She blinks, startled.
“Zara?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, she went to speak with him about twenty minutes ago,” she says. “He said he was interested in investing in her line.”
“Where?” Chrome asks.
The coordinator gestures vaguely toward the back.
“Somewhere over there, I think.”
Before I can press her further, a crew member pushing a cart slows as he passes.
“You talking about the girl with the blonde hair and black jacket?” he asks.
My heart slams against my ribs.
“Yeah,” I snap. “Have you seen her?”
He nods.
“Yeah. Some guy was helping her into the freight elevator. Said she needed air. Looked like she wasn’t feeling good. However, she didn’t look sick to me. More like sleepy.”
My blood turns to ice as fear grips me.
“Downstairs,” Chrome growls.
We move fast. Rattler and Hunter push the workers out of the freight elevator so we can all cram in. It seems to take hours rather than minutes to get through the other floors before we hit the lower level. We burst outside as a group. I spot Arson first and gesture for him to come over. Ice and Piston follow him.
“Did you see Zara leave?” I demand.
They exchange uneasy looks.
“No,” Arson says slowly. “But… lotta people coming and going after the show. Could’ve slipped past.”
Rage and panic twist together in my chest as I drag a hand through my hair, pacing.
“She’s out there somewhere.”
Smoke pulls out his phone.
“I’ll call Mode and Maestro,” he says. “Have them sweep every camera in the area. Building security, street cams, traffic cams. We’ll find something.”
“Do it,” Chrome says.
I stare up and down the street, my chest tight and burning. All I can think about is Zara. Where the hell is she?
My phone vibrates in my pocket. Pulling it out, the screen lights up with a name. Fred Sutherland. Zara’s father. A cold dread floods through me. This can’t be good. Bracing myself, I answer.
“Fred?” I answer after connecting the call.
“They have her,” he cries out. “They have my baby! You said you would protect her.”
“How do you know they have her?” I ask.
“They sent me a video. She’s tied up and unconscious. They said they’ll rape her on camera if I don’t pay them back the money I stole. I don’t have it. What am I going to do?” He’s crying on the other end.
