Page 73 of Unplanned Target

“Hey.” A sharp whisper has me going completely still.

I try to look around, craning my neck as I squint through the darkness of the room. “Where are you?”

“You need to stop moving. They have cameras.” The whispered voice offers an ominous warning.

An ominous warning that really fucks up my plan.

Staying still, my eyes roll around as I search for proof of the claim. Sure enough, in one corner of the room a dim red dot mocks me.

“Shit.” I try to think of what to do next. A way to reach my phone without them knowing what I’m doing. “What will they do if they see me trying to get loose?”

“You don’t want to know.” The girl’s voice is low and filled with despondence. “It’s best if you just behave and pretend you’re somewhere else.”

My heart aches and my chest is so tight I can barely breathe. I understand what she’s saying. Why she’s saying it. At sixteen, I probably would’ve done the same thing.

Even the unhinged, menace I was back then wouldn’t have known how to get through this.

But I’m not sixteen anymore. I’m not naïve. I’m not a young girl they can terrorize into submission.

I’m old enough to be filled with an amount of feminine rage they can’t contain.

And hopefully, won’t see coming.

TWENTY-SIX

OWEN

“A van just pulled up outside the building.” Maddox’s voice is low in my ear.

“Is it Luca?” I squint through my binoculars, even though there’s no way for me to see the other side of the building from my position.

We’ve been watching this building for almost twenty-four hours straight, hoping to make contact with our missing teammate, and I was starting to think Heidi was losing her touch. Thought maybe she’d missed something and we were wasting valuable time.

But maybe I jumped the gun.

“No.” Maddox sounds as disappointed as I am. “It’s a couple ugly ass motherfuckers getting out.” Maddox pauses. “Shit. They’ve got someone in the back.”

“Like a fucking army, or someone against their will?” I carefully put my binoculars back into their designated pocket so I can make my way toward Maddox. It sounds like he might need some backup, and I don’t want to be too far away when the need arises.

“Given that she’s tied up and being hauled around instead of walking on her own, I’m going to guess against her will.” Maddox curses. “I think we know why Luca was watching this place.”

“Yeah, but where the fuck is he now?” I stay low as I creep out of my hiding place. “This would be a hell of a lot easier with another set of hands.”

We can’t continue to sit out here and do nothing. Not now that we’ve seen them drag an unwilling woman into an abandoned industrial complex. But since it’s the fucking middle of the day, and there’s only three of us, the timing isn’t ideal.

“I’m coming to you, Owen.” Butch is positioned an equal distance from me and Maddox. “I think our only option is to leave Maddox as a lookout while you and I go inside.”

“Goddammit.” I pivot, knowing he’s right, but hating it anyway. “Your sister is going to murder us if we both get killed, you know that, right?”

“I absolutely know that, and fully intend to keep it in mind.” Butch seems to have a hint of a smile in his voice. “But I think she’ll get over it when she finds out we saved someone.”

“Good point.” I see a flicker of movement through the trees. “I’m due east.”

The movement I saw shifts, coming directly toward me. After a few seconds, Butch emerges from the underbrush. “We’re in position, Maddox.”

Maddox grunts a little, the sound of rustling carrying through my earpiece. “I’m in the best spot I can be in. Be fucking careful. I’ll shoot anyone who comes out.”

“Maybe not anyone. I’d prefer it if you didn’t shoot us.” I tip my head toward the back of the building, indicating to Butch the door I think is the best option to make entry.