Chapter 17
Ryker listened to Mia’s talk and was proud of her. The audience was responding well, laughing and applauding at appropriate points. The team was in place, and there was no visible sign of a threat—but Ryker watched and waited.
Late in the presentation, James arrived and took a seat in one of the front rows. But there was no sign of aggression, and he would have been screened at the door for weapons. Was it possible that Mia’s ex realized that it was over? It was out of character to admit failure. At some point, James had to see that things weren’t going to happen like he wanted.
James had his nephew with him, the eight-year old kid Mia had been tutoring. But that didn’t add up. James had disowned the boy, and now he was playing the role of favorite uncle? It was puzzling. The speech ended, and the crowd took a lunch break in another room.
Amanda looked down from the stage and caught Ryker’s eye. He nodded. They were in sync, each knowing their function. Amanda followed Mia down the steps then over to Ryker. He congratulated her and gave her a hug, not wanting to let her go. If only he could whisk her away, out of public reach.
Mia seemed pleased with how she’d delivered her speech. She grabbed her purse from the chair and put the strap over her shoulder. She appeared more relaxed than she had been that morning. On the way to lunch, Mia chatted about how she’d felt on stage and her relief that it was over.
The lunchroom was a large room with many round tables covered in white tablecloths. It had a cork ceiling and carpeted floors with side doors for the waitstaff. It was an enclosed environment and seemed safe enough.
Ryker motioned toward James, who was across the room, and Jake acknowledged with a nod. His teammate would keep an eye on the one threat in the room to be sure he was only there to have lunch.
On the way to the table, attendees came up to Mia to greet her and express excitement about the new software. It was a positive sign, and Mia was cordial to each person who talked to her. Ryker ushered her to a seat at the table.
Before Mia sat down, James came over to congratulate her. Ryker bristled at the gall he had to approach the table.
“Might I say that I was quite impressed,” James said. “I apologize for being late, but I had to pick up Eddie. He didn’t want to miss your big day.”
Mia handled it well and showed no signs of animosity. She was too smart to antagonize James. The goal was to make it through the event without incident. “That’s kind of you to say, James. I’m glad you enjoyed my talk.”
Eddie stepped forward, so Mia bent down to hug him. He was a quiet boy with dark hair and big eyes. She appeared very fond of him.
“Are we going to play more games this summer?” Eddie said.
Mia smiled. “I’m planning on it. And you look so nice all dressed up. I didn’t know you’d be here today, but I hope you’re having a good time.”
James took Eddie’s hand to guide him to another table, where other attendees were already seated. Ryker watched him go, then looked at Hawke, who was at a table in between Mia and James. Hawke acted as though he was unaware that anything had transpired, but Ryker was sure he didn’t miss a thing.
All seemed well. Law enforcement was still at the entrance. Amanda sat on one side of Mia, and Ryker sat on the other with a clear view of James. Lunch service was prompt. The food was the usual fare of steak or chicken with some side dishes.
During the meal, Mia talked to Iris and Griffen from across the table. She shared some highlights of her experience at the podium and what she’d noticed about the audience. The mood was very celebratory, making Ryker wonder if was too soon for that. He was still on protection duty, so wouldn’t relax until Mia was out of there.
*****
Under the table, Mia held Ryker’s hand. She couldn’t recall what she’d been angry about. Whatever it was didn’t matter anymore. The presentation had gone well, so she was much calmer. It was nice to eat lunch and share the experience with her team.
The only annoyance had been James. His presence had ruined an otherwise smooth presentation. His arrival had given Mia pause, and she’d lagged in her talk. But she’d resumed gracefully, so doubted that the audience had noticed.
It was nice to see Eddie, and she was glad it looked promising for him now. Over the summer, he had a good chance of catching up on his studies—if the board came through with the approval. She’d done her best to sway public sentiment and was sure the board was in tune with such things.
James irked her. He was as slick as ever with his polished manners and impeccable attire. It struck her that he behaved like a man who had won. That made her wonder if he’d finally seen that it was over, and that the danger had passed.
When the meal ended, attendees began to filter out. Iris and Griffen headed back to their seats in the auditorium. “I’ll see you in there,” Iris said.
Mia hung back, as someone stopped to offer her encouragement. She appreciated the support and made that known.
When the room was nearly empty, Mia put her purse strap over her shoulder and linked her arm with Ryker’s. He held her to his side, and it felt good. Amanda stood to her left, looking like the willing assistant.
Then Eddie rushed over and hugged Mia around the waist. James wasn’t far behind.
“Mia…I have so much more fun with you,” Eddie said.
James seemed overly focused on Mia, making her feel like a target. His attention aroused her curiosity, so she looked up and their eyes met. Then James reached for Eddie. She wondered if he intended to take his nephew home or make him sit through an afternoon of boring speeches—for surely a child wouldn’t be interested in the presentations.
In a flash, James grabbed Eddie. He pulled a steak knife from his jacket pocket and held it to the kid’s throat, causing him to shriek. Mia was shocked, and her protection team froze.
Ryker didn’t move a muscle, and Amanda stood at attention. Hawke looked like an apparition standing off to the side.
“You’re hurting me, Uncle James.”
“Shut up!” James jerked the knife, and a drop of blood rolled down Eddie’s neck. The boy was crying.
“Don’t do this,” Mia said.
“Let the kid go.” Ryker sounded calm and in control.
Mia struggled to understand what was happening, then saw Amanda stare at James. She was likely wondering the same thing: what did James have in mind?
“James,” Amanda said, speaking slowly and in a deep voice. She sounded like a late-night radio DJ, and the attention went to her. “You don’t want to do this. Consider the consequences; you’re a respected man. But if you harm your nephew…you won’t be able to undo that.”
James emitted a guttural laugh, then refocused on Mia.
“Let him go,” Hawke said, taking a step closer. “If you do, no one will press charges.”
As if he hadn’t heard, James said, “Here’s how it’s going to go.” He stared at Mia. “You will come with me or I’ll kill the kid.”
Silence followed, as no one seemed to know how to react, least of all Mia.
“You know I mean it,” James said. “You haven’t forgotten I’ll use force when necessary.”
Mia’s heart fell. She could see no way out. Eddie was crying now. “It’s okay,” she said. “Your uncle is kidding around. You’ll be all right.”
Then James snapped; it was frightening to see his fury unleashed. “You have two seconds to agree to come with me, or I’ll slice the kid’s neck.”
Eddie sobbed, and his small body shook. James held the knife firmly at his jugular. One wrong move and the boy would be dead. Mia panicked. “I’ll go. Calm down. I’ll do what you ask. Just let Eddie go.”
“You think I’m that stupid?” James said, his eyes dark. “You have a small army here that will grab me the instant I take this knife away. Eddie goes with us. No one is to follow.” He looked at Amanda. “Your assistant can come along. Once I’m sure we’re safe, I’ll release Eddie and she can bring him back.”
> Cautiously, Mia moved forward to walk beside James. He lifted Eddie in his arms to increase the pace of their departure. He held the knife at his throat. Amanda followed, but the others stayed back. At the rear of the building, there was an exit that led to the alley.
James motioned toward the door, so Mia opened it to step out. A black sedan with darkened windows pulled up. When the door opened, she saw a heavyset male in the back seat. She glanced to the front seat, taking note that the driver was a muscular guy with dark glasses.
Before getting in the car, James asked for their cell phones. “I wouldn’t want anyone tracking us.” He took both phones and tossed them down the alley.
James motioned for Amanda to get in, then Mia followed. After James got in the front passenger seat with Eddie, the doors locked. Mia’s heart was breaking. She couldn’t see Eddie but heard him sobbing. He must be so scared.
The car pulled away and sped off. Mia was glad that Amanda was with her, but she wouldn’t be for long. The two thugs aiding James looked familiar. Then Mia remembered the two from the night she’d been robbed and had to lock herself in the bathroom.
The masks they’d worn hadn’t disguised their size or general bearing. The likeness was too strong; she was sure they were the same men. The two spoke a Baltic language as they had that night. She’d thought that James had been behind that robbery, and now she knew for sure. He’d been more of a threat than she’d realized.
Amanda gave James a scathing look, with such fire in her eyes that Mia thought he might incinerate on the spot. Yet that was only wishful thinking. It would take more than that to get them all out of trouble.
Mia struggled to come up with some tactic that would change the odds, but nothing came to mind. She couldn’t risk any sudden moves with a knife at Eddie’s throat. Amanda caught her eye and gave a slight nod toward the driver. Mia saw that he had a gun strap. The men were armed.
Whatever Mia did, she’d have to wait until Eddie was safe. She prayed that James would let the boy go. If only she could see Eddie’s face to give him a look of reassurance. But she was helpless in the back seat.
The driver took a route through the city, but Mia couldn’t tell where he was headed. He kept looking in the rearview to be sure no one followed. Then he made various turns to change the route, which made the trip more confusing.
The longer and more circuitous the trip was, the more anxious Mia became. “When are you going to let Eddie go? You promised. I’ll only cooperate if you keep your word.” She didn’t know how much the word of a psycho was worth.
“I’ll release him,” James said. “If I have to listen to this kid whine much longer, I will kill him. But I don’t need a murder charge to deal with. That would ruin everything.”
On the edge of town, in an area that Mia wasn’t familiar with, the driver finally pulled off. James opened the door, holding Eddie with the knife still at his throat.
“You’re okay, Eddie,” Mia said. “Amanda has you. Your mommy is waiting for you. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“Oh, don’t make me sick,” James said, then looked at Amanda. “Get out.”
Mia opened the door and stood on the sidewalk, so Amanda could slide out.
“Move back,” James said, and Amanda complied. “Farther back.” When she was far enough up the block, he told Mia to get in the back seat. Then he sat beside her still holding Eddie. It looked for a moment as though he was going to take the boy.
Then the driver hit the gas and James tossed Eddie to the street before slamming the door shut. Mia saw Amanda sprinting toward the boy. The car sped away then turned at the first corner. Mia was lodged between James and his accomplice. She was alone, so would have to fend for herself.
The self-defense moves she’d learned seemed useless. She wasn’t prepared to handle men with guns. Mia had underestimated James. “What do you hope to gain?” she said. “I won’t stay with you.”
Mia wondered if James planned to kill her. But if so, why not do it now? Maybe he wanted to get out of the city first. Terror gripped her; he could murder her and dispose of her body so no one would know.
“Oh, I think you’ll stay with me,” James said. “You’re mine. I thought you’d realized that by now.”
Chapter 18
Ryker’s heart ripped in half. Mia was gone. He had to get her back. His training kicked in and he blocked out the emotion. It took all his inner strength but was the only way. Then he went into action.
He’d trained for this; he could save her. There had been no way to stop James from taking Mia without risking Eddie’s life. Ryker had stood mute while his love was swept out of the building. He had given Mia a look to let her know he would follow, but he was unsure if she noticed.
Hawke went to the entrance to alert Lonnie, so law enforcement could handle the public. The event would be ended.
Jake had slipped out and gone around the building to see what he could, then returned with information. “James went out the back to a car in the alley. I got the make and model but couldn’t see inside. The windows were too dark.”
“Did you get the plate?” Ryker said.
“No rear plate.”
Ryker would inform Lonnie, so an alert could be sent out to watch for the car. But without a plate, it was fairly pointless. “I have to find her, try to follow. It’s the only option right now.”
“I’ll stay here and text if I find out anything useful,” Jake said.
Ryker went to his car and headed for the main downtown streets. It seemed futile, but he felt like he was doing something. Maybe he’d get lucky. But Philly was a big city with too many places to go. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. And he had to be careful, because if he did find the car, he had to make sure the driver wasn’t aware of being followed.
After forty minutes of driving around, Ryker pulled into a parking lot to decide what was next. There had to be a better way. He vaguely hoped the police would be useful, that the car would be spotted. Then his phone rang, but he didn’t recognize the number.
“Ryker…it’s Amanda. I’m out of the car.”
“What phone are you calling from?”
“I borrowed some guy’s cell,” Amanda said. “Eddie is okay. I have him. He has some scrapes and is scared to death. I’ll get him to his mother.”
“Where’s Mia?”
“She’s with James, and there are two other guys in the car,” Amanda said. “It looks like he hired some muscle.”
“Where are they headed? Could you tell?”
“Jake can tell you,” Amanda said. “Have him log in to the feed. I put a tracker in Mia’s purse.”
“When did you do that?”
“Dude…what do you think, this is amateur hour?” Amanda said. “I slipped it in her purse when I was with her in the office. It’s a global tracker about the size of a dime. The battery lasts two weeks, but I don’t think Mia has that long, unless you get to her.”
“Glad you were thinking ahead.”
“The purse is the best place,” Amanda said. “I didn’t want to chance putting it on her body. If it gets physical, James could find it.”
Rage unfurled in Ryker’s belly. The thought of James getting physical with Mia, sexual or otherwise, made him want to smash the guy into the concrete.
“I’ll take a cab back and have Lonnie contact Eddie’s mother,” Amanda said. “I’ll see you when I see you.”
Ryker called Jake and had him log in to the system.
“Yes, I see it,” Jake said. “The feed is coming through.”
“Can you tell where the car is headed?”
“Give me a second. Let me check the map.”
Ryker waited impatiently. He pulled out onto the street, ready to go after the car.
“The car is headed for the airport,” Jake said. “I’m watching the movement and it is the most logical destination. There’s no other reason to take the freeway toward that exit.”
“Access the flight data, then ale
rt Lonnie, so he can stop them from boarding,” Ryker said. “James can be arrested before takeoff.”
“Getting flight data may take some time. I hope they are using real names,” Jake said. “And the tracker has a limited radius. I can tell you when she’s near the airport, but I can’t lead you to her specific location. It’s not as precise as the military model.”
Ryker ended the call to get the airport. He knew the city, so took the fastest route. He only hoped to get there in time. The cops might not act quickly enough, so he’d have to prevent the plane from taking off.
He loved Mia with all his heart. He wouldn’t let harm come to her. James wanted Mia for himself, so wouldn’t kill her unless provoked, which was an advantage. It would buy some time, but how much?
Ryker arrived at the airport then jogged to the main terminal. He’d just entered when Jake called.
“Talk to me,” Ryker said.
“I got what you asked,” Jake said, “but it’s not helpful. There are no passengers on any airlines named Mia Scott or James Walsh. I’ll keep looking to see what I can come up with.”
“I’m here,” Ryker said. “I’ll look around and see if I can spot them.” He was at the entrance, but it was mobbed with travelers. Philadelphia International was huge.
To better the odds, Ryker asked around. He went up to other passengers to politely inquire if they’d seen Mia Scott, a name many recognized. He gave a story that they’d had an argument, and she’d left. He didn’t know her flight. After describing her, he hoped that someone had seen her.
Ryker had no success. There were too many people, and even a well-known face like Mia’s went unnoticed. A couple of times, he spotted a woman who looked like Mia and his heart skipped a beat. But it wasn’t her. Desperation began to take over, but Ryker tried to keep cool.
It was taking too long. They had to be there somewhere. How hard could it be to find two people escorted by a couple of thugs?
Then Jake called. “I found it. It’s a private jet. The pilot filed a flight plan. I accessed the computers, and his passengers are James Walsh and guests.”
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