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“Talk to her!” she heard him command someone roughly.
“Colleen?”
It was her sister’s terrified voice that came to her then.
“Megan, stay calm,” she said softly.
“Don’t come. He has a gun. He’s claiming the stupid man got the wrong girl. He wants to kill you. He’ll just kill us both—”
She broke off with a little scream and Colleen winced, knowing Megan’s captor had struck her hard and sent her flying.
What stupid guy? Who—
She realized she knew the voice on the phone.
Carver. It was Jim Carver.
But Carver was being held...
She heard his laughter next.
“Ah, you know who this is! But you hadn’t heard yet? I escaped during the transfer! It wound up being delayed and the stupid cops in charge were anxious to get home, and they can be so damned careless. My buddy Dean is adept with his hands—fashioned a pick out of a spoon, can you believe that? You know, when people work together, they can do incredible things. There were four of us in on it, and we were brilliant I must say! Marty did some of the best spastic choking I’ve ever seen. The guard went to help him, and well... I’m damned good with a knockout punch. Got his gun, freed the others... Oh, we didn’t even kill the driver. Just tied them up good, away from all radios, took their phones...they didn’t miss us forever! Of course, bulletins are going out now, but anyway... Do you want your sister to live?”
“Don’t give in to him!” she heard Megan cry.
“Do you want your sister to live?” he repeated angrily.
“What do you want?”
“If you’re alone, come. I do have a gun, and this time—though we all know how I relish using and ‘embracing’ my lovelies—I’ll shoot her straight between the eyes.” He half covered the phone to yell at someone else in the room.
Not Megan this time.
Of course, there was someone else. Carver wouldn’t have had time to take Megan if he’d just escaped custody. He had an accomplice.
He thought he’d muffled the call, but he didn’t realize Colleen could more than hear.
“For now, leave her the hell alone! You took the wrong one! Why the hell do you think it was so easy? Leave her alone. She’s how we get the right one!”
He unmuffled the phone and said, “I really hope you’re alone. I’ll give you directions. Don’t be followed—I’ll know. Don’t call your buddies. I’ll know. And I’ll shoot the dog on sight after I shoot Megan. Got it? I mean, sure, you can call down the entire Bureau and every cop on the Eastern Seaboard. But do so, and your sister dies, got it?”
“What do you want?” Colleen demanded icily. “And how do I know you will let Megan go, that you won’t just kill us both?”
“You don’t. But if you don’t come, I guarantee she’ll die. And if I know you, you’ll figure out a way to make me free her before you hand yourself over.”
“Just what the hell is it you want?”
He started to laugh. “You haven’t figured that out? Oh, come on. There’s just one thing I really want.”
“What?” Colleen shouted.
“You,” he said softly, very softly. “I just want you.”
