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The storm had definitely turned into a blizzard, and Logan was having trouble keeping the SUV on the road. The real problem was the blowing snow that made it hard to see. He kept his speed down and prayed all the drivers in front of him were using their lights. When he did come up on a vehicle’s taillights, he slowed down to keep from hitting it.
“This is taking too long,” Monty said.
“We can only do what we can do,” Logan said. His phone buzzed, and he picked it up. He’d had no choice but to use his own phone now. He had to stay in contact with the local police in Woodbridge as well as HRT.
It was a text from Chief Barfield. He and his men were ready to check out the first building. HRT had reminded him to make sure they were quiet so they wouldn’t alert the UNSUB of their presence. If Bayne knew the police were closing in, he might immediately kill Alex and Kaely. Logan texted back, asking Barfield to let him know what they found.
“Anything?” Bethany asked from the back.
“They’re at the first building,” Logan said. “Getting ready to check it now.”
“What if the police find them?” Monty asked. “Wouldn’t it be better to let them enter and try to secure Alex and Kaely? By the time HRT gets there...”
“HRT will make that decision,” Noah said, irritation in his tone. “They know what they’re doing.”
“If Bayne follows his previous MO,” Logan said, “he’s going to do something dramatic. Something memorable. That takes time, and that works in our favor.”
“How much longer?” Monty asked.
“Eight miles.”
Everyone was silent as they waited to hear from the Prince William police. Logan prayed they’d follow HRT’s instructions to the letter. That none of the officers would decide they knew more than trained hostage-rescue agents and blow the operation.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm himself. He was letting his personal feelings interfere with his training. It had to stop. He looked in his rearview mirror and saw the tension in Noah’s face. They both had to see Alex and Kaely as kidnap victims who needed to be rescued, not women they loved.
Logan was startled as he realized he’d just admitted to himself that he loved Alex Donovan. He’d certainly had feelings for her, but love? He felt anger rise in him. Had he put his team in danger because of his feelings for a woman who didn’t return them? Who might never return them? Should they have stayed at the academy and allowed HRT and the police to do their jobs?
He glanced in the mirror again. If he hadn’t jumped into the SUV and headed toward Alex in the middle of a snowstorm, Noah would have. And he couldn’t have allowed Noah to go alone. Did love mean you completely lost your mind? That you’d shove your professionalism aside and put other people in danger? He shook the thoughts from his mind. He had to concentrate on the road ahead. He needed to keep everyone in this vehicle safe since it was his fault they were out here. Besides their physical safety, had he also put their careers on the line? What would the FBI think about his decision?
He couldn’t turn back now. He prayed they’d find Alex and Kaely alive—and that his decision to take his team out in a blizzard would be seen as heroic, not completely irresponsible.
Bayne put the noose over Alex’s head and tightened it. She felt sick to her stomach as his sour breath seeped into her pores.
“We’ll beat you,” she said quietly. “By the end of the day, you’ll either be in custody or dead. If you survive this day and end up in prison, you’ll only be there a short while. You remember that Virginia has the death penalty, right? Either way, you’re going to be dead soon.”
Bayne shrugged. “You can tell yourself anything you want, but the truth is I’ll soon be living in Switzerland. Gloria will join me there as soon as she gets the insurance money. Who can blame a widow for taking a little trip? No one will be looking for us, because you’re the only people who know who I am.”
Alex wanted to tell him he was wrong. That by now, law enforcement knew exactly who he was and was probably tracking the location of Alex’s phone. But that could anger him and cause him to kill them right away. For now, she needed him to think he was going to get away with his plan. She was so thankful she’d hidden her phone in her boot, ringer off. She knew someone had been trying to reach her because the phone had silently vibrated against her skin many times.
There were two places to hide something you didn’t want found. A place where someone might not look—your shoes and your hair. But her hair was down, so that hadn’t been an option. Although the small phone was uncomfortable, it was doing the job.
Bayne walked over and slipped the other noose over Kaely’s head. “The famous Kaely Quinn. You’ve been a target more than once, haven’t you? It took me to bring you down. I hope you realize this proves I’m the greatest profiler who ever lived.”
Kaely grunted when he tightened the rope. He stood back and surveyed his work. “Perfect.” He reached behind him and pulled out a gun. “Now I’m going to help you stand up on your chair.” He peered at Kaely. “If you try anything, I’ll shoot your friend. She’s already experiencing quite a bit of pain. A bullet in her leg won’t help her. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, I understand.”
Alex exchanged a look with Kaely. Their only hope rested on a guy who served breakfast food in the food court. What had she done?
