“Right back at ya, buddy,” Jameson snarked. “Remind me again why you’re calling me.”
“All right, all right,” Julio said, swiping his hand through his hair.
“What does Rebecca say?” Jameson asked.
“I don’t know,” he said, sighing. “She’s not here.”
“I gotta go,” Jameson said, abruptly hanging up on him.
Julio entered the hallway and stopped short as a tall figure walked into the living room. Stepping close to the wall, he pulled out his gun and trained it on the man. “FBI, don’t move.”
The man raised his hands. “I’m searching for a friend of mine, Rebecca,” he said.
“Throw me your wallet, nice and easy,” Julio growled.
The stranger slowly pulled it from his jacket pocket and tossed it on the floor. “What happened?” he asked.
Opening the wallet, Julio glanced at the driver’s license and recognized the name. “You’re Rebecca’s partner?” he asked.
“Have you seen her?” He lowered his gun and flipped on the light. “No. When did you last see her?”
“When she reported to work. Director Jackson briefed us on a case, and she took off. We haven’t seen or heard from her since,” the agent informed him.
“Alert your bosses, now,” Julio said firmly. “We have to find her.”
His stomach rolled, and his heart jumped into his throat. Rebecca was in trouble. He felt it in his gut.
Pulling out his phone to dial Leo’s number. Two armed assailants burst into the apartment. Julio dived as bullets flew past him. He aimed his gun and fired as Rebecca’s partner fought one of the attackers. His phone rang from the floor as he struggled with the man. A gun fired as he tackled the man to the ground and hit him in the jaw. He turned to see Rebecca’s coworker pointing his gun toward him. He squeezed the trigger as Julio dropped to the floor. The man he tackled a minute earlier slid against the wall with a hole in his head.
“Shit,” Julio swore. The agent pulled the mask from one man and then ran across the room to the other.
“Do you recognize them?”
“Yeah, the agent replied. “They’re part of Rebecca’s team. Did she say where she stashed Avie?”
“No. It’s above my pay grade,” Julio said as he picked up his phone and stashed it in his pocket. “Call your brass. We have to find Rebecca.”
CHAPTER SIX
Alarge, rough-looking man shook Rebecca awake. “You’re supposed to tell me your name and what today’s date is,” he demanded.
“I’m Rebecca,” she said, sleepily. “It’s Christmas Day.”
“Go back to sleep,” he said as he turned away from her. She watched as he slumped back into the chair, and then she closed her eyes, pretending to fall asleep. Rebecca turned her body, grasping the phone in her hand. Sliding it under the pillow, she bided her time as she watched the man bob his head, eerily similar to the night before at the cabin.
Ten minutes later, he snored, assuring her he slept. Rebecca crept from the bed, gently pulling the belt from the rope. She swung it around his neck and pulled with all her might. The man’s eyes popped open and he struggled against the material. Rebecca braced herself, knowing if he got loose, she’d never escape.
When his body went limp, she grabbed the gun from his waist, tied him to the chair, and pulled on the robe. Rebecca removed his shoes and put them on, lamenting about the size. Something was better than nothing if she wanted to escape.Returning to the bed, she grabbed the phone and removed the pillowcase and tied it to his mouth. Her heart beat wildly as she ducked her head into the hall. Footsteps sounded from the floor below, letting her know they saw her on one of the cameras. Rebecca ducked into one of the rooms and locked it. Running to the patio doors, she jerked the handles to find them secured. Scanning the room, she saw a heavy statue on the bookshelf and ran toward it. Breaking the glass, she slipped onto the patio and peered below.
The grassy knoll didn’t seem too far from the ground. She hiked her leg over the railing and then the other. Taking a breath, she jumped and landed hard on the grass. Dogs barked as they picked up her scent. She rolled over with a groan and took off toward the trees, searching for a place to hide. She only needed enough time to alert Leo and Julio. Stumbling, she ran for the darkened area. Taking out the phone, she hit Julio’s number.
It rang until his voicemail picked up. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his voice. When it beeped, she slipped deeper into the shadows of the mansion.
“Julio, it’s me, Rebecca. I have no idea where I’m at. My last known location was Berlin, New Hampshire. The traffickers have me. If I don’t escape, I know you won’t stop searching for me. I love you, Julio. I won’t give up.”
Swiping away the tears, she dialed Leo’s number with shaking hands. The dogs grew closer, and she panicked.
“Rebecca, where are you?” Leo answered.
