Pops put his hand on his grandson's shoulder. "Billy Jr., I think you just became our communications officer."
Billy Jr.: Everyone come back inside. We got work to do.
Chapter 5: Billy's Defiance
At the warehouse
Billy Benson hung from the wooden frame, shirtless and soaked in sweat. His wrists burned where the ropes cut into his skin, the rope around his neck making every breath a conscious effort. But he kept his eyes fixed on his captors.
Four men in dark clothing, faces covered. The one who seemed to be in charge was pacing back and forth, talking on a burner phone.
"Yeah, we sent the picture. They got it." The man turned to look at Billy. "Old man's probably crying into his whiskey right about now."
Billy spat blood from his split lip. "You don't know my family very well."
The stocky one with the beard stepped closer. "Shut up, cowboy."
"What's the matter?" Billy's voice was hoarse but steady. "Scared a tied-up eighteen-year-old is gonna hurt your feelings?"
Bearded man backhanded him across the face. Billy's head snapped to the side, but he turned back with a grin that made his captors uncomfortable.
"That the best you got? My girlfriend hits harder than that."
The tall one grabbed Billy by the shoulders, making the ropes dig deeper. "Keep running your mouth, kid. See what happens."
"What's gonna happen? You gonna beat me up some more?" Billy laughed, the sound echoing in the empty warehouse. "Go ahead. I can take whatever you dish out."
The leader hung up the phone and walked over. "You think you're tough, ranch boy?"
"I know I'm tough. Question is, do you boys know what you got yourselves into?" Billy looked each of them in the eye. "My family's not just gonna hand over money and walk away. They're gonna find you. And when they do..."
"When they do what?" The leader's voice betrayed a hint of nervousness.
Billy's grin widened, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Well, let's just say my grandpa didn't learn his people skills in Sunday school. Vietnam's a hell of a teacher."
The short one shifted uncomfortably. "Shut him up."
"Can't handle the truth?" Billy kept pushing. "You picked the wrong family to mess with. The Bensons don't scare easy, and we sure as hell don't give up on our own."
The leader nodded to the others. "Rough him up a little. But don't damage him too much. We might need him to talk to grandpa again."
As they moved toward him, Billy straightened up as much as the ropes would allow. "Come on then. Let's see what you got."
Even as the first blow landed, Billy was already planning what he'd say to Jake when his family came for him. Because he had no doubt they would come.
Chapter 6: The Veterans
The phone rang again. Everyone in the kitchen froze as Pops grabbed it.
"Yeah."
"You miss your grandson?" The electronic voice was back. "Here, say hello."
There was a rustling sound, then Billy's voice came through the speaker, rough but defiant.
"Dad? Dad, I'm okay. These idiots think they're tough, but—"
"Billy!" Josh stepped forward. "Son, are you hurt?"
"Nothing I can't handle. Tell Jake I said he still owes me twenty bucks from—"
The phone went dead.
The silence that followed was deafening. Josh stared at the phone, his hands shaking. "He sounded... he sounded like Billy."
Jake let out a strangled laugh. "That son of a bitch is tied up and tortured and he's thinking about the twenty bucks I owe him." His voice cracked between laughter and tears.
A few nervous chuckles rippled through the room, breaking some of the tension.
"Still got fight in him," Jake added, wiping his eyes.
Billy Jr.: Uncle Billy's okay. He's still Uncle Billy.
Pops: Those bastards are gonna pay
Wade: At least we know he's alive and conscious
Twenty minutes later, two pickup trucks rumbled up the gravel drive. Billy Jr. watched from the window as two weathered men in their seventies climbed out. One was tall and lean with silver hair, the other shorter and stockier with a gray beard. Both moved with the careful precision of men who'd learned to stay alert in dangerous places.
"That's Sergeant Major Pete Kowalski and Staff Sergeant Tommy Martinez," Pops said quietly. "We served together in the 1st Cavalry Division."
The veterans entered without knocking, taking in the scene with experienced eyes. Pete carried a large duffel bag, Tommy had a metal case.
"Heard you got trouble, Frank," Pete said, using Pops' military nickname.
"Bad trouble," Pops replied. "My grandson."
Tommy set down his case and looked at the laptop screen. His jaw tightened. "Professionals?"
"Don't think so. Sloppy communication, amateur ransom amount."
Pete opened his duffel bag, revealing night vision goggles, tactical radios, and other military equipment. "What kind of law enforcement support we got?"
Wade stepped forward. "Kings County Sheriff. My department has access to DOD surplus through the 1033 Program."
"Good," Tommy nodded. "We're gonna need thermal imaging, communications gear, maybe some long-range capabilities."
Billy Jr. stepped forward, phone in hand.
Billy Jr.: The old guys know what they're doing. Sheriff Nelson - can you get Ryan and Wilson to bring the military stuff?
Wade: Boys are loading the truck now. ETA 30 minutes
Pete looked at Billy Jr. with interest. "You the communications specialist, son?"
Billy Jr. nodded. "Someone's gotta keep track of everything."
Tommy smiled grimly. "Smart kid. In Vietnam, the guys who lived were the ones who paid attention." He looked at Pops. "Frank, your great-grandson might just be our secret weapon."
Chapter 7: High-Tech War Room
Ryan and Wilson Nelson's truck arrived loaded with enough military surplus equipment to outfit a small army. The deputies hauled in cases of thermal imaging cameras, encrypted radio headsets, night vision scopes, and what looked like a small drone.
"Jesus," Pete whistled, examining a thermal scope. "This is better gear than we had in 'Nam."
"DOD's been real generous since 9/11," Wade explained. "Homeland Security grants helped us get most of this."
While Pops wanted to use paper maps and Tommy was sketching tactical positions with a pencil, Billy Jr. and the deputies had already passed out iPads to everyone.
"Grandpa Pops, forget the paper," Billy Jr. said patiently. "Look, I can pull up satellite images of the whole county on this thing."
"I don't know how to work that contraption," Pops grumbled.
"It's easy. See? Just touch the screen." Billy Jr. guided his great-grandfather's weathered finger across the tablet. "Now you can zoom in, zoom out..."
"Well I'll be damned," Pops muttered, suddenly fascinated.
Tommy was equally skeptical until Wilson showed him how to overlay topographical data with real-time weather conditions. "This is like having a command center in your pocket," the old staff sergeant admitted.
Pete, meanwhile, was examining the sniper rifles Wilson had brought - military-grade weapons with laser sights and advanced optics.
"These'll do the job," he said quietly, running his hands along the barrel. "Range?"
"Eight hundred meters, accurate to the millimeter," Ryan replied.
Billy Jr.: Everyone getting comfortable with the tech?
Pete: Kid, this stuff would've saved a lot of lives in Vietnam
Tommy: I can see why they put you in charge of communications
Wade looked around the transformed kitchen - iPads glowing, radio equipment spread across the table, weapons cases open. "Billy Jr., I'm officially making you our operations coordinator. You're the only one who understands all this technology."
Billy Jr. nodded seriously. "Roger that, Sheriff Nelson."
Wade pulled out his own phone. "I got another idea. We need to stall these bastards, buy ourselves more time. I'm calling the bank president and chairman. Maybe they can help us fool the kidnappers somehow with the electronic transfer."
Ray: How would that work?
Wade: Don't know yet. But those boys are smart with money. Let me get them over here.
Billy Jr.: Good thinking. While we wait for them, first priority - we need to start pinging for Billy's location. Everyone ready to start the hunt?
Chapter 8: Banking Conspiracy
"Hold up," Wilson said, pulling another piece of equipment from the truck. "Almost forgot the best part." He hefted a gray metal box with multiple antennas. "Signal jamming system. Military grade."
Pete's eyes lit up. "You can create a dead zone?"
"Fifteen-foot radius. Complete electronic silence - no bugs, no listening devices, nothing gets through." Wilson started setting up the device in the center of the kitchen. "But here's the thing - if they're monitoring, the sudden silence might tip them off."
Sarah: What if we give them something else to listen to?
Rebecca: The ladies could spread out in the other rooms, keep up constant chatter
Mary: Cooking, cleaning, worrying about Billy - normal family crisis conversation
Edna: I can cry some more. That seemed to work earlier
Twenty minutes later, a black Mercedes pulled into the drive. Two men in expensive suits climbed out - Bank President Harold Morrison and Board Chairman David Chen.
"Wade called us," Morrison said, shaking hands with Pops. "We think we have a solution."
Wilson activated the jamming system. A soft hum filled the kitchen, and suddenly everyone felt like they could breathe freely for the first time in hours.
"Electronic fund transfers can be... complicated," Chen explained, spreading papers across the table. "We can make it appear that two million has been moved, but with built-in delays, verification requirements, routing complications."
"How long can you stall?" Tommy asked.
"Forty-eight hours minimum. Maybe seventy-two if we're creative," Morrison replied. "The beauty is, to them it'll look like the money is tied up in banking bureaucracy, not family stalling."
From the living room, they could hear Sarah and Mary chattering loudly about making sandwiches for everyone. Rebecca was in the hallway, crying about how this was all her fault for not watching Billy closer. Edna sobbed dramatically in the den about her boyfriend.
Billy Jr.: Cover noise working perfectly. What's the banking timeline?
Chen: We can trigger fake transfer tonight, give you 2-3 days to find him
Wade: That should be enough time for the search
Pete looked at the tactical display on Billy Jr.'s iPad. "Speaking of the search - you boys get a location yet?"
Billy Jr. manipulated the screen, showing a pulsing circle on the satellite map. "We've narrowed it down to about a 2-mile radius, thirty-five miles northeast. Old industrial area."
"Time to go hunting," Tommy said grimly.
Chapter 9: The Hunt
Ryan took control of the drone while Wilson worked his technical magic, syncing all the iPads and scrambled headsets together. "There," Wilson said, tapping his tablet. "Everyone's connected now. What I see, you see. What I hear, you hear."
Pete stared in amazement as his iPad screen lit up with the same drone feed everyone else was watching. "In Vietnam, we had to rely on hand signals and shouting. This is like having eyes in the sky and ears everywhere."
"Welcome to the 21st century war room," Billy Jr. said, pulling up the drone's live feed. The thermal imaging revealed heat signatures across the industrial area. "There - that building's got more heat than the others."
Pete leaned over the boy's shoulder, studying the screen on his own iPad now. "Could be machinery, could be people. Hard to tell from this altitude."
"Can we get closer?" Tommy asked, watching the same feed on his tablet.
Ryan was already adjusting the drone controls. "Taking her down to 200 feet. Should give us better resolution."
The drone descended silently through the night sky. On every screen simultaneously, the abandoned warehouse district came into sharper focus - rusted buildings, empty parking lots, broken windows.
"Wait," Billy Jr. said, his voice coming through everyone's headsets as he pointed at his screen. "See that? Four heat signatures, definitely human. And there - that's a vehicle parked behind the building."
Wade studied the image on his iPad. "Looks like a van. Perfect for transporting someone."
Tommy shook his head in wonder. "Frank, in 'Nam we would've killed for this kind of coordination."
Billy Jr.: Found them. Warehouse at coordinates 31.2431, -94.7431
Pete: Kid's got sharp eyes
Tommy: That building's got good sight lines. We can set up positions on the ridge to the east
The jamming device hummed quietly while they planned. In the background, they could hear Rebecca in the hallway: "I just keep thinking, what if we'd made Billy take someone with him? What if we'd been watching the radio closer?"
Edna's voice drifted from the den: "He was supposed to come to dinner tonight. I made his favorite pie and everything."
"Perfect cover," Pete murmured, then looked back at his iPad screen. "What's the approach look like?"
Billy Jr. zoomed out on all their screens simultaneously, showing the terrain around the warehouse. "Single access road from the south. But there's a drainage ditch that runs along the east side - could give us cover for approach."
"This boy's thinking like a tactician," Tommy said approvingly.
Wilson examined the sniper rifle cases. "With these weapons and this coordination system, we can cover all exits from 600 meters out. They won't even know we're there until it's over."
Wade: What's our timeline? When do we move?
Billy Jr.: Bankers trigger fake transfer at midnight. That gives us 6 hours to get in position
Pops: Those bastards picked the wrong family to mess with
Billy Jr. looked around at the faces surrounding him, all of them staring at their connected iPads - his great-grandfather, the Vietnam veterans, the sheriff's family, his own father and uncles. All of them ready to risk everything for Billy.
"Uncle Billy's counting on us," he said quietly, his voice carrying through everyone's headsets. "We're not gonna let him down."
Chapter 10: Closing In
The convoy of trucks moved silently through the darkness, headlights off, navigating by night vision and GPS coordinates on their synchronized iPads. Pete and Tommy rode with Pops in the lead truck, while the Nelson deputies flanked them in tactical vehicles loaded with equipment.
Billy Jr.'s voice crackled through everyone's headsets: "We're two miles out from target. Drone shows no movement around the perimeter."
On their screens, the warehouse sat like a dark cancer in the abandoned industrial district. A single light glowed from inside, and the heat signatures remained constant - four figures, one smaller and motionless.
"That's our boy," Jake whispered over the comm, staring at his iPad from the second truck. "Bastards."
Pete studied the tactical display. "Frank, your great-grandson's done the impossible. We've got perfect intel on enemy position, numbers, and approach routes."
"Roger that," came Billy Jr.'s voice. "Setting overwatch positions now. Pete and Tommy, take the eastern ridge. Dad, you and Uncle Ray cover the south access road. Sheriff Nelson, your boys take the western flank."
Tommy shook his head in amazement. "Kid's got better field command than most lieutenants I served with."
The trucks split up, each team moving to their assigned positions. Through their connected headsets, everyone could hear Billy Jr. coordinating the operation like a seasoned tactician.
"Pete, do you have visual on the target building?"
Pete adjusted his sniper scope, the military-grade optics bringing the warehouse into crystal clarity. "Affirmative. Clear shots on both exits. Range 647 meters."
"Tommy, status?"
"In position. I've got the vehicle and rear approach covered. These rifles are beautiful, Billy Jr."
Billy Jr.: All units in position. Waiting for go signal
Wade: Banking deception triggers in 3 hours. We move at 0300
Pops: Those boys don't know what's coming
Through his scope, Pete could see shadows moving inside the warehouse. Somewhere in that building, Billy was waiting for his family to come get him.
"Hang on, son," Pete whispered. "Cavalry's almost here."
Chapter 11: The Warehouse
While the adults huddled around their iPads finalizing assault plans, Billy Jr. caught Jake's eye and nodded toward the warehouse. Jake understood immediately - they'd been thinking the same thing.
Billy Jr.: Uncle Jake and I are going to scout the south side
Jake: Kid's right. Need eyes on the building
Josh was so focused on coordinating with Pete and Tommy that he didn't notice his son and Jake slipping away from their position. On the headsets, tactical chatter continued as the two figures moved through the drainage ditch toward the warehouse.
Billy Jr. whispered into his headset: "We're at the building. There's a window on the east side, about four feet up."
"Jesus, that kid's got balls," Tommy muttered over the comm.
Jake boosted Billy Jr. up to peer through the grimy window. Inside, Billy hung from the wooden frame, alone. Voices and light came from another room - the kidnappers were elsewhere in the building.
"Uncle Billy's by himself. Kidnappers are in the next room," Billy Jr. whispered.
Billy Jr. worked at the window latch while Jake kept watch. The old window opened with a soft creak. Billy Jr. slipped inside first, Jake following.
Billy's head lifted as they approached. His eyes focused, and despite everything, a weak grin crossed his face.
"About damn time you two showed up," Billy whispered hoarsely.
"Shut up and let us cut you loose," Jake whispered back, working at the ropes with his knife.
"Damn, Uncle Billy, you look like shit," Billy Jr. whispered, using one of Pops' favorite expressions as he helped support his uncle's weight.
"Feel like it too, kid. But I told them you'd come." Billy tried to stand as the ropes fell away. "These bastards have no idea what they got themselves into."
"Can you walk?" Jake asked, catching Billy as he swayed.
"Hell yes. Let's get out of here."
They half-carried, half-dragged Billy toward the open window. Billy Jr.'s voice crackled through everyone's headsets: "We've got him. We've got Uncle Billy. Moving to extraction point."
Josh: What the hell? Billy Jr., where are you?
Billy Jr.: Sorry Dad. Had to be done.
As they helped Billy through the window and into the drainage ditch, he looked at his nephew and his son with pride. "You boys just pulled off the impossible."
From the warehouse, they could still hear the kidnappers talking in the other room, completely unaware their prisoner had just vanished.
"Uncle Billy," Billy Jr. grinned, "Pops is gonna be so pissed we beat him to it."
Pete: All units, target is secure. We have clear shots. Waiting for go signal.
Billy Jr., Jake, and Billy had made it fifty yards from the warehouse when Pete's voice came through the headsets: "Target acquired. Four subjects in the main room. Clear shots on all."
"Tommy, confirm?"
"Confirmed. I've got the two by the table. You take the ones by the door."
Billy leaned heavily on Jake's shoulder, but his eyes were alert. "Those sons of bitches are about to get what's coming to them."
Chapter 12: Four Shots
Billy Jr., Jake, and Billy had made it fifty yards from the warehouse when Pete's voice came through the headsets: "Target acquired. Four subjects in the main room. Clear shots on all."
"Tommy, confirm?"
"Confirmed. I've got the two by the table. You take the ones by the door."
Billy leaned heavily on Jake's shoulder, but his eyes were alert. "Those sons of bitches are about to get what's coming to them."
"Damn right they are," Billy Jr. said, then caught himself. "Sorry, Dad."
Josh's voice crackled over the comm: "Son, after what you just pulled off, you can curse all you want."
Wade: All units, we are green for go. Take the shots.
The silence that followed seemed to stretch forever. Then, almost simultaneously, four sharp cracks echoed across the night - the sniper rifles doing their work with military precision.
"Targets down," Pete reported calmly. "All four neutralized."
"Confirmed," Tommy added. "Clean shots. No movement in the building."
Billy Jr. stared back at the warehouse, processing what had just happened. Four men who had tortured his uncle were dead. He felt... satisfied. Maybe that should have bothered him, but it didn't.
"Good," was all he said.
The convoy of trucks emerged from their positions, converging on the extraction point. Pops was the first out of his truck, moving faster than anyone had seen him move in years.
"Billy!" He grabbed his grandson in a fierce hug. "Jesus, boy, we thought..."
"I'm okay, Pops. Told you those bastards picked the wrong family."
Josh reached them next, pulling his son into his arms. "Billy Jr., what you did tonight... I've never been more proud and more terrified at the same time."
"Had to get Uncle Billy back," Billy Jr. said simply. "Family takes care of family."
Wade surveyed the scene - the rescued victim, the successful operation, no casualties on their side. "Ryan, call the coroner. Wilson, secure the scene. This is going in the books as justifiable homicide during a kidnapping rescue."
Billy looked around at all the faces - his family, the Nelsons, the Vietnam veterans who had come out of retirement for one last mission. All of them had risked everything for him.
"So," he said with a weak grin, "anybody know what happened to that twenty bucks Jake owes me?"
The laughter that followed was the sweetest sound any of them had heard all day.
Back at the ranch house, Billy refused Wade's suggestion to go to the hospital. "Hell no. I'm fine. Just need some food and a beer."
The kitchen that had been a war room hours earlier was now filled with exhausted but exhilarated family and friends. Pops disappeared into his study and came back carrying a case with four bottles of Jack Daniel's. "Figure we got enough thirsty heroes to justify breaking into the good stuff," he said, setting it on the table alongside cases of beer. Even Wade was off duty now.
Sarah and Rebecca scrambled to find leftovers to feed everyone after the burnt chicken disaster.
The bankers shook hands all around, getting hugs from the ladies before heading home. "Just glad we could help," Morrison said. "That transfer reversal will be processed first thing Monday."
Soon Jack Daniel's was being poured liberally, beers were flowing freely, and Rebecca was gently cleaning Billy's rope burns with antiseptic while he tried not to wince.
Billy Jr. stood in the middle of it all, holding a root beer and scowling. "This is bullshit. I coordinate the whole damn rescue operation and I get a root beer?"
"Watch your mouth, son," Josh said, but he was grinning.
"Uncle Billy gets beer and he's the one who got himself kidnapped!"
The room erupted in laughter again.
After a quick dinner of whatever leftovers they could find, it became clear nobody was driving anywhere tonight. The Jack Daniel's had done its work, and everyone was running on adrenaline and exhaustion.
"Nobody's going home," Pops declared. "House is big enough for everybody."
The ranch house turned into something resembling a fraternity after a party. Pete and Tommy claimed the couch and recliner in the living room. The Nelsons spread sleeping bags in the den.
Billy Jr. disappeared and came back with his sleeping bag. "I'm bunking with my uncles," he announced, squeezing into their room where Jake and Billy were settling back into their old bunk beds.
"Top bunk's mine," Jake said.
"Not anymore," Billy Jr. grinned, climbing up with his sleeping bag. "We're sharing."
Billy looked up from the bottom bunk. "Just don't kick me in your sleep, kid."
At least Ryan and Wilson had stayed sober enough to return to the station and keep watch over Kings County.
By 2 AM, the house was filled with the sound of snoring veterans, exhausted family members, and one eleven-year-old operations coordinator squeezed onto the top bunk with Uncle Jake, still muttering about root beer as he finally fell asleep.
Chapter 13: War Stories
The next morning, trucks from the general store pulled up with enough breakfast for a hunting camp - eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, hash browns, and gallons of coffee. Word had gotten around town about what happened, and nobody was letting the Bensons cook for themselves.
"Hell, this is better than Christmas morning," Pete said, loading his plate.
"You boys earned it," Pops replied, already working on his second cup of coffee and first cigar of the day.
The banter flowed as freely as the coffee. Jake was giving Billy grief about getting kidnapped in the first place, while Billy Jr. was still complaining about missing out on the adult beverages.
"I'm thinking we ought to have ourselves a proper celebration," Pops announced. "Got a whole pig in the freezer. Time for a real Texas barbecue."
By afternoon, the pig was on the spit and more family and neighbors had shown up. Billy Jr., fascinated by the old soldiers, approached Pete and Tommy.
"You guys got any war stories?" he asked innocently.
Pete and Tommy exchanged glances and grinned. "Well, son, since you asked..."
"There was this one time near Khe Sanh," Pete began, "when Charlie had us pinned down for three days straight—"
"It was two days," Tommy interrupted. "And it wasn't near Khe Sanh, it was outside An Khe."
"The hell it was. I was there, wasn't I?"
"So was I, and you're thinking of that firefight in '68. This was '67, near An Khe, and it was definitely two days."
Pete took a long pull of Jack Daniel's. "Fine, two days. Anyway, we're eating C-rations and drinking muddy water—"
"Water wasn't muddy. We had those purification tablets."
"Tommy, will you let me tell the damn story?"
Billy Jr. looked fascinated. Jake rolled his eyes.
An hour later: "So there I was, hanging upside down from my parachute in a tree—"
"You never jumped out of a plane in your life," Tommy scoffed.
"I'm talking about when the helicopter got shot down and I got thrown clear—"
"That was me who got thrown clear. You broke your ankle falling out of the bird."
"My ankle was fine!"
"You limped for a month!"
Two hours later: "The Tet Offensive was the turning point—"
"Tet was a disaster. We got caught with our pants down."
"Speak for yourself. My unit was ready."
"Your unit was in the rear with the gear, eating hot meals while we were in the shit."
Three hours later, Billy leaned over and whispered to Jake, "This is worse than being tortured and tied up."
Jake snorted, trying not to laugh out loud as Pete launched into his fourteenth story, with Tommy correcting every detail. "And that's when I single-handedly held off an entire NVA company—"
"It was a squad, maybe a platoon at most."
"Company!"
"Squad!"
The war stories and arguments continued well into the night, with more Jack Daniel's flowing and more neighbors dropping by to hear about both the rescue and the increasingly embellished tales from Vietnam.
There would be one more breakfast delivery the next morning before the celebration finally wound down and everyone returned to their normal lives - though nothing would ever be quite normal again for the family that had proven you don't mess with the Bensons.
