Footsteps echoed down the hall. Viper appeared in the doorway, his expression grim and beads of sweat on his face. His gaze shifted between Roarke and Wraith before softening on Roarke. “Man. I’m so damn sorry.” He shook his head.
Roarke swallowed, and his Adam’s apple ached with the effort. “We need your help.” He motioned to the laptop.
Viper gave a brisk nod and crossed the room. “I called Striker’s sister. She’s meeting him at the hospital.”
Some of the unease gripping his gut loosened. It pained him to pile this shit on Paige’s shoulders, but there was no help for it.
She was Striker’s sister, after all—you didn’t carry that blood and not carry strength.
“Any luck?” Viper asked, gesturing toward the laptop.
Wraith pushed away from the desk and offered Viper the chair. “It’s all yours. Cameron was trackin’ ’em through Emmy’s stuffed animal. Now we know how they found us so quickly. The toy never left the kid.”
Viper cursed. “We should’ve suspected he’d try that.”
The words hit Roarke in the chest like a spear. He hadn’t thought twice about the damn stuffed animal. Had let a Trojan horse right in. None of this should’ve happened.
“Can you find the server that was tracking the animal?” Striker asked.
Viper rubbed his hand over his close-cropped brown hair. A loose, shaky breath followed. “I mean, Christ. No. We’d have to track down his device, the software. Can it be done? Sure. Before we’re out of time? No.”
Out of time.In other words, before Laine was dead.
He bunched his hands into fists. He’d waited for Viper for nothing. Wasted precious minutes. “I’m out.” He turned toward the door, anger and devastation ripping him to shreds.
He should’ve searched the animal. Shouldn’t have left them alone. Shouldn’t have?—
Viper grabbed his shoulder before he reached the hallway, hauling him back. “Hang on a damn minute. Where are you goin’?”
Roarke shrugged out of his friend’s hold. He couldn’t be touched right now. Being held back would make him snap. “I’ve gotta move.”
Driving aimlessly would be counterproductive. But staying here staring at a blank screen would be like moving backward.
“We’re here to help,” Wraith said. “We just need a stone to look under.”
Roarke grunted. “Laine’s probably already gone. Dead. He’ll take Emmy out of the country faster than our heads can spin. I’ve wasted too much time?—”
“Don’t,” Viper interjected.
Roarke tunneled his hand through his hair. He had to find the bastard. Had to at least try ... and at the very least, rescue Emmy.
Pain blossomed in his chest, making emotion hit his eyes. Laine. Goddammit, all he’d wanted to do was protect her. He’d never failed more at anything in his life.
“We’ll find her.” Viper’s hand returned to Roarke’s shoulder, this time with a crushing, promising grip. “You’ve always had my back. I’ve got yours.”
“All right lovebirds,” Wraith said irritably. “Can we feckin’ get to work?”
“Sure. Gimme a goddamn idea and we’ll do that,” Roarke snapped, hating that he was still standing in the office.
“Wait a second,” Viper said, letting go of Roarke’s shoulder. “What about Cameron’s phone? Have you traced that?”
Roarke blinked. Shit, he hadn’t even thought about Cameron’s phone. “Laine called him earlier. Before I left for the airport.”
“When did you last check his location?”
Roarke swiveled his gaze to Wraith.
“I’ll pull it up now,” Wraith said.
