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“You got it.”
As the team moved in and out of the room, working on helping in ways they could, Sharlee continued her relentless pursuit of Finley and Storm’s location. She’d been working for several hard hours now, hacking her way through layers of security and firewalls to access the built-in GPS tracker embedded in Storm’s shoes and Finley’s cell program. But something wasn’t right - the signal seemed to be jammed,flickering in and out as if someone or something was interfering with it.
She would hack through the mire and try to get a location and then the signal would ping like molecules in an erupting volcano. She couldn’t keep her signal docked long enough to read the location. Someone was personally monitoring her efforts. Fucker. She was the best, or close enough to count.
Kaden was working on another work around when Sharlee leaned forward. “Okay, you motherfucker. You want to play hardball? I love hard ball. Time to go dirty, Kaden. Time to go for a deep dive. Hold my feet.”
Chase watched Levi as he dosed off, blessedly free of pain and giving his brain a much-needed rest. He watched his teammate agonize over the computer, saw Storm’s mom, Jac’s wife and more than that, he saw the Vapor emerge to take on the battle. She pointed something out to Kaden and he began to type rapidly on his keyboard.
“Come on, come on...”
Sharlee muttered under her breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she willed herself to stay calm. Levi knew her mind must be racing with horrifying possibilities, each more terrible than the last. She couldn’t let her fear consume her; she had to focus, for Storm’s sake and for Finley’s. He was never prouder to know Charlotte Reynaud than right at that moment. She was a master in her world. Sheer genius.
“Charlotte,” Jac said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I know you can do this, but I think you need a break, baby.”
She looked up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I won’t let them down, Jac. I promise, but you can’t stop me right now. I’m close... I think I have uncovered the sequence. His strategy.”
“Okay, sweetheart. I know you won’t let anyone down because you couldn’t if you tried, baby. Not if you tried,” heassured her, his voice thick with emotion. He squeezed her shoulder gently and kissed her lips before leaving the room to join the search effort.
He and Garrett followed Cash and the Colonel outside. Garrett wanted to speak to the guards about the helicopter on its way in and Jac needed to be occupied. Levi decided the Colonel good people. He, Jac and Garrett were a tough act to follow. Their combined experience would help in more ways than one and Levi was grateful for so many good operatives.
Soon Cash was back in the room and pacing. Then sitting in the chair next to Levi. Then pacing again. He was beginning to worry about Cash who wouldn’t settle enough to catch his breath.
“Cash, I can hear you thinking. I’m as scared as you but if you don’t calm your mind, you’re going to lose your shit at the wrong time and then you will be like me, incapacitated,” said his friend who spoke with eyes closed.
Cash laughed roughly. “That’s the pot calling the kettle. But you’re right. I’m trying not to get inside my head, but this waiting is fucking killing me.”
They could hear Sharlee muttered. Her expression was full of renewed determination. Sharlee murmured out loud as she dove back into her work, navigating the labyrinth of code and encryption that stood between her and the information she so desperately sought. As the clock ticked away, her fingers flew faster and faster across the keyboard, her mind racing to keep up with the demands of her task. It was incredible to watch.
Periodically, Kaden would lean over and say something low to her and she would nod and go back to the board. Levi closed his eyes again and Cash sat with Monroe and Callie, watching the remaining women talk quietly among themselves as they reviewed the last traffic cam recordings.
“Gotcha! You hairy asshole. The turtle always wins the race.” Sharlee finally exclaimed, triumph flashing across her face as she locked onto the elusive signal. The relief that washed over her was short-lived, however, replaced by a renewed sense of urgency. They were running out of time, and every second counted.
“Locked and loaded,” said Kaden as he threw up his hands and rolled his chair away from the keyboard in victory.
“Jac!” Sharlee called out, her voice cracking with tension. “I found them! I’ve got a location!”
Chapter 8
Finley felt herself slowly coming awake. Oh, her hangover was something fierce. What was she doing last night? With whom? As she rubbed her head the memories began to flood in. Storm! Running. Trying to get to the fence and through the gate. It wouldn’t accept her pin number. Panic. Watching Levi crumble. She squeezed her arms but Storm was no longer in them. Storm! Where was he? Moving cautiously was not an option.
Finley frantically looked for the toddler while trying not to vomit from the pounding head and vertigo. Her vision fell on his sweet face, lying next to her, sleeping. Too late, she realized that she should have been more cautious in her physical movements to better assess the threat. This whole day had gone to hell, so why should the direction change now?
It needed to change because she had to get this sweet boy to safety. The events of the day came crashing into her mind, filling her with new dread and that forced her brain to think clearer. Her training kicked in. Ascertain the situation, eliminate the threat, secure the package, execute the exfil. Careful not to wake Storm, Finley searched and found no one in the back section of the cargo van except for a woman who huddled in the back corner, watching her intently.
The scent of fear was strong, an essence Finley thought was hyped imagination for fiction and media splash, but after being deployed, she knew it wasn’t. She had smelled fear strongly in the Middle East, and she could smell it here. The vehicle musthave been a delivery van because the back was separate from the front and it had no seats where she, Storm, and the other woman were. An advantage. The van was still moving, taking them further from home and safety. A disadvantage, but workable.
After laying there for a few more minutes to verify it was just the three of them, Finley gingerly sat up, thankful that Storm was a hard sleeper. “Where are we?” she asked the other woman, her voice coming out a mere dry croak.
“Not sure where we were or where we are.” The woman spoke in an unnaturally quiet tone, so Finley took her cue and did the same.
“Were you abducted, too?”
The woman hesitated before answering. “Once upon a time I might have gotten angry about that assumption, but now,” she shrugged. “I’d say I’m ready to leave, and that isn’t being allowed, so maybe?”
The woman certainly gave the right impression of being afraid and hyperaware. “Okay. I need to get out of here and contact my friends. The baby needs his family. I’m Finley, by the way.”
“I know. I overheard them say you were a nanny to the little one over there. And his name is Storm Reynaud.”
