Griff shouts something and pulls out his phone. But three seconds later, he drops it and presses his hands to Laurent’s chest.
“No…” Lisette says from behind me. “Is he…dead?”
Fuck. I didn’t notice she’d hung up with Joey. I try to turn away, but she claps her hand on my shoulder.
Emergency vehicles start to arrive. Police. Fire. Ambulances. A teacher sits on the curb with a bloody arm. Children hang on to one another, crying. Griff keeps pressure on Laurent’s chest until the EMTs elbow him aside. He grabs his phone and dials. But only a few seconds later, the National Police drag him away.
I stop the video and turn to her. She’s too pale. Shaking, but not crying. Shock.
Until her phone rings. “It is Amelie!”
“It’s not.” I snatch the device from her hand. “Put it on speaker. Don’t let on that anyone else is here. Keep them talking as long as you can. And get proof of life. Understood?”
She nods. I move out of camera range and switch over to the ZEO app.
Nomar: Trace the call coming into Lisette’s phone.
Zephyr: On it.
“Amelie?” Lisette asks.
“You took my brother’s son from him,” Raziq says in refined, polished English. “You will answer for your crimes.”
“Faruk is dead. Mateen ismyson and I have done nothing wrong.” Lisette’s hand shakes, but she squares her shoulders and swallows hard. “And what about Amelie and Philippe? They are innocents! Let them go.”
“I am a reasonable man, Lisette. I will release the woman and her son once you have turned yourself over to me. In Kabul.”
Fuck.
She looks to me, panic in her eyes.
“Proof of life,” I mouth and wave my hand in a circle.“Keep him talking.”
“I need to know Mateen is safe. And that Amelie and Philippe are alive.” She’s on the verge of losing control. I step right in front of her and rest my hand on her hip, squeezing gently.
“Very well. You will receive another call in ten minutes. I suggest you answer it quickly. There is no point to a trace. It will come from a plane that is already in the air. The man with you may be highly trained, but in Afghanistan,Iam the one with endless resources. You have thirty-six hours to get to Kabul. At that time, I will call with further instructions.”
“Wait!” Lisette clutches the phone so tightly, her knuckles turn white, but he’s already hung up.
Fuck. She’s going to have to come with me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Lisette
The seconds tick by so slowly,each one feels like an hour. “We have to go to the airport. Immediately. If we cannot get a flight tonight—”
Nomar stops me, his hands resting on my shoulders. “Austin’s on his way to Istanbul. Zephyr’s arranging a plane to take us to Barcelona. We’ll meet Griff there, and the three of us will fly to Turkey together. She hasn’t figured out transpo to Kabul yet, but she will.”
I have no more tears left to cry. My eyes are scratchy. Hollow. “Tell Amelie I am sorry.”
His fingers dig into my upper arms. “You can tell her yourself.”
“Raziq will kill me,” I whisper.
“He won’t get close enough to eventouchyou.”
“How can you say that? He knows about you! Faruk was careful. Always. He planned everything. Before he took Joey, he researched her for months. He knew everything about her. Even her bra size!”
