I looked down at the screen.
Unknown number.
Maybe Theo was calling me from his burner. I hit the green button without delay.
“Theo?”
“Hello, Maggie.”
The voice wasn’t Theo’s, but it was familiar. It wasn’t smooth like chocolate. More like oil.
“Fred.” My voice was barely more than a whisper.
Connor sat up straight, his eyes going wide. He reached for the remote, and muted the TV. Jaycee tried to protest but Connor put his finger in front of his lips. It was cute how she tried to copy him.
“Did you think you could keep him from me?” Fred’s voice was light and conversational. We could be discussing the weather or the pick up schedules. “Did you think Snow’s money and his fancy house and armored cars could stop a father from reclaiming his son?”
I stood up, legs shaking so bad I needed to hold on to the backs of one of the chairs. “Where are you? If you hurt him?—”
“I don’t want to hurt him, Maggie. He’s my boy, my own flesh and blood. I just want my family back.” He paused and I heard a muffled sound in the background. Then a sob. “Say hi to Mommy, Hayden.”
“Mom!” The terror in his little voice was unmistakable. He hiccuped, but I could tell he was trying to be brave. “Mom, the truck hit us. Zoe… Zoe tried to stop them but she’s not moving.”
The line muffled again, like maybe a hand clamped over the phone.
“He’s fine.” Fred’s voice hardened. “The girl, well she got in the way. She’s alive though. For now.”
My world tilted. Not that the man took Hayden, that was almost expected at this point. But he had the nerve to take Zoe, as well. She was a child who had chosen to step into the line of fire to protect my son. To protect her family.
Cold fury settled in me, and my words were hard and gritty. I stepped out of the media room, not wanting Jaycee to hear the conversation. “What do you want?”
“It's simple.” He kept that deceptive calm that was beginning to grate my nerves. “I want what’s mine. I want you. I’m at the old drive-in theatre off route nine. You know the one. Come alone. No cops and no Snow, I know what he is. If I see a Salinger Security truck, or a single cop car, I will finish what I started with the girl and I’ll take the boy where you will never find him.”
“Fred please—” I had no doubt he would make good on his threat.
“Twenty minutes, Maggie. Or the family reunion is cancelled.”
The line went dead and my mind started to race. I wasn’t stupid. I knew better than to go anywhere on my own. But Theo and the Salingers had that case they were working on. One they thought Fred was a part of. He needed to focus. My first call was to Tiffany.
She picked up on the first ring. “Hey, bitch.”
“He’s got Hayden and Zoe.” Those were the only things I knew to say.
“I’ll be there in five minutes.” The line went dead.
That was the beauty of our friendship. She didn’t need me to explain anything. Next, I called Ryder. He definitely would not approve of what I was about to do, but I need him to stay with Connor and Jaycee.
He took a little longer to pick up. “Maggie. Hi. What’s up?”
“Can you come over here, please. It’s kind of an emergency.” I didn’t want to give him too much detail over the phone.
“Sure.” His voice was hesitant, but he would come because I called.
In the few minutes it took the two of them to arrive I let security know they were coming before jogging back down to the media room.
The look on Connor’s face told me he knew something was wrong. “Don’t hide things from me.”
I dipped my eyes to my daughter who was still engrossed in her movie. As calmly as I could, I let Connor know what was happening. “Zoe and Hayden are with Fred. I am going to go pick them up.”
