1:00 AM.
"Buzz..."
A cell phone vibrated.
In the bedroom, Luke fumbled for his phone by the pillow with his right hand and pressed the answer button, "Hello, this is Luke."
"It's Mary, hope I'm not disturbing your rest."
Luke yawned and retorted, "I haven't even opened my eyes yet, what do you think?"
"I'm really sorry, but the news to follow should wake you up.
The kidnappers called, demanding that the hostage's father, Mr. Bruce Redman, deliver the gold to a designated location within an hour."
Luke felt invigorated, "Where?"
"On the overpass at Kerman Street."
Luke questioned, "Can we pinpoint the kidnappers' location from the ransom call?"
"The call was too short to pinpoint the exact location. However, we can determine the cell tower location."
"Got it, we'll set up surveillance in advance. Also, send me the recording of the ransom call from the kidnappers." Luke finished speaking and hung up the phone.
Finally, it's happening.
Luke began contacting team members to set up a capture operation. Based on the kidnappers' call, they requested that 5,000 ounces of gold be divided into six bags and transported to the overpass by car, and only Bruce Redman was allowed to go; if they saw a second person, the hostage would be killed.
Luke focused surveillance efforts on two aspects: the first aspect is the ransom delivery location, the overpass on Kerman Street.
The second location is on the route Bruce Redman takes to the overpass.
The kidnappers' intentions were clear: take the gold, but their word can't be fully trusted. They could snatch the gold anywhere, not necessarily at the transaction spot.
It's also very likely that they'll rob the gold halfway as Bruce Redman drives to the transaction location.
At 1:30, the police escort convoy was ready.
Bruce Redman drove to the transaction location, the overpass on Kerman Street.
At this time of night, there were very few cars on the road, sometimes not a single one for a long time.
But this also made tracking more difficult.
Following too closely or for too long could easily expose them.
Luke could only use a relay tracking method, with the police constantly switching vehicles. Each car could only track for a short distance, then drive off down another road, and another car would follow.
Meanwhile, the arrangement at the transaction location was also proceeding busily. The location was on the overpass on Kerman Street, which was very open and not suitable for a capture setup, perhaps why the kidnappers chose it as the transaction spot.
If it were daytime, people would be coming and going on the overpass, and officers could disguise themselves as pedestrians nearby for protection.
But at this hour, they'd stand out too much; anyone with half a brain would see something was off, and the kidnappers would be scared away.
So, Luke had to think of another way.
Something inconspicuous yet close enough to the overpass: homeless people.
Even though the US is a developed country, there are a considerable number of homeless people; they can appear anywhere at any time. Even if the kidnappers were suspicious, they couldn't ascertain they were police informants.
Because homeless people being near the overpass wouldn't be unusual.
The second option was drones.
Luke arranged for a small drone to reconnaissance from the air, equipped with a high-definition camera and infrared imaging.
Luke and the other officers were lying in ambush in more distant locations on the sides of the overpass. To prevent anyone from escaping below, officers also staked out under the bridge.
Even though Luke had made thorough plans, he still felt uneasy. Capture operations of this nature were quite challenging.
Not only did they need to swiftly and accurately apprehend the kidnappers, preventing them from contacting accomplices immediately, but also quickly make the kidnappers talk to find the hostage's location, to avoid their accomplices killing the hostage.
It was a real test of the on-scene commander's ability to adapt.
Luke and the deputy team were responsible for the specific command on-site, while Reid managed resources and logistics support from the police station.
As a black Mercedes car arrived on the overpass, everyone tensed up.
The black Mercedes stopped at the side of the overpass, with Bruce Redman sitting in the driver's seat, peering around through the car window.
Luke, though unable to see his expression, could guess his mood and reassured him, "Mr. Redman, don't be nervous.
I've arranged officers around to ensure your safety."
On the east side of the overpass, in a sheltered corner, two homeless men lay under tattered blankets, looking towards the Mercedes.
These two homeless men were personally chosen by Reid; they were top-notch in the detective bureau, excellent shots, and proficient in combat. Once Luke gave the order, they would subdue the kidnappers immediately.
Time ticked by. Bruce Redman clutched his phone with a slight sense of urgency.
Half an hour had passed, the drone ran out of battery, they swapped in fresh batteries, and it took to the air again.
Little Black rubbed his chin, "Something doesn't seem right. Bruce Redman has been at the transaction location for ages, yet the kidnappers haven't shown up or called; could something have changed?"
Luke speculated, "We're waiting for the kidnappers, and maybe they're observing us from around here too. No kidnapper is completely fearless when dealing with ransom exchanges."
Ransom deals are a challenge for the kidnappers and the most complex part of the entire kidnapping case. They have to worry about police laying ambushes at the transaction site and whether the police have tampered with the ransom. They're likely even more nervous than the police; you can never be too careful.