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TWENTY-FOUR
Decima
“That’s it?”I demanded as Julius’s last words rang in my ears. “What do they want? Did they even say for sure that he will be alive for twenty-four hours?”
Blaze got up from his chair. “No. They didn’t say anything else. But it’s obvious they want us to try to find him.”
“And if we don’t soon enough, they’ll definitely kill him,” Talon said flatly.
Nausea curdled in my stomach. “It’s a trap,” I said. “Obviously, right? They wouldn’t be sending us on a manhunt just for fun. They want to get us someplace vulnerable and take out the rest of us.”
Julius tipped his head in acknowledgment. “It looks that way. Whoever’s responsible, they must have realized we’re too strong all together for them to tackle us that way. So they’ve picked off one of us and are hoping it’ll set the rest of us off-balance.”
I rubbed my face, the images of what Garrison might be facing at the hands of his attackers rising up again. “We can’t just abandon him. We have to find a way around their stupid trap and get him back.”
“Of course,” Julius said, so firmly a tiny bit of my distress subsided. “We’re a family. We don’t leave each other behind, no matter the consequences. But we have to do this carefully, or we’re all dead meat. They’ve given us a timeline. We’ll figure out as much as we can so we can go into this trap prepared to destroy it.”
“The first part is who’s behind the operation in the first place,” Talon said, and paused.
My stomach sank. I already knew where that line of thinking was leading.
“The Maliks,” I said. “That’s where the evidence we found before pointed, even if it wasn’t much. And now this happens right after I broke into their secret room? Maybe it’s a coincidence, or maybe they realized someone had gotten in there, and they’re striking back.”
Blaze made a face. “Unfortunately, I have to agree. If I could just get this code worked out… I’ll see if I can track the van’s route too.” He gave a small growl under his breath and went back to his computer.
Julius folded his arms over his chest. “All right. Assuming Damien Malik is responsible, where can we think of that he might have taken Garrison to?”
“He could just keep him in the van,” Talon said.
“Possible, but risky. If they keep driving around, they’ll need gas soon, potentially exposing them to bystanders. And they must suspect Blaze will be able to search for matching vehicles. I think they’d want to stash him away somewhere more secure.” Julius glanced at me. “How about that secret room? That seems like a reasonable place to hide away someone you don’t want found.”
I thought back to the study-like space I’d crept into and balked at the suggestion. “It wasn’t like a dungeon. It was too cozy—like it’s used for family meetings and sitting around reading rather than their dirty business. I can’t imagine them bringing him there. Besides, it’d be awfully risky having him right there in the known family home. They’ve got to have other properties somewhere.”
Blaze shook his head without looking up from the computer. “I didn’t find anything under any of the Maliks’ names except the houses they’re currently living in. I guess they might have brought him to your grandparents’ house or one of the aunts and uncles’?”
I frowned. “That still has the problem of being too easily tied to the family—and I don’t know if the other houses have secret rooms too.” That seemed like a bit much, although I couldn’t dismiss the possibility entirely. But there was another option. “What about the house in the basement photograph? Have you run an image recognition search for it?”
Blaze sighed. “Yes, but nothing’s popped up based on that picture. It obviously isn’t in a high trafficked or photographed location. But that secluded location could be anywhere in the world for all we know right now.”
“Damn it,” Julius muttered, pacing the room in a rage that I’d never have thought I’d see from the controlled commander. Witnessing his unrestrained frustration made the situation feel more real. More terrifying.
Garrison was counting on us, but we had no solutions. No way to find him. No leads. I could tell from Blaze’s increasingly despondent expression that following the van wasn’t getting him very far either.
But I had to do something.
Just as I thought that, my phone vibrated in my pocket. The guys went still and silent as I pulled it out, other than the clacking of Blaze’s fingers on the keyboard. I studied the text message that had appeared on the screen, gritting my teeth as I processed it.
“It’s from the Hunter,” I said, glaring at the phone.
“What does he want?” Talon loomed next to me, and I knew that if he faced any opponent right now, he’d come out victorious. He’d kill anyone with his bare hands if it meant finding Garrison alive, and I couldn’t say I didn’t share the sentiment.
“He wants to meet,” I said. “He’s mentioned a place nearby that he wants me to go to.”
“Give me the spot, and I’ll give him a piece of my mind about how he’s put you through the wringer,” Julius grumbled, striding toward the door. I leapt forward and caught his arm, holding him back.
“He said he only wants to speak to me. That he’ll leave if anyone’s with me.” My chest constricted.
“Like hell,” Blaze said. “We can’t send you out there aloneto meet a guy who’s essentially a stranger, especially not this Hunter who has been leading you in circles for weeks. We lost Garrison today, and we’re not losing you, too.”
