“Don’t thank me yet. Hagar’s got a full beard in most and if he’s smart, he’s shaved that off or it’s fake.”
Stone hoped the bastard wasn’t smart, except he’d proven smarter than any of them—or luckier. Stone couldn’t decide which. “Whatever we’ve got will do.” It would have to.
The Rise & Shine came up on the left and he pulled into the driveway, sliding the big SUV in beside a bright red convertible.
“Um, boss…please tell me Sophie isn’t driving a damn sports car,” Stone mumbled.
Ford chuckled. “Is it red?”
“Fuck.”
“Yep. Our girl doesn’t know the first thing about flying under the radar.”
Stone sighed. He didn’t need her making his job more difficult. “How do you want me to play this?”
“She doesn’t know you’re coming because I can’t reach her and neither can her manager. It appears she’s been savvy enough to turn her phone off, even if she hasn’t stopped using her credit card. But she does know we were hired to find this guy. You get to her, show her your security credentials, and get her to call her manager or me.”
“Let’s hope it’s that easy.” He wouldn’t hold his breath.
“I met with her last week when we took the job. She’s not stupid but she’s not used to hiding from crazies either. And don’t forget we were all under the impression this guy was nothing more than an obsessed fan.”
“He’s obsessed alright,” Stone replied.
“She’ll work with you once she knows she can trust you,” Ford assured him.
“I hope so. I’ll check in after I make contact.”
“Gotcha. Watch your back. Hagar’s proven to be a wild card. I don’t want to send anyone else in unless I absolutely have to. Jack followed you out there but he’s going to hang back for now. I’ve got him heading to the hotel in Omaha to check it out.”
“I want to know what he finds.”
“Of course. Oh, and her manager doesn’t want the press involved so at this point I’d rather play this close to the vest. If the local law gets called in, we’ll have a problem keeping things under wraps.”
“No worries.” He didn’t want or need Jack or anyone else coming in and making things more complicated. The less attention they drew to Sophie, the better. Ideally, Stone would like to lock her down somewhere while Jack found Hagar. Then they could neutralize the threat before it got anywhere near Sophie.
“Usual check-ins. I don’t like this out-of-country, different-time-zone bullshit. I’d be far happier if the team was in one place.”
“I’ve got this.”
“I know.” Ford’s confidence in Stone’s ability rang through in his voice.
Stone smiled and disconnected. Pulling the Bluetooth from his ear, he reached behind the seat for his backpack. He checked his gear. He didn’t like not having his gun on him but he didn’t want to freak anyone out by wearing his shoulder holster.
This might be farm country, where everyone had a shotgun, but that didn’t mean a guy visibly carrying a handgun wouldn’t draw attention, and possibly the law.
Climbing out of the car, he stopped short.
The sultry voice of Sophie Collins floated on the air. He couldn’t see her from where he stood so followed the sweet song until her found her on a patch of grass at the back of the Rise & Shine. Dusk’s shadows shrouded her in an otherworldly glow, giving her and that siren’s voice an ethereal quality. It made him think of mermaids and sailors being lured to their deaths.
For several moments, he stood immobile, mesmerized by the woman and the voice that had captivated millions. Anyone up on his or her pop music would recognize her in a heartbeat.
That thought got him moving. He swiftly scanned the area and determined no one was around, although that didn’t mean someone wasn’t watching. Wanting her out of sight, Stone strode forward.
“Sophie.”
Her voice cut off mid-word and she spun around, eyes wide, mouth open, long brown waves flying about her shoulders. Scrambling to her feet, she backed up a few steps before he realized she was about to run, stopping Stone dead in his tracks.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” He held his hands open out by his sides. “I’m here to help. Your manager, Reginald Feldman, and my boss, Ford Moreland, have been trying to call you. My name is Stone. They sent me to protect you.”
