Chapter 1

Tommy knew something was wrong. He looked over at his young sister who was sleeping, her head resting on the armrest between them. This was not the way home, it was their car, the colour and scratches on the door, where the dogs always ran up to greet them were there. The driver was not their regular driver and the man in front had said that their uncle had sent them since Phillip had taken ill.

Something was wrong, he had never used the emergency or panic button before. His grandfather had given them to both he and his sister telling then to only use them if they were in danger; he depressed the button hidden in the medallion.

Several things were set in motion. Tommy and Pamela were orphans, guardianship of the children had been granted by the California court system to the nearest family member living in the state; that had been Jarrod; their uncle. They both received the entire proceeds of the estate, which was placed in trust until they were 18 or emancipated. Jarrod administered the trust; he received a fixed fee of $250,000. All costs to maintain the properties, expenses for the children and a monthly allowance were administered by a law firm, specified in the will.

Jarrod had been stealing money from the trust by investing in stock from his own companies. He had lost heavily through his addiction to drugs and gambling. Nearly $25 millions had been already taken, now Jarrod needed, no wanted it all. He had tried to take more but the lawyers had insisted on an audit, which was a provision in the will.

The death of the 2 heirs or at least a large ransom would give him some money now. He was certain the trust would be his when the courts finally had proof of the children's deaths. He would ask for $30 millions in ransom. Some would pay to have the children and their kidnappers removed and another $3 millions to some Vegas mobsters for that removal. There would be no trace, the regular driver had been given tainted food, and became ill, and a replacement driver hired as well as a guard. These two bodies would be found with car, the two children having been taken by the kidnappers. He would of course call in the police, after paying the ransom, when the children were not released.

The girl might make a nice slave, maybe even be sold when a little older and he already had a nice selection at his play pad in the desert. The boy would be found far away, victim of cruel and in-human kidnappers, yes it was a perfect plan. If he would only receive the trust then he could do many things.

The satellite received the signal and a chain of events started. Tomo Yakamuro owned the law firm, a very, very wealthy businessman from Tokyo, Japan. He was also the head of an ancient and powerful crime family. Tommy, his daughter's son; had been named after him, Pamela after her husband's mother. His daughter had come to America for schooling, she met her husband at Stanford and when they married became a US citizen. Tomo always watched out for the family. When, on a visit there, he saw how Jarrod looked at her he started the law firm, had then prepared the couples will and when the children started school had made certain they were driven there, given them the call signals and had made arrangements for instant response should it ever be activated. He had created a trust for the children, mostly for Pamela, when Tommy replaced him, there would be no need for him to use that small trust. Tomo would leave him over 1,500 billion Yen, about $1,500 millions. The same to the Kawashima clan.

Los Angeles and San Francisco were both important locations for many of his business. He remained in Japan most of the time but the US operations were completely in control by one family, Kawashima. They had served him and his family for hundreds of years. Although it was not well known, Tommy was his heir, and the US operations as well as 1/2 of his wealth was willed to him. The operation in Japan as well as the other 1/2 of his wealth would go to the Kawashima family.

Cato and Sato Kawashima both were alerted to Tommy's emergency signal, there was not more than 5 minutes passing before 4 black helicopters were underway. Tomo was also alerted, called for his special Gulfstream III and was on his way. Cato and Sato were soon in contact with Tomo, told that the response team no 1 would arrive shortly followed by team No 2 in 13 minutes. Both were told of Tomo's concern and as Sato with his bodyguard headed towards Tommy, Cato with 2 more groups of special guards headed to the house.

As the car pulled into a ravine, far away from the road, 2 large black vehicles approached them, a car and a van with darkened glass. The two men who were hired to kidnap the children were greeted and two large cases extended to them. As they reached for the cases, smiles on their faces, small holes appeared in their foreheads, the smiles still on their lips. Two more silenced rounds to their heads and it looked like work of the kidnappers. The 4 new men seized the children, both screaming and struggling to get way. The one man, who had grabbed the young girl, began to rip away her clothes saying she would not need them anymore. He saw the necklace, and then ripped it from her, thinking he knew a girl that would look good in this.