The Kidnapping King

LYDIA & BUNKO KELLY

PORTLAND, OREGON - 1877 

 "But there's no way to be sure he will ever find it," Lydia Mac Paidin looked at her new friend with desperation in her emerald eyes.

"You're right about that, Lydia, but I think it's the best shot you've got."

Joseph Kelly was a ruffian, but he was also scrappy. Hard times had compelled him to figure things out in order to survive. His methods were unconventional, but challenging times called for sometimes difficult choices. And Joseph 'Bunko' Kelly was anything but conventional.

"You already know the dates and times involved, so the only possible screw up would be if someone else were to find it before your grandson gets his hands on it," Joe looked down at the telescope he was holding in his hands. "Granted, we are talking about maintaining it's location for more than 138 years...but the time-sensitive invisibility spell placed on it offers a decent guarantee that the telescope will remain hidden until the predefined moment you set it to be revealed."

They looked at one another, then back down to the golden telescope in Bunko Kelly's hands. Joe carefully wrapped the fragile piece in a beige linen cloth, then placed it gently inside a small oak cask filled with sawdust. He completely buried it in the shavings then replaced the wooden lid, tapping it into place with a small hammer. The little barrel sat on the middle bunk of a set of three ratty-looking wooden beds built into the wall in front of them.

Lydia looked around and was astonished to think how little these rocky spaces had changed over the years.

The Shanghai Tunnels were a network of underground passages beneath Portland's downtown business area. They connected several hotels and restaurants to ships docked on the Willamette River, and were used mostly for moving goods from the ships to basement storage areas. But Bunko Kelly had discovered another use for them, and was profiting nicely from his unsavory endeavors.

The low ceilings, and musty smell, along with the history of the place, gave Lydia the creeps, but she knew this was a necessary step if she was going to be able to reach out to her grandson.

Lydia watched as Joe pried the frame of an iron barred window from a brick wall, then picked up the cask and held it out in front of her.

"Do your thing..." he said, gazing at her expectantly.

Lydia reached out and placed her hands on the cask. Closing her eyes, a crease formed in the space between them. She uttered a command and instantly the small barrel disappeared. Opening her eyes once more, she looked at her friend.

"That's astonishing," he said, hefting the invisible container up and down several times for effect. He raised his arms and deposited the cask in the hollow space behind the wall, then replaced the frame, using considerable force to shove it securely back in place.

"That should do it," he said, looking at her as he wiped his hands on his trouser legs.

"Here's hoping it's intended recipient will hear the shrill beeping sound emitted when the time-release alert goes off," Lydia replied as the two of them turned and headed for the staircase leading to the streets above and Joe's ship waiting in the harbor.