O traded a look with Cannon. Their CO nodded, and O crossed the room. He held out a tablet and Rome took it.
The image was clean, sharper than it had been when they all saw it the first time.
“Stina confirmed it’s the man from the restaurant. The guy she dropped pizza on.”
Rome’s jaw creaked as he tensed. “What else?”
“Jolie says it’s not her kidnapper.”
The words rippled like a stone dropped into still water. Rome stared at the image for a second longer, then set the tablet on the desk.
“Two separate players on the board.” He looked at Cannon.
He leaned back in his seat and pushed out a sigh. “That’s what it looks like.”
Rome needed to find her. Needed to see for himself that she was—
He didn’t finish the thought before he was moving toward the door.
“Rome.”
At his CO’s clipped tone, he stopped in his tracks and turned.
“There’s more.”
His blood chilled. “Go on.” His throat was tight.
Cannon’s expression darkened. “Chicago PD just cleared Stina’s apartment.”
Rome’s pulse tripped.
“The landlord received a call from a neighbor that her door was open. She went inside,” Cannon continued. “Nothing was taken. They left the place exactly the way they found it,” Cannon said. “Except for one thing.”
A cold weight settled in his gut. “What?”
“On her kitchen table, they left a photo of Stina.”
For a long moment, Rome couldn’t speak.
“They’ve been watching her,” he said quietly.
Cannon gave a single nod. “They’ve had eyes on her for a while.”
Rome’s stomach dropped.
Cannon’s expression hardened. “Chicago PD has the apartment sealed. The locks have been changed. They’re dusting for prints and canvassing the building.”
Rome already knew where this was going. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “It doesn’t matter. They weren’t after the apartment. They got in to prove they could. That’s the only message they needed to deliver.”
His muscles quivered with the urge to go to Stina. She might be safe on base, but she was still under his guard.
“Is it possible to move her belongings to storage? And let her parents know she’s all right? She put in the request.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“I don’t think it’s wise to tell her. She’ll only be afraid for nothing.”
“Agreed.” Cannon eyed him for a beat and finally nodded. “O, you’re dismissed.”
