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Jane’s chest constricted. “You think Pete called the police?”
He took a hard right. “Possibly, but he’s not my first choice. I think whoever’s after Pete figured either he––or you––would show up to claim Kellen at some point. They waited until I was inside and called the police. Remote cameras, probably. That’s how I’d do it.”
In the rearview mirror, Jane caught the faint glow of red and blue lights reflecting off a white house at the far end of the street. She shuddered, staring out at the palm trees whizzing past, clinging to one desperate hope—that somehow, amidst all this darkness, they would find Kellen unharmed.
“How did they know?” she whispered. “How did they know we were coming for Kellen today?”
Bridger slowed the car to a reasonable speed and blended into the thick traffic on the boulevard. His jaw tightened, eyes fixed on the road ahead. “Because they knew we would. Eventually. They probably tried to contact Pete. When he didn’t respond, they knew we’d gotten to him. It’s how I would have played things.”
“You think it’s the agents?”
He made a helpless sound. “Unless it was Pete, but that doesn’t make sense. If you get arrested, he has to know the money he hid under your name would be found, and confiscated. No, it wasn’t Pete.”
Jane’s stomach twisted. The FBI had access to all kinds of data. Were they watching her every move, listening to her every call? She thought of little Kellen, caught up in this deadly game. Her throat constricted.
Bridger merged onto the closest freeway, but exited quickly, zigzagging through surface streets. The neighborhood grew shabbier, bars and bail bonds offices appearing on corners. He pulled into the parking lot of a rundown motel and cut the engine.
“We need to go dark until the team can extract us. Wait here. I’m getting us a room.”
Jane watched him stride to the office, broad shoulders dotted with raindrops. Terror stole her breath, freezing her brain. All she could do now was pray.
24
Bridger paced the stained carpet,counting his steps to the peeling wallpaper and back again. Ten there, ten back. The threadbare drapes blocked out the weak, post-rain sun, leaving the motel room dim. He glanced at his watch. 1400 hours. Where was the call from the team?
He scrubbed a hand through his hair, frustration boiling in his gut. Jane perched on the edge of the lumpy mattress, hands clasped, gaze distant. He wanted to offer comfort, but what good were empty words now?
This waiting was killing him. He needed action, movement, purpose. Not this stale limbo.
He was contemplating a hot shower when his phone buzzed, lighting up the bedside table.
He grabbed it. “Talk to me.”
“It’s bad, boss.” Tai laid it out. “Whoever set you up wired that house six ways to Sunday. They’ve got clear footage of you inside and Jane heading for the door. My guess is they’ll report Kellen abducted.”
Adrenaline and fear sluiced through Bridger’s veins. Sweat popped out on his forehead. Talk about irony.
“The local cops’ll be hunting you.” Tai continued.
“Already are.” Bridger forced himself not to snap the phone in half. “What’s our play?”
“Disappear. Now.”
Mason stuck his head in front of the camera. “New safehouse. Sending coordinates to your phone. Provisioned and ready to go.”
Despite the stress, Bridger spared a silent prayer for his team. “Appreciate it.”
“It’s about two hours north by air,” Mason added. “I’ll send the exact coordinates to your phone. The place is tucked away in the mountains, real secluded. Last ten miles are pretty rough though, strictly four-wheel drive, but don’t worry. The cabin’s been completely renovated. That last place was one of my newer acquisitions.”
In the background, Bridger heard Kate snicker. “Let me guess, there’s also a helipad, home theater, and infinity pool?”
“Hey, I like my creature comforts,” Mason shot back, a grin tugging at his mouth. “Can’t properly relax when you’re on the run if you don’t have a sauna and wet bar. That last cabin was a work in progress. With all this construction going on, I haven’t had a chance to bring it up to speed.”
“We’ll let that slide. This time,” Tai teased.
The familiar back-and-forth between his teammates eased some of the tension that had been coiled in Bridger’s gut. As long as they could still joke around, things couldn’t be completely hopeless.
Jane stirred next to him. She’d been quiet since they got the call, staring blankly at the stained carpet. He knew that look. She was retreating into herself, overwhelmed by everything happening. He had to pull her out of it.
