Fourteen minutes later, he pulled into his gravel driveway.The house looked quiet and serene.But when he pushed the front door open, his stomach lurched.Summer’s bicycle rested on its stand in the middle of the room, but there was no sign of her.Only his head moved as he took in the rest of the space.A mug was smashed on the kitchen floor.Signs of a struggle?Everything else seemed normal, nothing else broken or out of place, but Mårten’s guts were churning with alarm.Summer wasn’t the type of person to leave broken crockery lying on the floor.
“Summer,” he called out, but he was already striding toward her bedroom.Without knocking, he pushed open the door.It was empty.Then he went to the bathroom.The door was ajar, and he already knew what he’d find before he got there.More silence.Then he saw Summer’s phone on the kitchen table.She wouldn’t go anywhere without her phone.And now he had no way of tracking her.
“Shit, shit, shit.”He had his cell out of his pocket even as he darted up the stairs to his bedroom, although he knew she wouldn’t be there.
“She’s gone.She’s fucking gone,” he shouted into the phone.Part of him wanted to punch the wall, wanted to scream at Jacob.If the FBI had done its job, this would never have happened.He wouldn’t have left her alone if he’d known Tyrone was in the country.
“Shit.”Jacob didn’t ask what Mårten was talking about or even if he was certain.He knew there was only one person Mårten cared about this much to make him swear like that, and that his ex-partner would’ve already conducted a thorough search of the house.Mårten didn’t panic about nothing.“Have you called it in yet?”
“No.”Mårten’s breath was coming in short, sharp pants.He needed to regain control of his emotions.He was no good to her if he was a physical and emotional wreck.“Fuck, what if he’s killed her?”The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.Before he could govern the thought.A pain so sharp it was as if someone had sliced him with a knife shot through his chest.He couldn’t think anymore.If Summer was dead…
“Mårten.”Jacob’s voice was just as sharp as the imaginary knife stabbing straight through Mårten’s heart.“Get on the phone and call in backup.Now!”There was an edge to Jacob’s tone Mårten had never heard before.“Then call me back.”
The urgency in Jacob’s voice cut through the stupor clouding Mårten’s brain.“Yep.Yep.Will do,” he replied.He was standing on his front porch with no idea how he had got there.Staring out into the surrounding forest, still hoping to see her miraculously walk out of the trees in one piece.She could be anywhere by now.It was his fault she was missing.He hadn’t done enough to protect her.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
BY SUMMER’S CALCULATION, it was over two hours before Paige returned, because even though food was the last thing on her mind, her stomach was rumbling loudly.Summer had spent the time sitting on the ground, massaging her temples to try and rid herself of this terrible headache so that she could think clearly.And now she was feeling much better.Feeling like she could even take on Paige.Tackle her to the ground and make a run for it.If that were an option.
When Summer heard footsteps on the gravel, she got onto her hands and knees, ready to pounce, to tackle, to run, to hide.It was only then she felt the pain in her palm and realized she’d been obsessively rubbing at her hand again.She just hoped it wasn’t bleeding, but didn’t have time to stop and look.
But the idea of escaping was put to rest when Paige slid the door aside and a male figure loomed close behind her.It seemed Paige had brought backup this time, and Summer unclenched her hands.She needed to reassess the situation.The man was wearing khaki cargo pants and a loose black T-shirt with a Greenpeace logo on the front.He wasn’t much taller than the ranger; he could almost be called weedy.But Summer didn’t underestimate his strength; she already knew firsthand how he’d been able to hold her down so easily when they’d taken her hostage back at the house.There must be a lot of wiry muscle beneath all that clothing hanging off his skinny frame.He reminded her of many of the male triathletes she competed with, who were often almost gaunt looking, but underneath resided a strength and stamina that had to be seen to be believed.
The one difference between this man and the triathletes she was used to, however, was the large knife sheathed at his waist.It gave him a subtle air of menace.And it gave Summer more than a second’s pause.
“I brought you some food,” Paige said, moving forward so she could place a tray on the ground in front of Summer and blocking her view of the man.Glancing down, Summer made out a plate full of bread and cheese and cold cuts.And thank the Lord, two more bottles of water.Quickly assessing her options, Summer decided to play the subdued captive for now, with a large side helping of grateful.It seemed her best option with two of them standing in the doorway.Let them think she was defeated and slightly indebted to them; they might drop their guard that way.
“Thank you,” she replied meekly.“I am very thirsty, just like you said I would be.”She smiled up at the Paige, completely ignoring the man behind her, as if he didn’t matter.As if his knife didn’t scare her.Taking up one bottle, she didn’t have to pretend to gulp at the cool water.“Oh, thank you,” she said as she finished it.
“This is Nathan,” Paige said by way of introduction, watching as Summer picked up a piece of bread and cheese; she may as well keep up her strength, who knew when she might get an opportunity to escape.
“She doesn’t need to know my name,” Nathan snarled, glaring at Paige’s back.“Just give her the food and let’s get out of here.”His words gave Summer her first insight into the personality of the man and the dynamics between them.
This guy was a completely different kettle of fish.While Paige had been solicitous and almost friendly, he was menacing and cold.And clearly the alpha male of the group.Was this part of some pre-ordained game?Were they playing good cop, bad cop?Or was Paige really that gullible?If this guy was involved with the EIC group, as Summer suspected, then he might also be the other man Summer had photographed at the mine site.It was highly probable.The last thing she wanted was to be caught studying Nathan, to alert him to the fact that she knew who he was.
So, completely ignoring him, Summer again addressed Paige.“This is delicious.Thank you.”
“No problem,” Paige replied brightly.“Like I said, we’re not animals.”She rolled her eyes in Nathan’s direction to show that at leastshewasn’t an animal, but kept talking.“You don’t need to be afraid of us, we’re not going to hurt you.”
Nathan made a noise of contempt but continued to stand behind Paige, a silhouette in the doorway, legs akimbo and arms crossed, making no effort to hide the fact he was guarding the door.
Summer made a show of taking a bite, chewing and then swallowing, before asking her next question.“That’s good to hear.It makes me feel a little less…worried.”Using the wordworriedwas a conscious act.It made it sound like Summer wasn’t terrified out of her wits, so terrified it was all she could do to force the food down her dry throat.She was downplaying her emotions on purpose, to put them at ease.She tried to phrase her next question casually, with a hint of pleading, as if appealing to Paige’s compassionate nature.“Would it be possible to use a bathroom?”She looked around the tiny shed, eyes wide with concern.“Because I really need to go, and…well…,” she gestured with her hand at the solid dirt floor.
“Oh.”Paige looked uncomfortable and half turned to stare at Nathan.“Maybe we could—”
“No,” Nathan interrupted.“You can even go in the corner over there, or you can hold it.But you ain’t getting out of here.Got it?”he said, a knowing sneer on his face.“Hurry up and finish,” he growled.“Or I’ll just tip your food onto the ground.”
“Oh.”Summer quailed away from him, the fear on her face, only half pretense.“Okay.”She rallied a little and managed to lift her chin.“So how long do you expect me to go in the corner?I mean, will it be days?Weeks?Because that’s pretty disgusting.”Summer screwed up her face, this time not having to fake her disgust.This shed would get warm in the middle of the day, and to be locked in the small space with her own excrement was not a pleasant thought.
“Oh no, it won’t be weeks,” Paige replied hurriedly.“We’re just keeping you here until—”
“Shut up.Shut the fuck up woman.”Nathan stepped in front of Paige with a feral snarl on his face.“Can you just keep your fucking mouth shut for once?I can’t fucking believe that Tyrone thought you’d be any good at this.You’re a fucking nightmare.”
Paige took a step away from her snarling colleague.“I’m sorry,” she stuttered as if only now realizing her mistake.“I wasn’t going to tell her.I wasn’t.”
“Well, it sounded like you were.”He took another step toward her, getting right up in her face.Summer’s gaze caught on the knife at his belt.He hadn’t drawn it yet, but if he did, Paige might be in a lot of trouble.And so might she.“You haven’t got a clue about any of this.You left her unbound and without a gag, for fuck’s sake.What if she’d escaped?Stop trying to be her friend.This is fucking serious, Paige.You could put this whole plan in jeopardy with your stupidity.We’re not here to play nice.We’re here to do a job.Remember?”
“Yes, I know,” she replied meekly.This wasn’t the Paige Summer remembered.Why was she deferring to this man?This Paige had lost her self-confidence, was no longer the bold, tough ranger Summer had met two months ago.She’d obviously joined the group because she believed in Tyrone’s righteous claims.But perhaps the reality of what she was doing had finally sunk in.And perhaps this Nathan wasn’t so much to her liking; his moral code seemed very different from hers.Summer wondered if Nathan had threatened her with violence.Or perhaps had even been physically violent with her.Nathan’s hand came to rest on the hilt of his knife, and Summer suddenly had her answer.This man was certainly capable of intimidation, and she had no doubt he could use that weapon if need be.
