Years?
Are they going to keep you locked in a bedroom all that time?
The panic she’d just beaten back came shoving forward again.
There was nothing for her to do to keep it at bay. She had nothing, just this room with its pretty matching furniture. There was no computer, no phone, not even a book to read or a board game to play. She had no clothing other than her pajamas, she couldn’t even go and take a shower or a bath because she had nothing to wrap around her cast and nothing to wash herself with either.
She had nothing. The only thing in the world she owned was the clothes on her back.
For someone who had spent her entire life being busy, or withstanding a punishment she knew would come to an end within days at the most, the prospect of spending potentially years locked in this one room with nothing to occupy her mind was enough to almost drive her crazy.
But what choice did she have?
It was endure this like she’d endured every other torturous ordeal life had thrown at her or break, and no matter what, she wasn't going to shatter.
Not for her brother.
Not for Steel.
Not for anyone.
Chapter
Thirteen
December 29th
2:39 P.M.
There was no use putting it off any longer.
It had to be done, so Steel knew he may as well just do it.
Picking up his cell phone, he dialled Eagle’s number and then waited.
Less than two seconds later, his boss picked up. “Steel.”
Something in the way Eagle said his name had him on edge. Was it possible that his boss knew what they’d done?
No.
How could he?
They did have some cameras scattered throughout the property, but he was pretty sure that Prey didn’t have access to them. Then again, Prey was Prey, and the Oswald siblings were resourceful and determined. Oldest sister and second oldest sibling, Raven, was a computer genius who had learned from the best of the best, and Eagle’s wife, Olivia, was also an expert on computers.
Maybe itwaspossible that Eagle knew they had abducted Ridge Gardner’s sister.
“We need to talk,” Steel said. This wasn't going to be pleasant, and he was prepared to be told that they needed to pack up and leave the house immediately. Of course, he wouldn't have done this without talking to his team first, so they all knew he was calling their boss to confess and were prepared to accept any consequences Eagle decided on.
They’d made their choices, and whatever happened next was on them, not Eagle.
“I’d say we do,” Eagle agreed. Although there was a sharpness in Eagle’s voice, there was a relaxed quality, too, and while Steel was usually good at reading people he couldn’t get a read on his boss.
There was one thing he was pretty certain of, though.
“You know.” A statement, not a question, because it was the only reason he could think of that Eagle would sound the way he did. If he was wrong, he would have told his boss anyway. Keeping this from Eagle after everything the man had done for them had always felt wrong. He’d just shoved away the guilt because he’d been so focused on getting one step closer to revenge on Dr. Gardner.
“I do.”
