"Maybe it was your brother's idea to take over and hand it all off to his friend. What do they even need you for anymore? You're going to end up just like all the people you killed."
"Shut up," Caleb said.
Qadir sighed. "You are so easy, Caleb, so Americanized, so soft. Go. Now."
Caleb's jaw tightened. He looked at his brother, who refused to meet his eye, and then he turned and left.
Malik stepped up with a phone in hand. "Shall we do this?"
"Yes." Qadir moved toward her.
As he drew closer, she cringed, not sure what was coming next. And then the flashes blinded her as Malik shot several photos of her with Qadir in the background.
"Why do you need photos?" she asked.
"Proof of life, of course. I want Max Malone to see you in all your glory."
She drew a quick breath as Qadir's evil voice twisted around Max's name.
"He will come running to protect you," Qadir continued. "He should be able to find you in time, especially with this photo. I'm sure your team will help him trace the call." He tipped his head to Malik. "Is it sent?"
Malik nodded and set the phone down on the nearby table.
"Max isn't coming. He probably isn't even aware that I'm missing," she said.
"He knows, and he's frantic."
"How would you know that?"
"Because I have people everywhere. You and Max have been together this past week. I've seen photos of you together. He'll come to save you. He can't resist playing the hero."
She had both the happy and terrible feeling that he was right. But Qadir wasn't going to let Max rescue her. She was the bait in his trap. He wanted Max to come to him, and then he would kill them both.
Despair hit her hard. Tears blurred her vision, but she couldn't let them drop, couldn't let Qadir have the satisfaction of seeing her cry or hearing her beg for her life. She hoped Max wouldn't get to her in time, that the bomb would go off before then, that he would be safe. But even as that thought crossed her mind, she remembered that this wasn't the only bomb.
The sound of a gunshot outside made everyone jump.
Qadir spun toward the sound, his face darkening with anger as he swore, "Dammit! They're early."
Max, Tyler, and members of an FBI SWAT team moved fast, taking down the men outside the warehouse with deadly precision, but each shot made him fear more for Kara's life. The horrific photo had come in just seconds before they'd launched their attack, and seeing her in the suicide vest…
He shook that thought away as they cleared the loading dock and headed into the warehouse. He didn't know how many more were inside, but it seemed a little too quiet. The warehouse was vast and dimly lit, filled with shipping containers and machinery that created a maze of shadows and blind spots.
"I'll take the north corridor, you sweep south," he told Tyler as they broke apart, working in sync in surprising unison, with only one goal: save Kara's life.
He moved through the warehouse like a predator, every one of his senses focused on the hunt.
Another shot came from Tyler's direction, and his voice crackled through his earpiece. "Malik Azrani down."
He didn't respond as he heard footsteps. Someone moving fast, trying to escape.
That's when he saw him—a figure in dark clothing slipping through the shadows toward a rear exit door. He didn't hesitate, sprinting across the open floor, weaving between pallets and machinery, closing the distance.
Qadir spun around just as Max launched himself forward, tackling him to the concrete floor. They rolled, struggling for position, until Max pinned Qadir down, putting a gun to his throat.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
Qadir looked up at him with those cold, intelligent eyes and smiled through the blood on his split lip. "Hello, Max. Right on time."
