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“What do you mean they’ve been taken?” Ryan tensed, every muscle locked in shock.
Sam relayed the eyewitness statement of what happened.
Ryan sat and leaned forward, putting his head in his hands. How the fuck had this happened right under their noses?
“Did the witness get a make and model? Plates?” Mackie asked, breaking the silence.
“Yes, both vans were found a half mile from the scene, burned out, plates removed. No bodies inside. Forensics are on it. We’re scanning camera footage in the area now, see if we can pick up the secondary vehicle.”
“And we’re convinced this is Saleem?”
“Eyewitness supplied a sketch of one of the drivers. FBI showed the picture to the roommate, and he recognized him from the mosque, said he and Rashid were close. This has to be Saleem.”
“Why take them, he could have just killed them?” Tyler asked.
“He wants Dex to suffer. The threats, his dad, now Kelly.” Ryan raised his head. Americans killed his parents, sister. We took Kelly back from Lazir, and then we captured his brother. He’s got one big fucking axe to grind.”
“I have pulled everyone I can in on this. They’re digging into Saleem’s life right now. His financials, his business. We’re tracking every camera. Mira's collated a list of properties that he owns through the property management company. FBI and local PD are checking them out. We will find them. You guys need to be focused and ready.”
Ryan cursed and walked outside. Bracing himself against the hood of his Mustang, he tried to get his head straight. This was his brother and sister. His family. Hearing someone approach, he looked up to see Sam, just as a black Corvette and a blue F150 pickup screeched into the parking lot.
“Good. They're here,” Sam said as Liam, Dylan, Ethan and Lucas from Nyx walked towards them.
“Sam filled us in,” Liam said. “We’re here to help.”
Ryan nodded.
Sam said, “Boys, Raven’s inside. Give us a minute. Liam, stay.”
“So where are we at?” Liam asked.
“Dex can handle this, but with Kelly, he’ll be going out of his fucking mind. She’s not strong enough for this yet. It's too soon after her captivity. Fuck, Saleem could be hand delivering her back to Lazir.” Ryan pushed off his car, pacing in frustration.
Sam said, “You and I both know Dex will do whatever it takes to protect Kelly. He’ll work the problem, like he always does. It’s our job to work it from this end. We find them, and we go and do what we do best and get them out of there.”
Ryan stopped and turned, facing them. “Then let’s get working.”
Sam hesitated and Ryan saw the look that passed between him and Liam.
“No fucking way. Raven isn’t standing down on this. He’s our team leader.” Ryan shot a glance at Liam. “No offense, it's nothing personal.”
“None taken,” Liam assured him.
“Calm down, Ryan. Liam’s here and can help. Four extra bodies could be useful.”
“Ryan, whatever you need us to do, just say it,” Liam agreed.
“However...” Sam folded his arms across his chest. “If you lose your shit, or I think you’re not handling it. I will instruct Liam to take over and you will stand down. Understood?”
“Understood.”
“Then let’s go find this fucker.”
***
KELLY OPENED HER EYES slowly. Her head felt like she had been hit by a baseball bat. Looking up, she cried out. The sound of her cry muffled against the duct tape across her mouth. Dex was sitting opposite her. The right side of his face was bleeding from a cut above his eye. The skin was turning purple where he must have been hit more than once. She tried to speak, but it was no use, the duct tape was too tight.
Oh God, the truck, being hit, the vans. It was all coming back. Swallowing hard, she tried to fight down the bubbling wave of panic. Her hands were tied. She’d been captured. No! This wasn’t happening. Not again. Dex’s eyes were on her, deadly and calm. He was in op mode, ready to take on the world to get them out of here.
“Ahh, you’re awake, Lieutenant Kimber. So nice of you to join us.”
Kelly tore her eyes away from Dex and met the gaze of Amir Saleem, a smug smile on his face.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you. Imagine my surprise when I found out the woman in Commander Dawson’s life is none other than the woman that escaped my good friend Reyes Lazir.”
At the mention of his name, her stomach twisted. Focusing back on Dex, she tried to breathe, needing to calm the panic continuing to rise. His eyes held her gaze. As focused as he was, she saw the love there, felt the silent strength of it. She wasn’t alone. He was right there.
“Such a small world, isn’t it?” Saleem continued. “Your boyfriend and I were just getting acquainted.”
Even though it was pointless, Kelly struggled against the ropes binding her wrists. Dex shook his head ever so slightly, a warning for her to stop.
“I would stop moving if I were you. You have a little something under your chair attached to motion sensors. If you move too much the bomb will detonate and we wouldn’t want that happening too early.” Saleem smiled.
The pure malevolence in his tone sent terror through her veins. A bomb? She was sitting on a frigging bomb? Nausea rose in her throat. Flashbacks of her captivity came rushing back. The images were vivid, crowding her thoughts. The cattle prod, the beatings, the knives, the... She couldn’t do this. What if Lazir was on his way? What if Saleem planned to take her back to Daram?
“Now that you’re awake, the fun can really begin.” He reached down and pressed something on the front of her chair that she couldn’t see. When she glanced toward Dex, the look on his face told her it wasn’t good.
“Tick tock, tick tock. Commander Dawson. We have ninety minutes left together before she goes boom. But if you cooperate and I get what I want, maybe I’ll consider letting her go and just kill you.”
Tick tock, tick tock. Kelly swallowed, fighting against the sickness. This had been his plan all along.
***
FBI AND LOCAL PD HAD searched all the addresses under the property management company and found nothing. Patience was wearing thin, both teams becoming increasingly frustrated.
Ryan’s cell rang, unknown number. He answered it. Dex’s bloodied face came into view.
“Dex, where the fuck are you?” Ryan motioned to Mackie who brought the video up on-screen and began tracing the call.
“Baxter, I need you to listen as we don’t have much time. I’m here with Saleem and he wants a prisoner exchange. Khalini for Kelly.”
Ryan glanced at Sam with a frown. He’d called him Baxter, which he never did.
“That might take some time.” He played along.
“I know it has to go up the chain of command, but you only have seventy-seven minutes, so move fast.”
Mackie immediately set a timer.
“What happens after seventy-seven minutes?” The camera moved to show Kelly, blood trickling down her chin and neck, a bruise forming on her cheek. The camera moved lower showing the timer counting down and the bomb beneath it.
“How do I reach you?” Ryan kept his voice calm, masking his rage.
Saleem’s face came into view. “You don’t, Mr. Baxter. I will call you with details of where the exchange will take place in seventy-five minutes. If you don’t have my brother by then...well, I don’t need to explain. I might even let you watch the show.” The call disconnected.
“Did we get a trace?” Sam snapped.
“No. He used a scrambler,” Mackie replied.
Ryan looked at their boss. “Khalini?”
Sam shook his head. “I think we all know it’s not an option, plus it would take much longer than seventy-five minutes. Dawson knows that too. He’s bluffing and made that call to buy us some time, or take the heat off them for a bit. We all know the bastard has no plans to release either of them.”
“Seventy-five minutes to find them, take down Saleem, and diffuse a bomb. I know we’re good, but fuck!” Donnie said. The team were all anxious as hell.
All eyes turned to Mackie when he said, “There might be a way.”
“You got something?” Ryan asked.
“I couldn’t trace the call, but I was able to isolate the area. It’s here on the island.”
“OK, that’s great, but still too big an area to search.”
“I know, but that video call showed us inside where they’re being held. It’s a warehouse for sure. That narrows it. We need to cross-reference with all warehouses. So, everyone grab a computer and give me a hand.”
No one needed to be told twice.
***
“HEY SWEETHEART, HANG in there, OK? We’re getting out of here,” Dex whispered. The sight of her tied up, bleeding and afraid, killed him. “Stay strong for me.”
This situation must be triggering everything she’d already been through. Saleem had started on Kelly when Dex refused to call about the prisoner exchange. He quickly changed his mind. Yes, they were not meant to negotiate, and he knew there would be no exchange, but hopefully it would buy them some time for Onyx to find them. They had to find them.
Kelly nodded, blinking her eyes and fighting back tears. Saleem had left them after Dex made the call. He looked around at the empty warehouse. One side door, vehicle access, and some high windows. His hands were secured to the back of a wooden chair, and his ankles were tied together. Two guards stood inside the door, both with rifles. He had no idea if there were others. He’d been working the rope tying his hands since he’d come around from the drug. It was giving a little but not enough. The chair was old, one slam against the wall and it would probably break. If he could get free, he could take both guards, but how the fuck would he diffuse a bomb? What if Saleem had more men stationed outside? He needed his team more than ever.
The side door opened, and Saleem returned.
“One hour, commander. Are you ready to watch your woman die?” He faced Kelly. “Or maybe I should return you to Daram.”
“They’ll do the exchange.” Dex remained calm, telling Saleem what he wanted to hear. Anything to get his attention off Kelly.
“You seem confident about that.”
“Lieutenant Kimber’s life is more important to them than your brother. They have all the information they need from him by now.”
That earned him a punch to the face. “My brother would not give up anything. He would rather die.”
“He gave you up.”
Another punch, catching him on his already split eyebrow.
“Stop lying. We serve Allah and would never betray one another.”
“Serve Allah or Lazir?” Dex challenged. The longer he kept him talking, focused on him, he was leaving Kelly alone.
“We all serve Allah. Lazir brought us together, but we have the same purpose, to execute Allah’s will.”
“Lazir hides away while you and your brother obey his every command. Sounds like he has the better end of that deal.”
Saleem let out a nasty laugh. “You have no idea where Lazir is, do you? If only you knew.”
“Knew what. That he’s a weak man, afraid to come out and fight for the cause himself? My guess is he’s fled Daram.”
Saleem grinned, turning his attention to Kelly. “I am sure Lazir would be most happy for me to deliver you back to your cell. Let him finish what he started.”
The fear on Kelly’s face fueled a rage inside him. He was going to strangle this son of a bitch. Saleem’s phone rang, and he walked away to take the call. Deliver her back to the cell? Fuck, Lazir was somewhere on the compound. Had to be underground. Had they built living quarters accessed by tunnels? It was the only thing he could think of. Hiding in plain sight. Yeah, sometimes that was the safest way. When he got out of this, he was going back to Daram to hunt that fucker down, with or without Sam’s permission.