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The tracking app needed only a second to locate Isidore. He was moving fast across the island. They had him in a car, which was better than someone immediately getting him in a boat or a plane, broadening the distance between them far too quickly for them to catch.
“K, what’s the plan?” Charlie demanded.
“Isidore is in a car moving north. Gabriel, West, and I are going after him. Justin, Ed, and Soren need to remain behind with Athena to protect her. After the house is cleared out, Charlie, Will, and Alexei will join us in retrieving Isidore. He’s…he’s not responding. I don’t know if he’s unable because of who he’s with or if he can’t because of an injury.”
“I’m grabbing my medical bag now, K,” Will said, sounding as if he were running. “I’ll be ready.”
Kairo closed his eyes for a second, so very relieved that Will Monroe was now a permanent part of their team. The man was a trained surgeon and had worked in some less-than-ideal conditions over the years. If Isidore was hurt, Will would know what to do to keep him alive.
With a plan in place, Kairo grabbed his laptop, while both West and Gabriel loaded up on weapons. Was it a coincidence that he’d grabbed two of the most lethal members of the team? Probably not. If this person had harmed one hair on Isidore’s head, he was going to start firing bullets and sort out the nonsense later. No one harmed his cinnamon roll. No one.
As they raced out of the house, they could hear Athena and Justin with their voices raised above the chatter of the guests, trying to get them moving to the door. There was talk of an after party and that Isidore wasn’t feeling well. The cameras were still rolling. If necessary, he’d review every bit of footage personally to make sure there weren’t signs of any accomplices hanging back. When this net finally closed, he was going to have the identity of everyone who wanted to hurt Isidore and Athena.
They jumped into one of Isidore’s SUVs and tore down the road with Gabriel behind the wheel while Kairo shouted out directions from his phone. The car was still moving north, but it seemed to have slowed considerably as if they were nearing a hiding place. Not what he was expecting. He’d thought they might head east toward the airport and possibly stuff Isidore on a private plane or even continue to Fira to a private boat that might be waiting. The kidnapper had already passed by the Port of Santorini, so there was no catching a late ferry or other boat from that route.
“They’re slowing! They’re slowing!” he suddenly shouted. “According to the map, this looks like it could be a private residence, but there aren’t a lot of other buildings around.”
“Likely thinking they can stash Isidore somewhere until the heat is off,” Gabriel murmured. “The island offers few places to hide and lots of exit points. Anyone looking for him will automatically assume he was taken to another island or even to the Continent rather than stay here.”
“Unless this was all spur of the moment and they don’t have a full, working plan yet,” West added.
“They’ve stopped. About a mile down this road, you’re going to make a right. The structure they’ve pulled into is about two miles from the turn. The map has no markings for other buildings close by,” Kairo instructed.
“When we get within a quarter mile of the spot, we’ll pull over and go in on foot,” Gabriel said.
Kairo grunted as he lifted his eyes from the phone tightly gripped in his hand. The area surrounding the road had become thick darkness pushed back only by their headlights. In the distance, he could make out thin lights from homes and the shadowy shapes of trees and rocks. Hills rose and fell around them as Gabriel sped across the island.
The earpiece had grown increasingly quiet. The team at the house had largely finished getting the house empty and secured. There had not been a peep out of Athena for several minutes, and he could imagine her waiting to hear some little proof that her brother was alive and well.
“Kairo, we’re getting in the car. Where are you?” Charlie came across the communication line.
“I’ll send you a snapshot of the map and text the coordinates. When you spot our vehicle, hang back,” he replied, already gathering the information and sending it off to the support team.
“We’ll wait for your call,” Charlie confirmed.
A low, pained groan stopped Kairo’s heart. It was Isidore. His throat instantly attempted to close up and he clenched his teeth to hold in the shouts of joy. Isidore was alive. His sweet cinnamon roll baby was still alive. Everyone in the car and on the comms went deathly silent as they listened to the faint scratch of fabric and a second groan.
“Where? Where am I? What’s going on?”
There was a bark of Greek and then a horrible retching noise that broke Kairo’s heart. Isidore had gotten sick. They’d given him a goddamn concussion and then jostled him about. It was no surprise he was sick. Kairo was going to kill someone. There was no question about it. He was going to shoot people in the head.
More Greek that he didn’t understand and voices he didn’t recognize. Just that they were a man and a woman.
“Oh God,” Athena gasped. “That’s Aunt Sophia and her son, Michalis. They’ve ordered Izzie out of the car and they’re making fun of him because he’s sick.”
“Isidore, baby. This is Kairo. We’re on our way. You just hang in there. We are coming for you,” Kairo said in a low, soothing voice.
There was a long pause on the line and just as he was about to give up hope that Isidore was going to respond, he heard a ragged, “K.” He didn’t know if he was acknowledging with an okay or if he was using the same nickname of K that the others used. It didn’t matter. It was enough to prove that he’d heard them. Isidore knew he wasn’t alone.
The car suddenly jerked off the road and pulled to a stop. Kairo’s head snapped up to see that they were seemingly in the middle of nowhere. He memorized the relative direction they needed to head and stuffed his phone into his pocket before jumping out of the car with West and Gabriel. Both of his companions already had their weapons drawn.
“We go in slow. We don’t know if she’s working alone or if she’s got help,” Gabriel ordered. It was a good thing he’d said the words, because Kairo had been ready to charge straight in. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that there might be other family members in on this or even more hired goons surrounding their hiding spot.
“Were you the one who hired Vanko to kidnap me and Athena? Or was the rest of the family in on this too?” Isidore’s cold, weary voice filled his ear and clenched his heart. He didn’t want Isidore to be alone at this moment, not when he had to face family who would do something like this to him.
“Did the hit to your head scramble your brains?” Sophia demanded. She muttered something under her breath that he didn’t catch, but he nearly rejoiced when she matched Isidore’s use of English when she continued speaking. “To hell with the rest of the family. They’re just as bad as you. They’ve done nothing to help me. I’ve got five useless kids to support and an even bigger waste-of-skin husband. All of them do nothing but spend money and drink and fuck. Waiting around for people to give them handouts.”
There was a loud noise and another groan from Isidore. It sounded as if he’d maybe been dropped to the ground while a door slammed shut in the background.
