“We need a lead,” Terrel said, already moving toward his laptop. “Something to tell us where he took her.”
“Can you trace anything from their systems?” Reed asked. “Any communication, any movement?”
“I can try.” Terrel’s fingers flew across the keyboard. “If Webb’s people accessed our network to locate the safe house, they might have left a digital footprint.”
Reed paced the kitchen like a caged animal, his mind racing through scenarios. Webb had Elena. Webb, who had already tried to kill her once. Webb, who had sold her technology to enemies of the state. Webb, who had writtenleave this alone or all of you will dielike it was a casual suggestion rather than a death threat.
If he hurt her—if he so much astouchedher—Reed would tear him apart with his bare hands.
“Got something,” Terrel announced. “There’s a trace in our system—someone accessed our security feeds remotely about four hours ago. The connection originated from a server farm in Vancouver, but I can see where the data was routed after that.”
“Where?”
Terrel looked up, his expression grim. “Private airfield, forty miles north of here. Registered to a shell company that traces back to Webb’s network.”
“That’s where he took her,” Reed said. “That’s where we’re going.”
“Reed.” Walker’s hand landed on his shoulder, firm and grounding. “We need to do this smart. Webb will be expecting us. If we go in guns blazing?—”
“Then we go in smartandarmed.” Reed shrugged off his brother’s hand and headed for the room where they’d stored their gear. “I’m not leaving her with him a second longer than necessary.”
His brothers followed, and for the next ten minutes, the cabin was filled with the sounds of preparation—weapons being checked and loaded, tactical vests being strapped on, communications equipment being tested.
Reed moved on autopilot, his hands assembling his loadout while his mind stayed fixed on Elena. She’d been afraid of exactly this—of putting him and his brothers in danger, of being used as leverage against them. She’d tried to leave once before, convinced that disappearing was the only way to keep them safe.
Now Webb had taken that choice away from her. Had takenheraway.
I love you,she’d said last night, her eyes shining with tears and hope.I never stopped.
Reed chambered a round and holstered his sidearm.
He wouldn’t lose her. Not again. Not ever.
“Everyone ready?” he asked, turning to face his brothers.
Walker stood by the door, a rifle slung across his back and a pistol at his hip. His expression was carved from stone. “Why did Reed leave us alive?”
James was checking his own weapon one-handed, his injured shoulder limiting his mobility but not his determination. “Agreed. Why?”
Terrel closed his laptop and grabbed his gear. “It doesn’t make sense?”
Reed nodded, then looked at each of his brothers in turn. “I don’t know. He could have a master plan, he could have been sloppy because he didn’t realize Elena was alive.”
For a few moments all of them were silent.
Reed scoffed. “I won’t ask you guys to put your lives in danger, but I’m getting her back.”
Walker glared at him.
James snorted.
Terrel cocked an eyebrow.
“You don’t have to ask,” Walker said.
The others nodded.
These men had followed him into war zones, had trusted him with their lives more times than he could count. And now they were following him again—into a fight that wasn’t theirs, against an enemy who had already proven he was willing to kill.
