The Auction House Deal: Bought by A Billionaire

We stood in the parking lot for awhile, deciding on the plan. After batting around a few ideas, including pretending to be room service or getting a maid to let us in, Marcus and Ed decided the simplest thing to do would be for them just to knock.

"You have to stay back," Marcus said to me. He gave me a stern look as if I were a child and he might ground me if I disobeyed.

"You man the front door," Marcus told Harry. "Stan, you stay with Roman. Make sure he stays out of the action." he flashed me another harsh look before turning to the police officer. "And officer, stay by the black car, just in case he tries to make a get-away."

"Awww, why do I get the oh-so-important job of babysitting the car? I might not look like it, but I’m pretty buff. I can lift over 100 pounds, straight over my head," said the cop.

I couldn’t help but look at him incredulously - his pride was not the point right now.

"Wow, that’s pretty strong," I said, deciding to humor him instead. "I bet you’re pretty fast too."

He nodded with pride. "You bet."

"So if this special forces soldier slips by us somehow, you’re the last safety net," I said.

"Yeah," Ed jumped in. "That’s why we need you out here. Everyone needs to do their part."

I extended my arm, putting my palm face-down. "Should we bring it in? All for one and one for all."

"We don’t do that," said Marcus, looking at me as if I were the weird kid in school caught doing something embarassing.

"Are we ready?" he asked. "Everyone know what they’re supposed to do?"

Everyone nodded.

"Then let’s go," he pointed toward the entrance.

We scattered, with Ed and Marcus leading the way. They kept their guns concealed and walked quickly toward the entrance while Stan and I followed. Inside, we casually but rapidly walked to the elevators.

It was so quiet in the elevator, as the four of us stood in the confining box climbing to the 10th floor, that you could hear the mechanical pulley system in the elevator shaft loud and clear. The ding of the elevator disturbed the silence, and we shuffled out into the hallway.

Marcus turned toward us and held his finger up to his lips. We followed him down the hallway to room 1005. Like Marcus had told me, I stood back, letting him take the lead with Ed.

My heart raced, anxious to see Hannah. I hoped she was okay. We didn’t know what we were going to find in that room.

Swallowing nervously, I did my best to settle myself, and prepare for the possibility that I wouldn’t like what I saw in there. It was possible the kidnapper had hurt Hannah. I reminded myself that I had to let law enforcement handle it.

I twitched my shoulder, my nervousness making me flinch. Stan stood calm and still at my side. I knew if I moved forward, he would stop me.

Taking another deep breath, I nodded at Marcus who had looked back giving me another warning glance.

He knocked on the door. It was a casual knock - neither hard nor soft, rather like the knock someone from room service might give.

When no one answered, Marcus pushed his ear to the door. He motioned to Ed, who drew his gun. Marcus did the same.

Marcus knocked again - harder. "Hello. This is the FBI. Please open up," he said, that time loud and clear.

Both he and Ed took to standing with their backs to the wall beside the door. Marcus gave Ed a knowing glance and counted in an almost whisper, "1-2-3."

Ed and Marcus turned to the door and kicked it with a strong force, making it crumble around the knob and then open.

They ran in pointing their guns. I lurched forward to follow them to see what was inside, but Stan held out his arm, pushing me back.

He looked inside, and seconds later let me look as well.

I saw Hannah across the room. She looked at me for a brief second, then turned back to Ed, who was trying to restrain a buff man in a flack jacket.

I could tell she was unharmed, and, despite her weird clothes, she looked healthy and unhurt.

"Stop," Hannah yelled. "Let him go. I can explain. He’s my brother."

I wasn’t sure I heard her right at first across the room. Brother?

I saw her trying to pull Ed’s arm away, attempting to stop him from handcuffing the man. Marcus had a hold of the kidnapper-or-brother, who wasn’t resisting. He kind of shimmied to reposition his wrists in Marcus’ grasp, but wasn’t fighting back.

"Please," Hannah continued. "He didn’t do anything wrong. It’s all a big misunderstanding. Let him go, and he can set the record straight."

I stood just inside the door, perplexed.

I had expected one of two things when the door opened - one was that we’d bust in and have to rescue Hannah from being tied up or otherwise confined to the room, and I’d rush over to set her free or the other scenario which was that Hannah would sprint into my arms, plastering my faces with kisses, relieved to be saved from a terrible ordeal.

Seeing her begging Ed to let the man who had tormented us and kidnapped her go, jarred me.

I didn’t know what to do. Should I run over and hug her? Demand that Ed do as she say? Or what I really wanted to do - scurry over and punch the kidnapper in the mouth now that I had the chance?

Nothing felt right, and I stood there like a useless door that led nowhere.

I watched as Marcus held the man, and Ed cuffed him anyway.

"It’s just for safe-keeping," Ed said to Hannah. "Until we get the story straight."

Hannah fumed. "Let him go. I said I could explain."

Ed turned back to her and said, "Explain. I don’t understand. You weren’t kidnapped, then?"

"Well, I was," Hannah said in a smaller voice. "But then I realized it was my brother who we all thought was dead, and..."

"Hold on," said Marcus. "You mean this man faked his death - because that’s a felony, too - and..."

"No, he didn’t fake his death. He joined the army."

By that point, everyone was confused. I stood there still, trying to wrap my brain around what was happening.

Relieved that Hannah was safe, I shuffled through reasons she might not be making sense. Had this guy somehow brainwashed her? Was it Stockholm Syndrome? I didn’t get why she’d be defending him.

"We can sit down here, and I’ll tell you the whole story. Just uncuff his hands, please," Hannah said.

"You can cuff his arm to mine," I volunteered, hoping to finally be useful again.

Hannah saw me at that moment.

Her face broke into a smile, and she hurried over, throwing her arms around my neck.

Now that was the outcome I had been praying for! I hugged her back, and we kissed long and hard on the lips.

"Hey lovebirds, we kind of need to figure this out," said Marcus.

"Right," I said, not taking my eyes off Hannah. "Here." I kept staring at her and held out my wrist.

"You sure you want to do this?" Ed asked.

"I’m sure," I said, still looking at Hannah. She smiled, and Ed brought over the mystery man. Ed opened the cuffs and kept one around the kidnapper’s wrist and hooked the other end to my wrist.

"Why don’t you sit down?" Hannah suggested, smoothing out a spot on the bed.

I sat down with the strange man attached to my arm. We looked at each other and grunted.

Ed and Marcus sat on the other side, while Hannah sat next to her kidnapper - or brother. Stan stayed silent off to the side.

"Let’s start again," Ed said, looking at Hannah.

"Hold on. Could you?" I pointed to my pocket. It was hard to get my phone out with one hand.

Hannah jumped up and retrieved it for me.

"I’m just going to let Harry know everything is fine up here. He can wait in the car. Shouldn’t you let the cop know the same?"

"You have his number?" Ed asked Marcus. Marcus shook his head. "Oh well."

"You guys," I said, texting with my thumb. "I’ll have Harry go around and let him know."

"Good idea," said Marcus. "Now, Hannah, what were you saying? Something about this guy being your brother?"

Before Hannah could continue I examined both of them - Hannah and the man.

They both had the same glaring green eyes, and there was something about the shape of their cheekbones that was also similar. It was weird, but I was starting to understand.

The man sitting before me was the long-lost Martin.