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Not helpful. Not helpful at all.
“Right now, we’re too vulnerable. Which isn’t good.” He could count on one hand—on one finger, actually—the number of times he’d acted alone. This time. He’d never worked a mission without his team. Never.
She cleared her throat and picked up her bag from where it had fallen to the ground. “I can check the locations of other safe houses in the area.”
“I’ve always got the condo, but the other guys are crashing there right now. Might be a bit crowded.” He should call Kyle, fill him in on what was happening. Let him know they were safe—and get some backup. No more of this acting on his own. Hell, his team was like the Musketeers—all for one and one for all. “I’ll contact my team leader.”
Hayley nodded and headed over to a bench to set up her laptop.
Scotty pulled out his cell and hit the speed dial for Kyle. So what if it was early? His teammates never had a problem interrupting his sleep when it suited their needs. Turnabout was fair play. The phone rang once. Twice.
A twig snapped nearby, and silence settled over the area.
Things were quiet. Too quiet.
Behind him, Hayley yelped, and Scotty swiveled, taking in the scene in flashes.
Three men. All armed. One with a semiautomatic and a laser guide pointed at Scotty’s chest. The second guarding the perimeter. The third with his arm around Hayley’s neck from behind, the barrel of his gun poised at her temple.
“Hello?” Kyle’s sleepy voice rang through the phone. “Jesus, Scotty. What time is it? I was up late last night.”
The guy with his laser hovering over Scotty’s heart raised his chin. “Phone on the ground!”
As if to emphasize the point, the dude holding Hayley cocked his gun and smiled. “Do it, or I blow her brains all over this place.”
Damn.
Scotty crouched slowly and placed his phone on the pavement near his feet, Kyle’s voice still echoing in the early morning stillness. “Scotty, dammit. If this is some kind of prank, I’m going to find you and kill you.”
No prank, sir. No joke.
“Kick it over here,” laser guy said.
He did as the assailant instructed, then straightened, hands raised, and glanced at Hayley. She looked terrified, but unharmed, for now. Judging by the way these guys were dressed in body armor with the latest assault weapons, they were private security. Government guns operating on public funding didn’t have that kind of bling. So it seemed his little hacker had drawn the attention of someone other than her FBI boss.
The asshole crushed Scotty’s phone under the heel of his boot, never once removing his gaze from Scotty. “Good. Now, we have a message for you.”
Of course they did. Scotty avoided rolling his eyes, barely. “What?”
“You want your girlfriend here to walk away from this? Give up your team. Fair trade.”
“I’m not his girlfriend.” Hayley bucked against the guy holding her and received a hard smack to the head with the butt of his gun. She went limp, and Scotty winced on her behalf. Blood oozed from the fresh cut on her temple, and white-hot anger surged through his veins. These guys would pay for that.
“Now, take a nap, soldier boy.”
Scotty snorted.Soldier boy? Really?Attacking him was one thing, but they didn’t have to insult him. As if he was some army grunt.
He relaxed his arms and lowered his hands and was just about to step forward and deal with these amateurs by opening a good old-fashioned can of SEAL-sized whoop-ass on them, when pain exploded in the back of his head. His knees buckled, and he crumpled to the cement, his vision tunneling and the side of his face flaring with pain as his cheekbone hit the ground.
A fourth pair of combat boots filled what was left of his vision, and a voice that sounded vaguely familiar echoed in his ears as the last threads of consciousness deserted him. “Your team for your girl. Your choice. You got forty-eight hours.”
11
“What the…” Hayley groaned and rolled onto her side. Squinting her eyes open, she gazed around the unfamiliar space. Nothing but bland beige walls and empty hardwood floors. The tang of fresh paint and newly installed drywall hung heavy in the dusty air.
She pushed herself up on one arm and kicked away the tarp tangled around her feet. The last thing she remembered was kissing Scotty, then someone grabbed her from behind. Then chaos. Wincing, Hayley lifted a hand to her sore temple and gently rubbed the small knot there. Whoever had taken her had whacked her good.
This place looked like some kind of construction site. A quick check of the rest of her person showed they hadn’t done more than dump her in here, thank God. No restraints around her wrists or ankles, no other…violations. She was still dressed, and apart from her head, nothing hurt.
