Target For Ransom

by Laura Scott

  They were in the clear. For now.

  His mind drifted back over the recent twists in the case. Diana was right about the fact that the puzzle pieces weren’t fitting together. Diana and Bryn being in witness protection was to avoid her cousin Tariq, which wasn’t linked to Bryn’s kidnapping or to the ransom demand to free Mustaf.

  Or was it?

  Exhaustion pulled at him; it had been a long time since he’d gotten any sleep. He knew only too well that they needed at least a few hours of downtime.

  Yet the clock was ticking. Less than eight hours until Mustaf’s transport plane landed, hopefully, in DC.

  “If Frank’s right and my identity has been compromised, Bryn is in more danger than ever,” Diana said. “I wouldn’t put it past Tariq to place a high price on her head.”

  He met her gaze in the rearview mirror. “From what you said, Tariq wouldn’t have any knowledge of you and Bryn. The Feds did a good job of faking your death.”

  “He shouldn’t know about us, but with my identity being compromised, how hard would it be for him to find out? I know he has many connections. Word will filter out, eventually.” Her voice was tinged with despair.

  “We’ll find Bryn.” Jordan glanced at Sun. “We need to keep working on those locations.”

  “We will.” Sun yawned. “But if we don’t get some sleep, we’re apt to do more harm than good.”

  “I can’t sleep, not when Bryn is out there somewhere suffering at the hands of terrorists,” Diana said sharply. “And I don’t understand how you can.”

  “I want her back as much as you do.” He kept his tone even with an effort. Snapping back wouldn’t help. Not when the pressure was getting to both of them.

  Besides, he knew where she was coming from, he really did. He felt the same sense of helplessness driving him forward too. But if they didn’t get some sleep, they’d all crash and burn.

  Which in their current precarious position could be deadly.

  * * *

  September 10 – 2:09 a.m. – Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean

  Mustaf couldn’t sleep, couldn’t relax. Everything was all wrong, and he expected to be beaten with hands and feet at any moment.

  But so far they’d left him alone.

  He tensed. A whisper of fabric, the hushed footstep. This was it. This was what he’d feared all along.

  They had no intention of delivering him to the United States of America alive.

  “Can you hear me?” a low voice asked.

  Mustaf feigned sleep.

  “I know you’re awake, your breathing is too fast.” The voice was calm, measured.

  “What do you want?” he finally whispered back.

  “There is a plan in place for when we land. Be prepared.”

  A plan? Mustaf tried not to show his elation. He gave a brief nod, unable to do much more with his wrists and ankles chained together.

  The man moved away, leaving him alone again.

  Except he wasn’t alone. His people hadn’t forgotten him.

  There was a plan to free him once he arrived in the US.

  And yes, he would be more than ready.

  * * *

  September 10 – 3:38 a.m. – Edgewater, MD

  Diana jerked awake when her chin slipped off her hand. She blinked in an effort to clear her blurred vision.

  The computer screen was the only light in the room. Sun had stretched out on one of the two beds, Jordan on the floor. He’d tried to convince her to rest in the second bed, but she’d stubbornly refused, angry at Jordan for his apparent disregard for their daughter.

  No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get the images of Bryn trying to look and sound brave while blindfolded and tied to a chair out of her mind.

  She tried to focus on the screen, but it was no use. The words remained blurred by fatigue. There was a nagging headache residing in her temples. She pressed her fingertips there in an effort to relieve the pain.

  She hated to admit that Jordan was right. That they needed some sleep if they were to be successful in rescuing Bryn.

  Turning from the computer, she managed to step over Jordan’s lean frame stretched out on the floor to reach the second bed. Easing onto the mattress, she pulled up the blanket and rested on the pillow.

  The bed was likely far more comfortable than what Bryn was forced to use. She squeezed her eyes tightly against a fresh spurt of tears. She tried placing her daughter’s life in God’s hands, but it wasn’t easy.

  She believed in God, had faith in His abilities, but still resented the fact that Bryn had been kidnapped by these evil men. Terrorists. Why, God, why? Why should Bryn have to suffer?

  There was no answer.

  She must have fallen asleep because a strange clicking sound brought her awake. The room was still dark, but she could barely make out the shadow of a man looming over her.

  She opened her mouth to scream just as a hand clamped over her mouth. “It’s me, Jordan. Get up, we need to go.”

  Cold fingers of fear trailed down her spine. With his hand over her mouth, she couldn’t speak, so she gave a nod to indicate she understood.

  He removed his hand and helped her up, pushing her behind his lean frame as he made his way toward the door. It took her a moment to realize the other bed was empty.

  Where was Sun? Why did Jordan think they were in danger?

  She didn’t voice her questions. Jordan handed the satellite computer case to her and pulled his Glock from its holster. He pressed the snub-nosed revolver from his ankle holster into her hand. Her mouth went dry as he quickly positioned them behind the door.

  The motel room only had one way to go out, the same way someone would enter.

  As if on cue, the door handle turned with a loud click as someone accessed their room with a key card. In what seemed like slow motion, the door stealthily opened inch by inch.

  Jordan didn’t move, and she found herself holding her breath, afraid to breathe. A shadow moved into the room, but Jordan didn’t immediately take action.

  Then suddenly he attacked in a blur of movement, striking the intruder on the back of the head. She fully expected the guy to go down, but he didn’t. He turned toward them, raising his hand where she could clearly see a gun.

  No!

  Without thinking, she threw the computer case. It hit the man’s wrist, and the muffled sound of a gunshot went off, the bullet harmlessly hitting the floor. Moments later, the gun fell too.

  Jordan jumped him, taking the guy to the floor and pinning him there. He pressed his forearm across the man’s windpipe. “Who are you? Who sent you?”

  The man didn’t speak but struggled to break free of Jordan’s grip, kicking his legs wildly and attempting to wrap them around Jordan’s torso. Jordan shifted so that he pinned one of the man’s legs, keeping the upper hand.

  “Who sent you?” Jordan repeated.

  She gingerly picked up the computer case, staying out of the way. She went and stood over the man’s head, holding the case up in a way that indicated she’d drop it on him if needed.

  The intruder went lax, but still Jordan didn’t move. Diana wondered how much pressure it would take to choke him to death.

  Jordan locked gazes with the intruder. “If you don’t talk to me, I have no reason to keep you alive.”

  Diana tried not to gasp, feeling certain Jordan was bluffing. The man she once loved, all those years ago, wasn’t capable of cold-blooded murder.

  Then again, she didn’t really know the man Jordan was now, did she? She knew he’d been kind to her and determined to find Bryn, but she had no idea what his moral boundaries were.

  “Have it your way,” Jordan said as if they were having a normal conversation.

  “W-wait,” the guy gasped. “I . . . can help.”

  She could tell Jordan eased up on the pressure and felt dizzy with relief. His tone remained harsh. “Start talking.”

  “I . . . was hired by a guy in the task force,” the man said slowly.


  “Tell me something I don’t know,” Jordan countered. “Who? Why? What’s the real threat here?”

  The man’s gaze flickered to her, and in that moment she knew. Jordan had been right all along. Their daughter had been kidnapped because of her. Because of Tariq.

  Her evil and horrifically brutal cousin knew about her daughter.

  A sound from outside drew her attention. Another large shadow, and Jordan acted instinctively, lifting to shoot as the man on the floor once again struggled to get free.

  Jordan lurched off-balance as the gun went off. She dropped the computer onto the man’s head with as much force as she could muster. She heard a grunt, and the intruder went lax.

  “Let’s go!” Jordan levered up from his position on the floor. There was a second man dressed in black lying on his back in the doorway.

  The intruder hadn’t come alone.

  “Grab the computer,” Jordan said in a hoarse tone. He was searching the dead man’s pockets, pulling out a set of keys. “Hurry.”

  She picked up the computer bag, horrified by the intruder’s broken nose. Had she killed him? She hadn’t meant to. A soft mewling sound came from her throat, and she reached down to check him for a pulse.

  “No time, we have to go before he regains consciousness.” Jordan grabbed her hand and tugged her away from the intruder.

  “I . . . didn’t kill him?”

  “With a computer bag? Doubtful.” Jordan used the keys in his hands to find the vehicle, then pulled her toward it.

  “I . . . don’t understand. Where is Sun?”

  Jordan slid behind the wheel, waiting for her to get in beside him. Without answering, he pulled out of the motel parking lot and drove for at least a mile without using the headlights.

  Her hands began to shake, so she interlaced her fingers, trying desperately not to fall apart.

  “You left your phone in Mitchellville, right?” Jordan asked grimly.

  “Yes.” It hadn’t been easy, but in the end, she’d believed Jordan was right. The kidnappers knew they were together and knew how to get in touch with Jordan if needed. “Why? What’s going on? Where’s Sun?”

  There was a long pause before Jordan responded. “I don’t know. When I woke up, she was gone, along with her sat computer.”

  “That doesn’t make sense. Why would she leave us without telling us? She must be within walking distance as she didn’t take the vehicle.”

  Jordan shook his head, his attention focused on the road before them. “I don’t know, and a better question is how did they find us?”

  “Do you think Sun is the leak?” She forced the question past her tight throat.

  There was only the barest hint of hesitation before Jordan responded. “No. I trust Sun with my life. I’m sure she found some sort of lead and took off rather than wake us up.”

  Diana didn’t respond because she wasn’t so sure. Granted, it appeared Sun worked for Jordan’s company, but that didn’t make her trustworthy.

  Jordan reached up and touched his left shoulder with a grimace. When he removed his hand, it was covered in something dark.

  Blood?

  “You’re hurt?” She couldn’t hide the flash of panic.

  “Yeah, but it’s okay. The bullet only grazed me.”

  Chapter Ten

  September 10 – 5:05 a.m. – Washington, DC

  His burner phone rang, and he sighed heavily when he recognized the number. “Now what?”

  “Contact was made, but she refused to come in.”

  He hadn’t really expected her to rush into the arms of the US Marshals Service. “I don’t care, your job is to find her.”

  “I’m trying, but—”

  He let out a string of curses, interrupting the idiot who couldn’t seem to get a simple job done without listing excuses. “Enough. I don’t want to hear it. Don’t call me until you have something important to share or you have her. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He disconnected from the call and barely refrained from throwing the phone at the window. Time was running out. Things needed to happen and soon, or all his careful and precise planning would be for nothing.

  Unacceptable.

  He considered the possibility of hiring someone else. He still had connections that could be tapped. Favors that were owed.

  While he couldn’t afford to raise suspicions about what he was doing, this issue needed to be contained and soon.

  Using the untraceable phone, he took a deep breath and punched in a series of numbers. Drastic times called for drastic measures.

  He would get what he wanted. What he needed. Whatever the cost.

  Because the end absolutely justified the means.

  * * *

  September 10 – 5:07 a.m. – Annapolis, MD

  The bullet only grazed him? Diana did her best not to panic. “How bad is it?”

  “I’m fine.” Jordan’s tone was curt. “We need to ditch this vehicle and find another place to stay.”

  The idea of getting rid of the vehicle was scary, but she reminded herself that Jordan was good at his job. He’d get them through this. She squinted through the windshield. “Why are we back in Annapolis?”

  He glanced at her. “You have a better place in mind?”

  Wherever Bryn was being held. A useless wish, so she shook her head with a sigh. “No. But all this running around seems counterproductive. Now we need to get rid of this vehicle, find another, then a place to stay. And we have no idea where Sun is, which worries me. We’ll never find Bryn at this rate.”

  “I know.” Jordan’s tone softened. “We’ll keep looking, but we also need a game plan for when Mustaf lands in”—he glanced at his watch—“less than three hours.”

  Her stomach knotted with tension. “You need to contact the task force. There has to be a way to figure out where his plane is landing.”

  “Let’s hope and pray he’s not headed to Guantanamo Bay.”

  Jordan’s statement sent a jolt of fear stabbing through her. “Cuba? How will we ever free him if he’s being transported to Cuba?”

  “Honestly, I don’t think he is heading to Cuba. I think he’ll land in DC. Either in the Naval District or at Andrews Air Force Base.”

  The news didn’t help her sense of panic. “That’s not much better. You’re not a member of the armed forces, and gaining access to a tightly controlled military base will be just as impossible as flying to Cuba to grab Mustaf.”

  “I think I can get access with help from the government,” Jordan pointed out.

  She momentarily closed her eyes, the magnitude of their task hitting hard. It was all so impossible. Free Mustaf from a military base? Bring him to the kidnappers so they’ll hand over Bryn in exchange?

  No way. As much as she wanted to believe it, she knew it wouldn’t happen that way.

  Better to focus on finding Bryn. Finding and freeing their daughter had to be easier than getting to Mustaf.

  She couldn’t bear to imagine the alternative.

  * * *

  September 10 – 5:18 a.m. – Washington, DC

  Elam walked to the Metro, doing his best to ignore the pain that reverberated through him with every step. He’d spent the past few hours thinking through his situation and had come to a horrifying conclusion.

  They were going to kill him.

  Oh, not right away. They still needed him, still desired his expertise. His job was only half finished, but he now realized that the moment he’d fulfilled his duty, they would kill him without blinking an eye.

  Meira would suffer at their hands too. As would their unborn child. The very thought made him feel sick to his stomach.

  Knowing how vulnerable Meira and his baby were frightened him more than any beating they could threaten him with.

  Until now, he’d thought they had a chance of surviving this. That these men would honor their promise.

  Now he knew the truth. The Master had no honor.

  Seeing the
Metro sign up ahead, he approached and used his card to access the terminal. He headed downstairs, striving for anonymity. He didn’t make eye contact, most people didn’t notice him anyway, which made him good at his job, yet he didn’t delude himself into thinking his so-called employer wasn’t tracking his movements. Between the Metro card and the phone they’d provided him, they were all knowing.

  And all powerful.

  Elam had some emergency cash stashed away, but he wouldn’t use it until he absolutely needed to. After the explosion and his beating, he knew the time was coming, soon.

  But first, he had to find Meira. He couldn’t live with himself if his wife and unborn child suffered because of him.

  He’d die to protect them. And knew in his heart that was the most likely outcome. When the train pulled in, he entered and took a seat. After the train pulled away, he considered his options, accepting and embracing his new role.

  There were several places Meira might be. He’d search them one by one until he found and rescued her.

  Dear Lord, protect my family.

  * * *

  September 10 – 5:32 a.m. – Annapolis, MD

  The wound along the edge of his shoulder ached like a son of a gun, but Jordan ignored it. The couple of hours of sleep he’d managed to snag before he’d heard someone outside their room at the motel had helped take the edge off his exhaustion, but he still didn’t understand where Sun had gone.

  And why she’d sneaked out of the motel room, with the computer, without telling him.

  He spied a drug store that had a sign indicating they were open twenty-four hours a day. He quickly pulled in. They needed dressings and another set of disposable phones. From there, he needed to find a place to ditch the dead guy’s SUV and pick up a new ride.

  Diana was right, all of this ridiculous running around was getting in the way of finding Bryn. Was that part of their plan? The guy who’d tried to kill him had confirmed there was a leak within the task force but hadn’t given them anything more.

  Who could he trust? Sun? Once he would have answered that with an unequivocal yes, but now?