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My phone rang. I’d been holding it ever since I’d opened Russell’s computer and left the last message for Code. I looked down and my heart stopped. I felt it literally stop.
“Code,” I gasped when I answered.
“Talk to me, Katherine.”
“You first. Are you good? The men? Anyone hurt?” I couldn’t say dead. I just couldn’t.
“Everybody’s fine. Nobody got a scratch on them.”
I sagged against the chair, tears forming.
“You have Russell with you?”
“Yeah, the bleeding stopped.”
“What bleeding?!” Code roared.
“Calm down. Sophie punched Russell in the nose. It’s still bleeding a little bit.”
“You’re fucking kidding me. Sophie?”
“Saw it myself.”
“Look, Honey, Viktor Sokolov wasn’t part of the team that raided the cabin. He has two other men with him. I’d bet money he’s in Knoxville, planning to get his jet fueled and fly back to LA. I don’t think he’s given up on finding Russell.”
“You don’t think he’s found out about Russell being here, do you?”
“Put me on speaker.”
I set down my phone and put it on speaker. “Dunlap, can you hear me?” Code demanded to know.
“Yeah. Who is this?”
“I’m your only hope of escaping Sokolov. Tell me you understand me.”
“But how?”
“I didn’t tell you to ask me questions. I want an affirmative answer.”
Sophie and I both nodded at Russell. Sophie shoved his shoulder. “Yes,” Russell answered.
My phone beeped. It was Angelica calling. I pressed dismiss.
“Good, then you’re going to answer some questions. What name did you use when you flew to Tennessee?”
“Mine,” he whispered.
“Jesus. Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I don’t have any other ID. Not picture ID that will work with TSA.”
“So we can assume that Viktor knows you flew to Knoxville, and what time you landed. Wonderful. Just wonderful. “The only thing that kept you from being kidnapped is Viktor was driving back from Jasper Creek to Knoxville when you were in your cab.”
“I took an Uber.”
“Shut up. I don’t fucking care what you took.”