“Maybe I misjudged your usefulness.” He scratched his chin, making himself a caricature of someone thinking. Al tapped his phone screen a few times then held it out so I could hear.
“Blaszek. Leave a message.” Nathan’s voicemail was short but not sweet.
“I never pegged you as a coward. Come get your woman before I start sending her back to you in pieces.” He hit the screen.
If I’d been standing, I would’ve fallen. Al’s mood grew darker with each delay keeping him from his revenge. It didn’t take a genius to see Al had expected this to be easy.
“Boss. Lookout 1 called. We’ve got company.”
Could it be them? But Al said Nathan’s phone was still at the office.
“He must’ve left his phone behind. Not so stupid after all.” He smiled. “Looks like it’s your lucky day.”
I didn’t feel lucky; I’d have to witness Nathan and my friends get killed.
“Cuff her and tie her to the chair. I’d tell you not to move, but I don’t trust you not to sacrifice yourself to save your lover.”
I gulped in air as panic set in.I’ll be sitting on a literal fucking bomb.
I definitely didn’t feel lucky as I stumbled on boneless legs to the chair.
“Sit.” He pushed me, forcing my knees to hit the edge of the wood, and I fell back.
He tied my ankles to the thick legs, ran a rope over my thighs and under the chair, then secured my arms at the wrists and elbows.
“Try to stand,” Al ordered.
What the fuck!“I’ll blow up if I do.”
“It’s not armed yet. Now stand.”
I tried, but the rope cut into my thighs and arms, holding me secure.
Satisfied I couldn’t move, Al said, “Arm it.”
Every prayer I’d ever said in my life paled in comparison to the non-stop string of pleas I sent to God asking him in incomplete and run-on sentences to help us.
Chapter 45
Nathan
Kroup drove the Bravo team, while John drove the Sierra team. We’d enter from the west; they’d enter from the east. Our plan was to park and hike in. We packed our night-vision goggles in case the sun set before we made it to the cabin.
“Bravo One to Sierra Two. You copy?”
“Sierra Two. Loud and clear,” Jamie answered.
“Keep your eyes open and be ready to go without warning.”
“Copy that.”
We split at a fork in the road three miles from the cabin. The rest of the drive would be on dirt roads.
“Thank God for bulletproof vehicles,” Jay said from the back seat. He scanned the trees on the left. Cate and I scanned to the right.
“Never thought we’d do this again,” Kroupa said, holding his fist up.
I bumped it. “Just keeping you in fighting shape, brother.”
