Treacherous Impulses: Day 6

Word Count: 36,002

Summary of Events:

Hilton and Mackenzie followed the kidnappers to Narva, where they lost the kidnappers, but found their car in flames; the kidnappers then tried to run them down, so they hailed a taxi to pursue the kidnappers — being as they'd returned the rental car. They were taken as far as the Russian border and then left to walk. A young Russian woman offered to take them to St. Petersburg and on the way they spotted the kidnappers' car being hooked up to a tow truck, so they went to St. Petersburg, rented another car, found out where the kidnappers' car was being repaired, and set up to wait for the kidnappers to emerge. Hilton got them brunch while they waited.

Excerpt of the Day:

""I think I figured it out," Mackenzie said.

"I didn't know there was a puzzle," Hilton said, delaying his next mouthful.

There was a silence. Hilton was pretty sure Mackenzie was chewing. He put his mouthful into his mouth, taking advantage of the silence.

"I felt like there needed to be more things to cause the person you talked to on the phone to give you this address than your rusty Russian skills," Mackenzie said. "And I think I figured it out."

Hilton swallowed. "And what is it?"

"The kidnappers aren't Russian," Mackenzie replied.

Hilton furrowed his brow as he chewed. Why would they come to Russia if they weren't Russian then? He emptied his mouth again. "But then why are they here?"

"Maybe to throw people off," Mackenzie replied. "Make people think they're Russian and start searching Russia, instead of where they're actually going."

"Which is?" Hilton asked.

"To be determined by the two of us as we follow them," Mackenzie replied.

Hilton nodded. That was true. He couldn't have expected Mackenzie to figure out more than that, she wasn't exactly a computer.

"Why do you think that the kidnappers not being Russian would make them give me the information?" he asked after awhile.

"Because a Russian wouldn't exactly call a friend who isn't familiar with Russia to help them when they've been in an accident," she replied. "They would call a friend who knew the place, or a family member, or they'd walk."

"But wouldn't they think that I should've been given the address by my friend?" he asked.

"Not necessarily, especially if the friend is a foreigner," she replied. "Because they would probably be a little dazed and confused and may not know the address, or may not know how Russian addresses are written, or how to pronounce Russian words."

Hilton shifted his jaw. That did make sense, he had to admit.

"But why would a foreigner call a foreign friend for aid?" Hilton asked.

"Because they don't have any Russian friends," Mackenzie replied. "It could be a group of friends who decided to go on vacation together in Russia and split up into two vehicles or were coming from two separate places to meet each other in Russia and begin their vacation."

"It works," Hilton said. "Although it doesn't really matter, we got the information, that's what's important."

"Are you sure it's the right information, though?" Mackenzie asked.

"Why?" Hilton asked.

"We've been waiting for a half an hour and haven't seen anything," Mackenzie replied.

"Car repairs don't exactly take five minutes," Hilton replied. "If it's a puncture we're probably getting close, depending on if it was a blowout our not, a blowout might take longer.""