Metafire

Back at the motel, Dave and Randy watched the news. There were no reports. Then they got back in the car and drove north.

Steve and the other fellows had been following and listening. The call from the motel happened too quickly to catch, now the kidnapper was off again. When it became apparent he was headed to a private airstrip, Steve asked permission to intercept them, and got it. They waited for the kidnapper to move toward one of the airplanes but instead he moved with Randy toward a charter service. Steve and two other officers started rushing toward them but Johnston saw them. He put the gun to Randy's head, pulled him around as a shield, and said, "Don't. Stop. Hold right there."

Everyone stopped. At this point Steve waved back the other guys. Steve said, "You can't get away. Release that man. We are police officers."

Dave thought to himself, "Police. That's interesting." Then he said, "Back off. I'm going inside to get a plane. Try to stop me, and I will kill him. I am ready to die."

"If you shoot him, you won't die, but you'll suffer a lot." Steve was getting mad. As they backed down, Steve got a bit calmer. He told the other officers to let them go. He remembered his orders were to get his man alive. "Its easy to follow a plane. Get pictures." He would have pictures of this guy.