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“I didn’t start here.”
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nbsp; “Didn’t you? It’s not easy accessing background on you, but I don’t mind the work. You were a bit young for my tastes when you had your initiation. You bad girl. Still, I bet you were delicious. Tell me about it,” he invited with that smile in his voice. “I’d love to hear the details.”
“Jerk off on your own time. Proof of life, McQueen, or I catch the next shuttle home.”
“Say please.”
“Fuck you. Proof of life or this conversation ends.”
He made a tsking sound. “You were so polite when we first met.”
“You mean when I politely stunned you unconscious? Yeah, good times. One more chance or I’m gone. Proof of life.”
“If you insist.”
Innocuous hold music flowed out of the speakers. Making a joke of it, Eve thought. Getting a good laugh out of inflicting the emotional pain.
A moment later, Melinda Jones’s face filled the screen. Glassy-eyed, Eve noted. Drugged. No sign of facial bruises.
“This is Melinda. It’s Melinda.” Out of the corner of her eye, Eve saw the female officer stop Bree from rushing forward. “He hasn’t hurt me. I don’t know where I am. She said, Sara—”
She broke off, cringing when the knife tipped to her throat.
“Uh-uh-uh! That’s enough.”
“I want to see all of her,” Eve demanded. “I came here within the time frame. I want to make sure you kept your end.”
“You have your proof of life, and she has all her digits. Block video.” The screen went blank.
“What do you want, McQueen?”
“Your blood on my hands and a pretty little girl in my bed.”
“Got a second choice?”
“Oh no, I’m sticking with the first. That’s what I’ll have when we’re done. Meanwhile, I’ll have the pleasure of watching you try to find me and, once again, save the girl. You won’t, but I’ll find you, then you’ll end where you started.”
He gave a long, happy sigh. “It’s almost religious, isn’t it?”
“We’ve got Stibble and Lovett,” Eve told him.
“Keep them. I’m done with them. Until later.”
“Location?” Eve called out when the transmission ended.
“Nothing.” One of the men at a nearby desk shook his head in disgust. “He bounced the signal all over hell and back. Wherever it originated, our guys said it’s jammed and layered in. We can’t even verify he’s in Dallas.”
“He’s here.” She rose, turned her attention to Bree. “Melinda’s alive. He hasn’t hurt her. If he had he wouldn’t have her tranq’d. He’d want her to feel it.”
She saw the FBI come in. “If I can have ten minutes with the feds, Lieutenant Ricchio, I’ll be ready to brief your men.”
“Take my office.”
7
She updated the agents, and after a mild tussle won the argument.
