"Search the area," I order, my voice coming out rougher than I intended."Check surveillance cameras, talk to anyone who was working inside.I want to know who took her and where they went."
Ghost is already on his phone, coordinating with our police contacts.Rogue's pulling up the traffic camera feeds on his laptop.Savage and Sniper are questioning the pharmacy staff.
But I already know what they're going to find.
Nothing.
Morrison's too smart to leave obvious trails.Too connected to leave witnesses.He planned this perfectly, waited until I was distracted, and took the woman I love.
"Hades."Ghost's voice cuts through the rage."We'll find her."
"When?In an hour?Two?How long before Morrison decides Evangeline's not useful anymore and puts a bullet in her head?"
"He won't.She's leverage.He needs her alive to control you."
The logic is sound, but it does nothing to quiet the panic clawing at my chest.Evangeline is out there, terrified, probably hurt, definitely blaming herself for leaving the safety of the clubhouse.
And I let it happen.
I should have kept her in the secure wing.I should have posted guards outside the door, should have made sure they had everything they needed without leaving.Should have fucking paid attention instead of getting lost in planning Morrison's death while he was planning her abduction.
"This is on me," I say, the words tasting like ash.
"This is on Morrison," Tempest corrects."He's been three steps ahead this whole time, using the intelligence Ivy gave him years ago.You couldn't have known."
"I should have known.I should have anticipated he'd go after her."
"Brother," Ghost's hand lands on my shoulder, firm and grounding, "beating yourself up doesn't help her.Focus.We need to figure out where he took her and how to get her back."
He's right.Self-recrimination is a luxury I can't afford right now.
"Start with the Shadow Hawks," I say, forcing my mind to work through the panic."Morrison's been reaching out to them, trying to broker deals.Maybe he's using one of their safe houses."
"We took out their club months ago," Rogue says, not looking up from his laptop."Cleared out most of their known locations."
"Most, not all.Where would they hide if they were regrouping?"
"Somewhere off the grid.Rural, defensible, with multiple escape routes."
Rogue pulls up a map, marking locations we know about and crossing off the ones we've already cleared.What's left is a handful of properties in the surrounding counties, any one of which could be housing Morrison and his captive.
"That's still too many locations to search," Savage points out."We spread our forces that thin, we leave ourselves vulnerable if this is a trap."
"It is a trap," I say flatly."Morrison knows I'll come after her.He's counting on it."
"Then we don't give him what he wants.We coordinate with law enforcement and have them handle the rescue?—"
"Morrison has people in law enforcement.The second we make official moves, he'll know about it."
The catch-twenty-two settles over the group like a weight.We can't use official channels because Morrison's compromised them, but we can't move on our own without potentially walking into an ambush.
"There's another option," Tempest says quietly.
"What?"
"We make him come to us."
I stare at him, waiting for the rest.
