“Then you and I can live our happily ever after on a secluded beach and never have to worry about money again.” Evan’s words made her sick to her stomach.
Jade covered her mouth, and the room tilted.
Evan’s bruises, his warnings—they really were all part of an act. He and Breana were a couple, in on her abduction, together. The betrayal stung. First her psychologist, then her coworker. Two people she’d trusted in her life.
The more she thought about it, the more determined she became. Not to break free, but to stop Breana and Evan from killing innocent people.
The next morning, she sat at her terminal, adding code to the program they’d demanded she build.
Not clues for Charlie Team this time, but a self-destruct sequence, the first time someone tested the system. She was signing her own death sentence, but no way would she beresponsible for the slaughter of the men and women who protected her country’s freedom.
Her thoughts drifted to Liam. She’d loved him from the first mission they’d worked together. But what did she have to offer a man like him? Anxiety disorders that swarmed inside her. A winning combination for a relationship—Not. If she survived this nightmare, she’d work harder on her fears, and she refused to hold back her feelings from the man who’d given her the hope of normalcy.
God, I’d appreciate it if you’d send Charlie Team to save me so I can have a future with Liam. But if that’s not part of your plan, please let my death be quick.
Shadow Pines, Tennessee – Safe House
Monday – 0800 Hours
Call Sign: Charlie One
Liam rubbedthe grit from his eyes. He pushed back from his computer and stood. Legs wobbling, he gripped the table and blew out a breath, giving his body time to find equilibrium. His injuries had begun to heal, but his head still gave him fits now and again. Once they found Raven—and they would find her—he’d take a couple of weeks to recover. Until then, he’d focus on the mission to find the woman he’d slowly fallen in love with over the past few years.
“I think I have something.” Rafe jutted his chin toward his screen. “Assuming my eyes aren’t deceiving me, because, hello, staring at my screen for hours, but I believe Raven is leaving us breadcrumbs.”
“Where?” Liam moved behind Rafe and peered over his shoulder.
“The Dark Net is my new friend. Not a fun place to be, by the way. Anyhoo, I came across an interesting offer called NightEcho GPS. It had a sample code. Most of what is here has been done before, but the seller explains the final product.” His second-in-command pointed at several lines of code.
Liam mentally rolled his eyes. Why had he asked? His skill set didn’t involve writing or reading computer code. “What am I looking at?”
The others had gathered around, waiting for Rafe’s big reveal.
“See this line right here.” He scrolled down. “And here?”
Dax folded his arms over his chest. “I see it, but I have no clue what it is or what it means.”
“I’ve studied Raven’s work. Elite coders, good or bad, have distinct styles. A signature, if you will. She created a hint for us. Between her coding and the reference to Echo, I think she’s trying to tell us where she is through her Wi-Fi connection.”
“Do you have a location?” Xander asked from Liam’s left.
“I’m trying to decipher it. Raven’s given me a partial IP footprint that I’m attempting to trace.” A few minutes later, Rafe twisted to face the team. “Dax, pull up a map of Cold River, Alabama.”
“On it.” Dax hurried to his computer.
“I’m getting our transport lined up.” Xander dug his phone from his pocket and started working on their travel arrangements.
“I’ll prep our gear. We’ll be ready to spin up as soon as you have that location pinned down.” Boone tapped his fist on the back of Rafe’s chair, then disappeared into one of the bedrooms.
Liam placed his hands on the table and stared at the image of Cold River, Alabama. “Are you sure this is where she’s being held?”
“No, but it’s the best I got. I’m not sure Raven knows. They are probably keeping her in the dark. But she figured out a way to reach out, giving me an electronic pathway.” Rafe ran his fingers through his hair. His second in command looked exhausted.
Of course, they’d all hit the wall and needed rack time soon. But they’d push through if it meant rescuing Raven.
“Then how did she tell you?” Dax asked.
“I recognized her fingerprint in the code. From there, I traced the upload paths and relay nodes.”
