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Flyingwith her brother and grandfather from an early age, Jane had always figured she was incredibly spoiled by their excellent technique. Until she met Bridger. His takeoffs and landings were whisper-smooth, no matter the equipment. Or the altitude.
After wheeling Mason’s Citabria to a halt as close to the hangar as he could get, he unclipped his seatbelt and slipped out into the frigid mountain air. Jane stared out the frosted window of the small plane, watching the last rays of sun slip behind the jagged, snow-capped peaks. Shivers racked her body despite the heavy coat Bridger had given her. Fear and cold.
Outside, Bridger’s boots crunched on the light crust of late spring snow as he surveyed the area and headed toward the hangar where Mason’s truck waited. His breath came in icy puffs.
Jane tapped her phone against her palm. How could everything change so fast? A few days ago, her biggest stress––aside from worry about Jason––was the shipment of Independence Day décor that was running late. Losing Kellen after the divorce still hurt, but the grief was fading from a sharp pain to a dull ache she could at least breathe through.
Now this. Hunted by rogue agents. Her priorities shifting in a heartbeat.
The phone vibrated in her hand. Unknown number.
“Jane Reilly?” The voice was flat, lifeless.
“Yes?”
“We have the boy.”
Jane’s heart dropped into her stomach. Her hands shook.Kellen.
“You have twenty-four hours to turn over Sanderson, and the ten million. If you want to see the boy again, meet us at the coordinates I’m sending.”
The line went dead.
Jane sat rigid, phone clutched in her white-knuckled grip. The monsters had her boy.
The plane door wrenched open. Bridger stared up at her, breath clouding in the chill air. His eyes narrowed, reading her face. “They have Kellen.”
She meant to respond, she really did, but all that came out of her throat was a pathetic squeak.
Anger flashed in his eyes. “Then it’s time we take the fight to them.”
He reached across and took the phone from Jane’s trembling hand. His jaw was set, eyes hard as he scanned the text message containing the coordinates.
“I’m going to call him back,” he said. “We need more information about where and when the meet is happening if we’re going to get the upper hand.”
Jane just nodded, unable to form words. Her heart was pounding so loud she could barely think.
Bridger tapped the number and put the call on speakerphone. It rang three times before clicking over to a generic voicemail greeting. No answer.
He ended the call and handed the phone back to Jane.
“Come on,” he said gently. “We need to keep moving.”
He stepped out of the plane and Jane followed on unsteady legs, her knees threatening to give out from under her. Bridger opened up the hangar and wheeled out a nondescript truck. It was fully stocked just as Mason had promised: jugs of water, MREs, blankets, and heavy winter gear stacked neatly in the covered bed.
Jane numbly pulled on another layer as Bridger transferred their minimal luggage from the plane to the truck and secured the hangar. Her mind was spinning, unable to fully comprehend the situation.
Bridger climbed into the driver’s seat. Jane got in next to him, clasping her hands tightly in her lap. He started the engine and it rumbled to life.
He kept the headlights off as they wound higher into the mountains, skirting along the edge of the small town. It was just past twilight, the last hints of light fading behind the jagged peaks. He was focused, hands gripping the wheel, eyes constantly moving as he scanned their surroundings.
“Once we get to the safehouse, I’ll contact the team,” he said, his voice low but steady. “We’ll pool our intel, get a lock on the meeting location and take things from there.”
He downshifted as the road inclined sharply. His knuckles whitened for a moment before he flexed his fingers, rolling the tension from his shoulders. “They made a mistake taking Kellen. They have no idea who they’re dealing with.”
Jane stared out into the darkness, picturing Kellen’s face. A swell of emotion threatened to overtake her but she pushed it down. She had to be strong.
