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“Because whoever hired these terrorists wants your technology. They don’t want your daughter. In their minds, Lauren is just a means to an end.”
“After which, what? What would stop them from killing her?”
“The fear of a huge international investigation. Right now, this extortion/kidnapping is under wraps. But if a major US executive’s daughter was murdered overseas, and that executive started talking about it? All hell would break loose. Their entire purpose would be compromised, and their identities threatened to be exposed. Trust me. They’ll agree to the proof-of-life demand. It gets them what they want and actually reassures them that you’re playing along. My team will set things up, ensure you have a secure log-in link that only you and they will have access to.”
“Oh, Vance,” Susan said, tears gathering in her eyes. “If we could speak to Lauren, see her, know she’s all right—it would mean everything to me.”
“And to me,” Vance replied. “All right, Aidan. Once again, I’ll put my trust in you. I’ll make that demand.”
Aidan turned to Susan. “I’m sorry, Susan, but this has to be just Vance and Lauren. The kidnappers believe you know nothing about what’s going on. We have to keep it that way.”
Her face fell as she struggled with the fact that Aidan was right. “I understand . . .” she agreed at last, in a small, shaky voice.
“Vance, to ensure Lauren’s safety, no stupid questions,” Aidan warned. “No asking Lauren about her surroundings, her kidnappers, or her whereabouts. These animals might not be rocket scientists but they’re not idiots. Subtlety is key here. You’ll want to ask her if she’s unharmed. If she’s eating, sleeping, being treated well. All those things are normal parental questions that don’t raise any red flags.”
“Agreed,” Vance replied.
“Also, don’t be upset if she seems dazed. That doesn’t imply drugs.”
“You think they’ll drug her?” Susan asked, alarmed.
Aidan shook his head. “They realize you’d pick up on that. What
I’m saying is that she’s most likely been inside the same dwelling for a week, with no access to the world and no sense of time or place. So she might seem out of it. Don’t let that alarm you. Concentrate on what’s important—the end goal.”
Vance rubbed his jaw. “I sense you’re going somewhere specific with this—besides just putting our minds at ease.”
“I am,” Aidan replied. “Croatia’s regions often produce foods that are specific to that region. If we could zero in on one of those foods, it could narrow things down considerably. I want you to tell Lauren how worried you are about whether she’s eating healthfully. I want you to insist that she tell you what she’s eaten each day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s a natural request from a nervous dad. With a modicum of luck, she’ll name a food that will tell us what region she’s in. The kidnappers probably won’t even notice it, and if they do, they’d never think of it as a clue. You’re supposedly acting alone, a terrified father, not a connoisseur of regional cuisine or a member of international law enforcement.”
“It’s a good idea, if it pays off.”
“We won’t know till we try. In the meantime, my team will work in tandem. They’ll cover the entire country, until we tell them otherwise. Once they come up with something specific—with or without our help—they’ll go after the kidnappers like hawks.”
“Please find Lauren,” Susan whispered. “Please bring her safely home to us. Please.”
Aidan never blinked. “Count on it.”
Ritz-Carlton
One hour later
Aidan had stayed with the Penningtons long enough to keep them calm, reassured, and on track.
Now he made a quick stop at his hotel room, intending to get in immediate touch with Terri.
The vibrating of his cell phone put a hold on that.
“Yes?” he answered.
“I hear you’ve been trying to track me down,” a slightly accented male voice at the other end of the phone responded. “It was a long day and an even longer night. But I’m home now, enjoying my morning coffee and talking on a secure line. So tell me what you need.”
“Good to hear your voice, prijatelj.” Aidan hadn’t talked to Danijel Horvat in months—not since he and his wife had visited Aidan and Abby in New York last summer. Abby was already excited about the prospect of returning the visit and traveling to Croatia.
The two men went way back, having served together in the War in Kosovo. Aidan had been there doing Marine intel work during active combat. Danijel had also been doing intel work, in his case for the Croatian army. Aidan had received classified information saying that Danijel’s base was in a target zone about to be bombed by the enemy. He’d gotten in touch with Danijel instantly. The base had been evacuated. Danijel was firm in his belief that Aidan had saved his life. He’d never forgotten. He never would.
Aidan shrugged off the rescue. But he never let Danijel forget the other time he’d saved his life. Danijel had gotten romantically involved with a beautiful Serbian woman who, unbeknownst to him, was married—and to a high-level politician. The politician had learned his wife was being unfaithful and was on his way to the hotel where a liaison was taking place to kill her lover. Aidan had gotten wind of that and had managed to whisk Danijel out of the hotel mere minutes before the shit hit the fan.
For that rescue, Aidan would forever rib Danijel.
