Jason said, “now we have to calculate the location of these five places.”
Jackie wrote down the signs and calculated the positions and distances from each point. She managed to roughly work out the longitudes and latitudes. Kate found it interesting to how Jackie managed to calculate longitudes and latitudes when she knew that these coordinates are for maps of the earth. Latitude measures how far north or south of the equator a place is and longitude measures how far east and west a place is on the earth’s surface.
Jackie explains, “it’s quite simple really. My father studied star maps and passed it on to me. I never thought I would need this kind of information, but he persisted that I knew these things if I wanted to sail with him. There are imaginary lines of latitude and longitude in the sky as well, just like the earth has, but we substitute latitude with declination and longitude with right ascension. They then are measured in hours instead of degrees.”
Jason looked over at Kate, and both guessed Jackie knew her homework.
“Hey, if we had a GPS system we can pinpoint the exact locations of the remaining star signs,” said Jackie.
“What about a car’s GPS? Will that work?” Asked Jason.
“We can give it a try,” suggested Kate.
Jason climbed out the window and ran to his car, looking around to make sure that monster of a dog had not gotten out somehow. He reached the car and unplugged the GPS from its cradle. The screen remained on thanks to the backup battery it had.
Jackie gave him the first coordinates, and he punched them into the GPS. The first readings gave a location way too far for Tony to travel in just one night. He entered the remaining coordinates while Kate wrote down the locations. Out of the five remaining entries, only two were in the vicinity of the Miami area.
“I just hope we’re on the right track. We won’t get another shot at this. The ritual has to take place tonight, and Tony will be long gone after. I just hope Sally is still alive,” said Jason.
Kate came over to him taking his hand in hers.
“I’m sure we’re right about this. Sally’s a smart girl and she might find a way to contact us,” said Kate.
“Okay, let’s see how we can decide which one of these two locations is the best to take. The first one is up north and further away from the remaining location,” said Jason.
He took out his cell phone and dialed Chief Berks number.
“Matt! It’s me, Jason. We found some information to where Tony might be going. Write down these coordinates, and please send someone to check it out. I will be on my way to check out another place that is closer to where we are.”
Matt wrote down the coordinates and sent one of the agents to check it out.
“Jason, I will be sending a team of our men. I will contact inspector Andrews to assist them. Keep in contact and be careful, that man is crazy and has no limit of control.”
“Okay Matt, and thanks,” Jason said.
“Let’s get a move on before we’re too late,” said Jason.
They helped Jackie out of the window and hurried across the lawn. The Rottweiler can still be heard barking and snarling behind the front door. Jason closed the gate behind him.
He looked back saying, “we will come for you later. You’re heading for the dog’s home, you ugly mutt.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The wind was picking causing sea swells to reach over a yard in height. Each wave soaked everyone on board to the bone. Water covered the boat deck and was slowly rising up to their ankles. Tony pushed on just the same. He was not going to turn around and miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. He reckoned they should reach land in ten minutes, maybe more if the weather continued to get worse. The cause of this sudden surge of weather was unknown, and Tony assumed it could be the effect of the moon, or just bad luck on this particular night. Travis was concerned about Sally with her hands bound together; she didn’t stand a chance if the boat capsized.
Tony turned around and shouted out to Travis. “Take out the life jackets from under the seat. Make sure everybody wears one, and for Christ’s sake, cut her hands loose, she won’t be going anywhere in this weather.”
Travis was relieved with Tony’s decision, so he cut the nylon zip-ties, and Sally thanked him with a smile. Stacy and Krissy started to come around as the effects of the drug began to wear off. The rough weather turned their dreamy look into a fearful one. Stacy came to first, realizing where she was for the first time.
She immediately began to panic.
“I can’t swim! We’re all going to drown!”
Krissy tried to calm her friend down, but Stacy lashed out, hysterical with fear. She stood up screaming, causing Tony to turn around, thinking someone might have fallen overboard.
Seeing the commotion, he again shouted out to Travis, “shut that bitch up before she overturns the damn boat!”
Travis understood what Tony wanted him to do, so he stood up and drove his fist into Stacy’s face. On impact, her eyes rolled up into her eye sockets as she slumped face first onto the deck of the boat.
Now it was Krissy’s turn to shout at Travis, “are you crazy? You’ve killed her you sick son of a bitch!”
Travis looked into Krissy’s eyes; she immediately got the message and sat back down. Sally was not an active swimmer, and she looked frightened as the boat dangerously passed over each wave.
She often went with friends for a day at the beach but never wandered into deep water. Travis saw the frightened expression on her face.
“It’s okay Sally. We should be there soon,” said Travis.
She turned to him, saying, “what’s the difference? I don’t stand a chance on land or in the sea. The ending will be the same either way.”
Travis turned away from her, knowing what she said was true. Sally thought of her father, and if she will ever see him again. Her thoughts wandered to her mother, hoping for a sign from her, convincing her everything is going to be alright, but none came. She was alone in this ordeal and had to get out of it fast. She knew her father would stop at nothing for her safe return, but she had to try and stay alive as long as she could. The bad weather was in her favor, delaying them from reaching land. She thought maybe this is how her mother is helping her by slowing the boat down, giving her father more time to find her.
Jason drove as fast as he could in the direction the GPS was showing. Kate felt the tension within him as she sat up front next to him. Jackie sat in the rear seat, checking her readings she had worked out from the sky chart. She was positive she had figured out the correct locations. Jackie thanked her father for pushing her, making sure she understood how to navigate on her own. The locations they were heading to were a few miles out from the shorelines of Miami. Jason calculated it to be about half an hours drive if they traveled at a reasonable speed. The only problem they had was that the exact coordinates that were showing on the screen were off the GPS chart. Jason decided he would go as far as he could, and see where they end up.
Kate asked Jackie for the notebook she found at Tony’s house. Then she took out Sarah Masters diary comparing names and information from the two books. Kate matched some of the names that dated back a few years. She presumed Tony had been abducting girls for some time now. She was amazed how he managed to get this far without causing suspicion. Sarah Masters diary only contained the names of three girls, while Tony’s notebook had nearly a dozen. Could it be that all these girls were still missing or maybe even dead? There was no way of telling. Tony was wise enough not to write down the girls surnames or ages making it difficult for anyone to find.
Jason checked the time again on his watch. He pushed down hard on the gas pedal reaching speeds of over eighty miles an hour. Jackie buckled up in the rear seat, and Kate held on tight. They were as worried as Jason was, but did not ask him to slow down. Time was against them on getting Sally back before the worse happens.