Walter lowered his head, pretending to fool around with the canteen, and took sly glances around the clearing. Fewer strange faces this time. Only the man cooking and one other fellow near the water barrel were unknown to him. Which was odd and a little disconcerting.
Did it mean Marco was winding this operation down? Had he run out of money? Time? Or had the company finally agreed to pay the ransom?
No, he refused to let his hopes grow. He knew the company rules and the laws about paying ransoms and hostages. No one would be paying for him or coming to rescue him. The only person who cared was Shae, and what could she possibly do about this situation?
He had to get Marco to contact her for a ransom.
Walter shuffled over to the cooking fire and fell into another line of men. Marco got up off the log and strode toward him, his ball cap pulled low over his dark eyes. Walter tensed, unsure what to expect.
Marco passed him, went to the fire, and ordered two bowls of whatever the man was dishing out. He took the bowls, came back to Walter, and motioned with a sharp jerk of his chin for Walter to follow.
If Walter wanted to eat, he had to trail after Marco like a puppy.
Walter wanted to eat.
He turned and followed. Marco returned to the log and sat. Walter came up, stood in front of Marco, and waited. He knew the rules. Who he had been in the corporate world meant nothing here in the jungle.
“Sit down. Eat.” Marco held out the bowl.
Walter took it and sat on the ground. He had to look up at Marco, something he was sure would please him. The man had a serious authority problem.
“I think we should talk.” Marco didn’t eat.
Walter looked down at the bowl. Some sort of beans and rice mixture. No meat that he could tell, but protein enough to survive. He scooped a small bite up with his fingers and ate.
He knew better than to ask any questions. Marco would tell him in his own time.
“I have a problem. They will not stop the drilling or the fracking.” Marco shrugged.
“I told you they wouldn’t.” Walter shrugged also.
“So you did. Your company, they have no regard for you.”
“No.” Walter sighed, ate another bite. “I told you in the beginning this wouldn’t work. My company won’t stop, and the US government doesn’t deal with terrorists or pay ransoms.”
Marco stared at him. “Now, I’m wondering what I should do about you.”
“Let me go?” Walter shoveled another fingers-full of rice and beans in his mouth. Better to die on a full stomach, right?
Marco growled, and Walter swallowed as he shifted backward.
“Why don’t you just contact my daughter and at least get a ransom?” At first, Walter hadn’t wanted to involve Shae, but right now, with the company and the US refusing to deal with Marco, she was fast becoming the only way out of this.
“This isn’t about money!” Marco shouted, but his upper lip trembled, and his hands clenched into fists.
Walter softened his voice to soothe. “Of course, but money is good, no? Everyone could use a little more money. Say, a half million or so? You could do a lot of good with that kind of money.”
Marco scratched his head under the cap. “That’s a lot of money, but maybe not enough.”
Walter nearly whooped. Finally, they were talking money and ransom. He might just get out of this after all.
“How much would be enough? Enough to let me go, swap me for the money? Alive.” Walter held his breath. Marco had never let him speak of ransom before today.
Marco looked up at his men, narrowed his eyes, and then smiled slowly, showing his teeth like a feral dog.
Walter watched emotions play across the man’s face, trying to read him. What did he see? Disappointment. Greed. Anger. But mostly greed.
“A million.”
“American dollars?”
Marco nodded.
“I’m not sure my daughter can get that much money. Half a million, sure.”
“She could go to the bank. To your company. Get a loan.” Marco leaned forward, his eyes slits, like a snake. “She would pay anything to get you back, no?”
This was no time to blow it. Walter nodded. “Yes. But it might take her a few days to gather it all up.” All he wanted was to have some contact with Shae. And with a ransom, she’d know he was still alive. “But, she’s smart. She’ll want proof of life. Video. Phone call.”
Marco nodded as he sat back. “How do we contact her?”
“You have my phone. Just call her using it.”
Marco narrowed his eyes. “Your phone makes international calls, yes?”
“Yes. We spend a lot of time in Brazil. We pay extra for it.” Walter sighed and rubbed his eyes.
He reached into his backpack, pulled out Walter’s cell phone, and stared at it. Then Marco stood, and before Walter could react, backhanded Walter across the face.
Pain exploded, and his teeth rattled. Walter fell back, spilling the bowl from his hands. His head hit the ground, and his vision swam.
“Look at me.”
Walter opened his eyes as he rubbed his cheek, his hand coming away covered in blood. Marco stood over him, filming him with the phone.
“Your father will look much worse if you don’t pay.” Marco hit the button. He played it over, watched, and then he snorted.
“See, Walter? You don’t look so executive. Think she’ll recognize her pappa?”
Marco turned the phone around and played the short video. Blood ran down the side of Walter’s cheek where the blow had torn his skin. His gray hair was filthy, matted, and his once white shirt, now grimy, sweat stained, and torn, hung on him.
God. Shae would freak when she saw this. Walter’s meager meal threatened to explode from his belly, but he swallowed down the bile of it.
Marco stood, laughing, and walked away.
Hatred surged in Walter’s chest.
Perhaps he could kill a man, after all.
»»•««
The plane took off, and Shae watched as the ground dropped away. It was much louder than a commercial jet, but the seats were the same, if not a bit wider. She dug in her backpack and pulled out the paperback, opened it, and settled into her seat.
After they’d reached cruising altitude, Max came by and sat on the arm of the chair across from her. He held out a bottle of water.
“Here. We need to stay hydrated. The humidity is supposed to be off the charts.”
“It is. Especially this time of year, despite it being their winter.” She took it from him and twisted it open. “Thanks.”
Max looked up the aisle to where he and Logan sat.
“I don’t know what’s going on with you and Logan, but I’m going to suggest you both put it to the side while we’re on this mission.”
“I’m fine. Nothing and no one is going to come between me and getting my dad back.”
He gave her a hard stare and then nodded. “Good. When we land in Brazil, we’ll get to a hotel and regroup. Check out the latest intel on the group. See if there’s been any word about their whereabouts.”
“Great.” Shae nodded. “Then what?”
“We get some food, get some sleep, and set out first thing in the morning.”
“What? I thought we’d get going as soon as possible.”
“Well, I’m not going to rush into anything, Shae. Safety is job one. For us and for your dad. Going in half-cocked would be foolish, and we could lose any advantage we might have.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “I know this is hard. But we’re the experts, and from here on out, it’s our game. We make the calls.”
“Okay.”
“So for now, relax as much as possible. We’ll be landing in about five hours.”
Shae chuckled. “I guess this is what they mean when they say the military is ‘hurry up and wait’?”
“Damn straight.” Max popped the back of the chair in front of her with his fist, stood up, and then strode to the back of the pla
ne. Shae could hear him, voice low, checking on the other men.
She closed her book and her eyes and leaned back in the chair. Max was right. This was the quiet before the storm, and the more rested she was, the longer she’d last in whatever came their way.
But damn, she wanted to get out and push the plane, just to get there faster.
Chapter Seventeen
Shae woke to the song of her phone signaling a text. It wasn’t the one she’d programed for Maddie, but her dad’s phone. Her heart slammed against her chest as she sat up, snatched it off the fold down tray table on the empty seat, and stared at it.
Her father was calling her. At last!
“Max!” She held up her phone and wiggled it.
Max and Logan stood and rushed down the aisle to her, Max in the lead. “What’s up?”
“I got a text from my dad.” Her grip on the phone turned her knuckles white.
Max nodded. “Go ahead. See what it says.”
She tapped the text icon and scrolled to the top. She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer. Please let him be okay. Please.
She hit the number.
“I have your father.”
She gasped and looked up at Logan and then to Max. “What do I do?”
“You’ll have to answer it. This could be the break we’ve been looking for.”
Logan leaned over the back of the seat in front of her. “Ask who this is.”
Shae typed in, “Who is this?”
They held their breaths, waiting.
“Not important.”
“What now?”
“Ask him for proof of life.” Logan nodded at Max’s suggestion. Shae exhaled and typed, “I need to know he’s alive and well.”
They waited for the next message. The text came back.
“It’s a video.” She held up the phone for them to see.
Max leaned over and put his hand on Shae’s arm. “Listen to me. Do you want me to watch this first?” His gaze bore into her.
She shook her head. “No. I can deal with this.” She held her breath and hit the play icon.
Her father lay sprawled on the ground, his face dirty and bloody, and his clothes were filthy and tattered. He looked shocked and definitely afraid.
A heavily accented voice said, “Your father will look much worse if you don’t pay.” Then the video ended.
Shae stared at the fuzzy image of her father on the frozen video.
“He’s alive.” Tears welled and burned her eyes. Her throat tightened, and she had to struggle to breathe.
“Ask him how much?” Max tapped on the phone to get her attention.
“Right.” Shae typed in, “How much?”
“750,000 American dollars.”
“Ask when and where?” Thank God Max knew what to ask, because right now Shae couldn’t put her thoughts in order. She wanted to scream, Give him back to me! But instead, she typed, “When? Where?”
“In two days. In Belem. Answer now or we’ll kill him.”
“Stall for time.” Max pointed at the phone.
“Two days. I have to get to Brazil. And then to the bank. I need more time.”
“Not my problem. Be there or he dies.”
Shae moaned as she input, “Okay. Please don’t hurt him. I’ll pay. I’ll be there.”
“More info in 8 hours.” And the text ended.
Shae slumped in her seat and held the phone to her forehead. He was alive. Nothing in the video looked as if he’d been badly hurt. She lowered the phone.
“Seven hundred and fifty thousand? I don’t have that much money.” She looked up at Logan. “Where will I get the extra two hundred and fifty?”
“We’ll worry about that later. Play the video again.” Max watched over her shoulder. “There. See? He’s in the jungle. Let’s see if we can get any info off of it, but I’ll bet they aren’t far from Belem if that’s where they want to meet you.”
Logan nodded. “I’ll get the pilot to adjust course to land in Belem. That will knock a few hours off our flight time.”
“Can you forward the video to Travis?” Max tapped her phone.
“Sure. I don’t have his number.” She handed it to Max, and he sent the video on to Travis and then gave the phone back to her.
“Do you think it’s recent?” Logan scowled. “We really don’t know when it was taken.”
“Don’t kill my hope, Logan.” She glared at him until he turned away from her. “It’s bad enough I don’t have all of the money.”
Max sighed. “No, he’s right, Shae. Until Travis dissects it, we won’t know exactly when it was shot.” He patted her shoulder. “But for now, we’re going on the idea that this is current, and your father is alive and as well as can be expected.”
Shae nodded, sorry now that she’d snapped at Logan, but she hated to hear her own fearful thoughts about her father spoken aloud. Another apology she owed Logan.
Both men moved away to the front. Shae watched as they knocked on the door to the cockpit. It opened, and they spoke to a man, perhaps the copilot. After a few minutes, the door closed, and they took their seats.
Shae hugged her phone to her chest. She wished Maddie was here, if only to have her encouragement and strength to buoy her spirits.
Maddie might not be here, but she could text her.
“Got a ransom demand for dad. They want 750K. I have 500K.”
Shae only had to wait a few minutes for Maddie’s reply.
“Praise Jesus! Good. We can scrape up the rest. No worries.”
“No details yet. Where will I get the money? This will wipe out dad’s liquid assets.”
“You’ll have to get into his managed accounts. Can you?”
“No. Not without his consent. They won’t release any funds to me, only him.”
“Then he’ll have to contact the investment company.”
“How? They have him.”
“If they want the money, they will have to let him communicate with the company. Keep me in the loop.”
“Will do.”
Shae bit her bottom lip and chewed on it, thinking hard. There had to be a way for him to release those funds. Online, maybe?
God, she didn’t think she could stand to wait the next eight hours. She glanced at the time on her phone. Seven hours and thirty-seven minutes until her next message. Maybe they’d let her speak with him? With a heavy sigh, Shae rose from her seat and headed to the back of the plane to the bathrooms.
As she passed Gunnar, Rowdy, and Jake, they gave her head nods, and she gave them a wide berth, relieved they didn’t ask about the text from the kidnappers. She just didn’t think she could hold it together much longer, and all she wanted was to get to the bathroom and splash cold water on her face. And collapse from sheer relief.
She opened the door and squeezed in. After peeing, she flushed and stared at her face in the mirror. She looked sad, but not shaken. Inside, her guts twisted, and her throat squeezed so tight, if she tried to talk, she’d just squeak like a mouse. And she really wanted to roar like a lion defending its pride.
If she ever got her hands on the bastard who took her father, she wouldn’t be responsible for her actions. They’d better hold her back, or she’d have that guy’s balls for a trophy. She fisted her hands and leaned on the counter, staring deeper into her own eyes.
“Stay strong. You can do this. You can rescue Dad.”
She wrapped her arms around her body and closed her eyes as the tears fought for release. No, she wouldn’t cry. That would be showing weakness to the guys she’d worked hard to impress and to accept her being on this mission.
She swiped at her eyes with her palms.
Bending over the sink, she turned on the tap and gathered the water in her cupped hands. It wasn’t as cold as she’d hoped, but it was cool enough. She splashed water on her face twice and then snatched some paper towels and dried off.
“Ready.” She opened the door and stepped out.
Logan stood there, leani
ng on one of the seats.
“What are you doing here?” She frowned at him. “How long have you been standing there?”
He held up his hands as if warding her off. “Hey. Just needed the…” She continued to stare at him. “No.” He exhaled. “I just wanted to see if you needed anything. Like a friend.” He gave her a crooked smile.
She opened her mouth to snap and then closed it. Took a deep breath.
“Logan. Thanks for being concerned. I’m good. Really. I just needed a moment to clear my head, that’s all.”
“I know this has got to be hard for you, seeing your dad that way. We’re going to get him back, I swear it.”
He looked so serious and so confident. Shae wished she felt the same, deep down inside.
“Do you need anything?” Logan reached out and touched her cheek. The palm of his hand was so warm, so safe…
Shae couldn’t fight it anymore. She leaned into his touch, closed her eyes, and exhaled. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a soft embrace. Not too tight, not to loose, just right. She slipped her arms around his waist and hung on.
“You’re okay, baby. I’m here. The guys and me, we’re going to make sure your dad comes home alive and well. Whatever it takes.” He rocked her slowly and rubbed her back as she buried her face in his neck. She inhaled, and the scent of Logan filled her nostrils. He smelled so good. Like safety and strength and home.
Oh God, she had it so bad for this man.
She believed Logan. If it were up to him, if he could deliver her father, he would. He hadn’t left Billy, and he wouldn’t leave her.
“Thanks, Logan.” She sniffed and pulled away, even though she could have stayed in his embrace forever. They had to stay professional. For her father’s sake.
Chapter Eighteen
“Now, all I need is another two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Can you write me a check?” Shae laughed, but her heart wasn’t in it. If she couldn’t get the money, would they settle for the five hundred thousand? Or would they just kill her father?
“Not me. I don’t know anyone who has that kind of money. What about your father’s company? Would they front the money?”
“I doubt it. They refused to negotiate before. I can’t believe they’d pay the extra two fifty.” She shook her head. “Besides, it’s illegal. No way would they risk going against the law.”
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