Chapter 3
“You think I know something about the boys’ abduction?” Selena could barely get the words out.
She felt as if the floor had dropped from beneath her. She swayed, and if Catal hadn’t put an arm around her shoulder, she would have fallen. She had put that life behind her. She should have guessed that nothing was forgotten, especially by government agencies. They’d probably been waiting for the right moment to pounce.
She had been a young girl and sheltered from her brother’s activities. They lived in a splendid house and had every luxury. She had never thought to question where that money came from. The land had been in her family for years. Handed down from father to son for as long as they could remember. Political turmoil had never touched the Duarte family until her parents had been kidnapped and killed by guerrillas.
Her brother changed after that. No longer did she have any friends from the village. She was sent away to a private school and only when she rebelled at sixteen, had she been allowed to continue her education at home. That was when she realized how different her brother had become. He was surrounded by security teams and hired mercenaries. The house was an armed camp with bodyguards and guns visible everywhere. He lived in constant fear. Never had she thought that her brother’s suspicions might become reality.
The day after Catal’s betrayal, Selena had fled Columbia and her brother. All she wanted was to escape the violence and bloodshed. When she’d found out she was pregnant, she had vowed her baby would never grow up as she had. The United States seemed to be the safest place to raise a child. Nothing in her past had prepared her for the mind numbing horror of these past few days since Tarrin’s kidnapping. She had been too young to understand when her parents had been abducted, but now she knew what Juan had lived through. She understood his fear and need for revenge.
“You can get back to your jobs.” Agent Kelly motioned for the other agents to leave. She only raised an eyebrow when she saw Firbin and Ranon follow the agents out of the room.
“What kind of mother do you think I am?” Selena’s voice was a hollow whisper.
“I have wondered.” Agent Kelly walked further into the room. “You must admit that it is a possibility, given your background, that you would know how to orchestrate a kidnapping.”
“I rejected that life and all its violence.” Selena straightened her shoulders. “Tarrin is an American citizen.”
“What about your brother Juan?” Agent Kelly crossed her arms over her chest. “He’s never renounced his cause. In fact, he’s quite a powerful man now.”
Selena shrugged. “I can’t tell you where my brother is, but I know he would never hurt Tarrin. He’s family.”
“Don’t you find it strange that a woman as privileged as you, would renounce everything for the life of a nanny.” Agent Kelly’s voice had a hint of steel in it.
“I had to think about Tarrin.” Selena moved away from Catal. “Governments and causes come and go. There is no future in fighting the inevitable.”
“Very profound.” Agent Kelly’s voice was dry. “I imagine your brother has enemies that know where to find you?”
“My son has been kidnapped and all you can do is accuse me of causing it. Is it any wonder I called in the Hunters.”
Agent Kelly’s eyes widened. She glanced at Catal and Partlan. “We’ve been getting chatter for years about a group of mercenaries calling themselves ‘Hunters’. I thought you guys were an urban myth.”
“We are real,” Partlan answered.
Agent Kelly turned back to Selena. “The fact that you would go to the extreme of calling in these guys has me concerned. What are you really afraid of?”
“I want my son found, nothing more.”
“Not good enough.” Agent Kelly’s tone was emotionless. “I need answers now, or I will call in backup. No matter how good these guys think they are, I will take them down.”
Agent Kelly reached into her jacket to pull out her gun. In that second, glass shattered and the whirring of air passed through the room. A crack and then the splintering of wood on the fireplace mantle. The distraction gave Partlan enough time to grab Kelly’s gun. He spun her around and pulled her second weapon from her back.
“I have never broken the Sacred Code and hurt a woman.” Partlan put the weapons into his combat vest. “Do not make me chose between you and Catal’s mate.”
“Where did that shot come from?” Hysteria was evident in Nikki’s voice. “I thought you said we were safe.”
“It is one of my men.” Partlan pushed Agent Kelly into a chair. “I think we should continue this discussion without accusations.”
“I’m doing my job.” Agent Kelly tried to stand, but Partlan put a hand on her shoulder.
“Perhaps, but two children are missing.”
Catal led Selena to the armchair beside the agent. She sank into it with a sigh of relief. She didn’t think her legs could hold her much longer. The visions of her past life were horrible. Worse, was the thought that it might have been the reason Tarrin had been taken.
“Selena’s brother would not harm the boy.” Catal stood with his legs wide and arms crossed. “It is more likely that the boys were taken because of who Gates is. His parents are celebrities. Abducting their child will make the kidnappers infamous.”
“You obviously don’t know Juan Duarte.” Agent Kelly rolled her eyes. “He has a list of crimes longer than most streets.”
“It depends on which side of the government you are on.” Catal’s voice held a note of reason. “The man fights for his beliefs and what he thinks is best for his country. It wasn’t so long ago that the United States felt the same about organizations like his. They did train and arm them in the beginning.”
“We have never condoned their violence.” Agent Kelly leaned forward in her chair. “They don’t know what they’re fighting for any longer. It’s just an excuse to ensure their power.”
“That may be true, but I fought beside him. I know he is not capable of hurting a child.”
Selena’s heart skipped a beat. Surely Catal wasn’t defending her brother? Juan had insisted that Catal was a traitor, a non-believer who had sacrificed the lives of Juan’s men for money. It also sounded as if Catal was unaware of what Juan had been doing recently. She’d lost track of her brother. For all she knew he might be more ruthless and powerful than he had been in the past.
“We are wasting time. Tell us about the kidnapping.” Partlan’s voice was clipped. “If you do not wish to share with us, then we will begin the search on our own, but it will take longer.”
“They were taken at a soccer game.” Steve spoke first. He rubbed a hand over his face. “It was my fault. I was late picking them up.”
“You are certain this is when they went missing?” Catal’s eyes narrowed. “Could they have wandered away from the game, or taken a ride with someone else?”
“We’ve talked to the other parents. No one saw the boys after the game.” Agent Kelly cleared her throat. “They seemed to have vanished.”
“Who else was at the game?” Partlan’s tone was crisp.
“The usual spectators.” Steve shrugged. “No one stood out. I dropped them off and made certain they were with the coach and then I went to a meeting.”
“So there was nothing unusual.”
“No.” Steve’s voice was defensive. “I’ve done it many times before. Tarrin is very responsible and he usually makes certain that no one comes near Gates.”
A sob escaped Selena. “Tarrin always takes care of Gates.”
“Which soccer field were they at?”
“Coldwater Canyon Park off of North Beverly.” Steve’s voice was intense. “We’ve gone through this with the FBI so many times, and nothing stands out.”
Partlan nodded. “Tell us what is the norm.”
Steve frowned. “There were the parents of the other players.”
“How many?”
“There were thirty-two children and approximately
seventy spectators.” Agent Kelly answered before Steve could reply. “We do not suspect the children. We did interview them, but they hadn’t seen anything.”
“What about the other parents and the coaches?”
“They all checked out.” Agent Kelly’s voice was clipped.
“Why do you not know the exact number of spectators?”
“There were several photographers there.” Agent Kelly cleared her throat. “It seems the soccer team is made up of a number of celebrity children. The paparazzi follow the games on the off chance that they may get a picture.”
“Leaches.” Steve’s voice was full of venom. “It’s one thing to follow me, but Gates should be off limits. These guys have no boundaries.”
“Then we use them.” Partlan looked over at Catal. Selena could have sworn a secret message passed between them, because Catal nodded and left the room.
“Continue.” Partlan nodded to Steve. “How late were you getting back to the children?”
“Fifteen minutes.” Steve sighed. “It’s happened before, but the boys are always there. Usually one of the other parents waits with them until I show up.”
“So this is a known behavior.” Partlan’s voice carried no censor.
“I usually bring them to the games.” Selena shuddered and pushed back her horror. This was the first time she’d heard that Steve was so casual about picking up the boys. “Nikki asked me to attend a meeting with Gates’ teacher that afternoon.”
Partlan turned to her. “How many times has this happened before?”
Selena shrugged. “Maybe four times.”
“It sounds as if it were a spontaneous abduction, or else the kidnapper was very patient.”
“We’ve already considered that.” Agent Kelly’s voice was patronizing. “We are trained in this type of work.”
“You received a ransom note?”
“The first day.” Agent Kelly heaved a sigh. “It was brief. It stated that the children were safe and that further instructions would follow.”
“We called the police right away.” Steve leaned forward on the couch and hung his hands between his knees. “At first I thought the boys would be home. It seemed reasonable to think that one of the other parents had given them a ride, but when they weren’t here, I called the police. The note arrived later that evening.”
“And now everyone knows the boys are missing.”
“We went to the press immediately.”
“We asked them to.” Agent Kelly’s voice was bored. “We needed the public’s help. An alert went out. Someone had to have seen something.”
“And did they?” Partlan raised an eyebrow.
Agent Kelly turned away and crossed her arms. “No.”
“People must have thought what they were seeing was normal or else it happened out of view of the others.”
“You can’t know that.” Agent Kelly’s voice was strident. “Assumptions can be dangerous. We have to consider all possibilities.”
“People do not lie in this kind of situation.” Partlan’s voice was low. “They want to help. Our job is to find the truth and work from there.”
“You make it sound as if we aren’t doing the same thing.”
“You do not have our experience.” Partlan turned back to Steve. “Was there another contact?”
Steve looked at Agent Kelly. She nodded. “We received a note from Gates yesterday.”
Selena jumped up. “You didn’t tell me.”
“It was addressed to us.” Steve shrugged. “We let the FBI handle it.”
“We thought it was better not to upset you.” Nikki’s voice was soothing.
Selena’s eyes widened. She knew Nikki well enough to recognize her actress mode, and she was definitely in it now. She was playing the caring and considerate heroine. The real Nikki was completely opposite. She was abrupt and to the point. There was a reason she hadn’t been told. Her heart started to pound.
“Why?”
At that moment the door opened and Catal came in. Selena turned to him and for a second forgot the anger and pain he had caused. She reached out a hand to him. Instantly he was at her side, his hand gripping hers. A wave of calm washed over her and for a second she let herself be lost in it.
She took a deep breath and turned back to Nikki. “I knew you were hiding things from me. That’s why I called in the Hunters.”
Nikki gave a light laugh. “You’re family Selena. We would never harm you or Tarrin.”
Selena shook her head. “You’ve kept me in the dark about the search for the boys, even though I’m Tarrin’s mother. What are you hiding?”
“We have told you what you need to know.” Agent Kelly’s voice was brisk. “We can’t be certain that you aren’t involved.”
The words hung in the room for several seconds.
“You think I would kidnap my own son?” Selena swallowed back her horror and let anger replace it. “How dare you suggest such thing? Why would I do it? What would I have to gain by letting my son suffer?”
“If you’re behind the plot, then most likely your son isn’t suffering.” Agent Kelly’s voice was matter of fact. “From my experience, money is usually a good motive.”
“I was at the teacher meeting.” Selena spat the words out. “How could I be in two places at once?”
“We’ve already established that you have some serious criminal connections.” Agent Kelly tapped off her arguments on the tips of her fingers. “Second you have motive, which is money. You had the means and opportunity. We don’t know who you’ve introduced Gates to while he’s been in your charge. He would trust whoever you said was safe.”
“You believe I would actually do that to a child?” Selena’s voice rose in hysterical fury as she turned to Nikki and Steve. “I’ve looked after Gates since he was a baby. He’s like my own son.”
Steve shrugged and looked away. “It has happened before.”
“Not by me.” Selena’s voice shook. “My own son was taken. You have no right to blame me behind my back.”
“We could hardly tell you to your face.” Nikki’s eyes narrowed. “No one would take Tarrin. He’s the bastard child of an immigrant with no money.”
“You forget my so called connections.” Selena sneered. “If you know about my brother, you know he’s not poor.”
“We also know he is capable of kidnapping.”
Selena turned to Agent Kelly. “My brother is not in the United States. I haven’t spoken to him since I came here.”
The FBI agent shrugged. “He associated with criminals. That is more than enough reason for us to suspect you.”
“My son is still missing.” Selena took a deep breath and forced her voice to become calm. She didn’t trust the FBI or any government agency, but she needed their information. Once they had everything, then she would let the Hunters do their work. “What was in the message you received?”
“It was from Gates.” Nikki answered. “There was no mention of Tarrin, only that Gates was alone in a dark place and he wanted to go home.”
“I assume there was a ransom note attached.”
Agent Kelly nodded. “They are demanding ten million dollars. They were to send more instructions today.”
“Those are the instructions you came in with?”
“Yes.” The agent cleared her throat. “They want more money. They will let us know about the drop spot later.”
“I’m trying to put the money together.” Steve’s voice cracked. “How much more can they demand?”
Agent Kelly looked over at Selena and then her gaze flickered away. “This is the first time they’ve mentioned Tarrin. It seems they won’t release him without more money.”
“More?” Selena choked. “How much?”
“Another ten million.”
Selena’s heart dropped. There was no way she could raise that kind of money. She might be able to contact her brother, but she hadn’t a clue how to go about it. Besides, she didn’t want his blood money. She’d
vowed to sever all connections with him, and she had. Her only hope was for Steve and Nikki to help her. She would find a way to pay them back once Tarrin was home safe.
“I don’t have that kind of money.”
“I can’t raise anymore.” Steve’s voice held regret. “I’ll be lucky to have only enough for Gates.”
Catal cleared his throat. His hand tightened around Selena’s. “I will give it to you.”
Chapter 4
“Where would you get that kind of money?” Steve’s voice held disdain. “Rob a bank?”
“If necessary.” Catal’s voice was calm. “As it happens I won’t have to do that.”
“Mercenaries are well paid?”
“Yes.”
Selena’s despair filled him. He couldn’t let it continue. If having the money would help her, then she could have everything he owned, but it wouldn’t come to that. Catal and his brothers would find the kidnappers first.
“Selena asked us for help, and we will give it.” Partlan spoke now. “If that means giving the cash for the ransom, then so be it. I doubt it will come to that, though. If we do have to exchange money for the boys, we will get it back.”
“I don’t want you messing up the FBI operation.” Steve punctuated each word with a pointed finger at Partlan. “They have everything under control.”
“It’s obvious you had no intention of trying to save Selena’s son.” Catal’s words were harsh. “There is no need for us to coordinate with you further.”
“What about my son?” Nikki’s voice was frantic. “You promised that you would find him also. Are you just going to abandon us because we didn’t tell you everything?”
“We gave our word.” Partlan’s voice was devoid of emotion. “There would be no honor if we did not try and save both boys.”
Catal could feel a surge of relief flow through Selena. The tension in her body eased. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and reassure her that he would find Tarrin. He sensed her rejection. She still blocked him. What had been between them once, was no more. If she hadn’t been in desperate need for her son, she would never have contacted aHunter4Hire, and he wouldn’t have found her.
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