Max shook his head and then turned down the hall to the stairs. Logan laughed and winked at Shae. She just shrugged. These were big men, with big appetites. But this was Brazil, and meat was a way of life here.
“I’m sure we can find you some steak, even for breakfast.” Shae patted Gunnar on the shoulder. She had to stand on her toes to reach he was that tall. He flashed her a smile, and she could see the man would be all sorts of trouble.
Max, Shae, Logan, and Gunnar left the hotel and got in the SUV. Max drove as Logan set the GPS for the bank. Gunnar sat in the back, next to Shae.
“We’ll find something near the bank so we don’t have to waste time.” Max followed the map’s directions.
Gunnar’s belly rumbled, and Shae chuckled. “Make it quick. Someone back here’s about to explode.”
Logan laughed. “He’s on a schedule. Wake. Eat. Work. Eat. Eat. Work. Eat. Sleep.”
Gunnar grunted. “You left out a few things, buddy.”
“There’s a lady present.” Logan jerked his head toward Shae.
“Sorry, ma’am.” Gunnar bobbed his head.
“Don’t you dare ma’am me.” Shae growled. “My name is Shae. Got it?”
“Got it.” He smiled and sat back.
Shae crossed her arms over her chest. She was nowhere near old enough to be called ma’am. But these men were good men, and she couldn’t fault him for his manners.
She watched the screen of the GPS nav system as they traveled toward the bank. Logan hit a few buttons, and some spots highlighted. The end of the thick red line of their path marked the bank. Her belly rolled a bit, knowing they’d be there soon.
How the hell could she eat and then keep it down at the bank? Pulling out that sort of money and having to make sure the bank’s people didn’t give her a hard time got her butterflies to fluttering as if they were swarming a honeysuckle vine.
She rubbed her stomach to soothe it, but that didn’t really help. In the front, Max and Logan discussed something in lowered voices, occasionally pointing at the screen.
Max pulled the SUV into a small parking lot and grabbed a space. “This looks like a good place for breakfast.”
They got out and headed to a café with a bright awning. It was busy but not packed. Shae came to the front to deal with the language problem, and she got them a table near the front window.
They sat and perused the menu.
Max leaned forward. “Bank opens in one and a half hours at nine. That gives us two hours to get to the drop. Should have plenty of time. Travis checked out the coordinates, and we should make it there with time to spare if the bank goes smoothly.”
“Shae, you’ll have to get them to give you the money as fast as possible. Since the kidnappers didn’t specify the denomination of the money, get the largest you can. It’ll be smaller to carry and easier to track.”
She nodded. “The currency is the real. I think if I ask for one thousand and five hundred real notes, we should be fine. That would be a lot smaller than one hundred or fifty real notes.”
“Will the bank have that much on hand?” Logan rubbed his chin.
The waitress came, took their orders, and left.
“They should if we split up the note amounts.” Shae had never withdrawn that much money before, but this wasn’t some hole in the wall local bank. “Dad picked this bank because it’s international. I can’t think they wouldn’t have enough money.”
The food arrived. Shae checked her phone for any call from the kidnappers and to see the time. Her foot bounced under the table, and she could barely eat a thing. The men around her chowed down like it was their last meal for a long time.
With being military, she figured that’s how they rolled. Eat and sleep when you can, and the rest of the time? She pushed her plate away.
Logan frowned at her. “You should eat.”
“Sorry. If I did, I’d just throw it up.” She shook her head. “Not cool, barfing as you’re trying to deliver a ransom.”
Max nodded. “No, not cool. But you’re made of sterner stuff, Shae. You’ll do fine.” He didn’t touch her, but the tone of his voice, his assurance of her abilities, felt like he had patted her on the back.
No wonder these men followed him, even after getting out of the military.
Max checked his watch. “Finish up. We need to go.” He rose, went to the counter, and paid for their meals as Gunnar and Logan finished the last bites. Shae excused herself and went to the bathroom.
It was a small room, meant for one person at a time. She splashed water on her face, dried off, peed, and then washed her hands. Looking into the mirror, she focused her gaze into her own eyes.
“You can do this, Shae Walker. You will get your father back.”
After a sharp nod to her reflection, she turned away and left the bathroom.
The men waited for her at the door. Together they headed to the SUV and the bank.
»»•««
Walter followed the man in front of him. They were moving fast, much faster than before, but he didn’t care. This was the day all of this horror show would end. Marco would get his ransom, and Walter would be released.
Or killed.
He couldn’t read Marco, and that was something he was usually good at. Reading people’s intentions. Their motives. But Marco was a mystery to him. At first he came off not as an eco-terrorist, more of a terrorist, and looking comfortable in taking Walter hostage. But then, he seemed truly upset when Walter’s company wouldn’t shut down their drilling and fracking operations. Once all hope of that vanished, he became the terrorist again, settling for cash. So which was Marco?
Terrorist? Killer? Concerned environmentalist?
God, Walter prayed it was the environmentalist. The fear of Marco killing him was only second to the terror of him hurting Shae. If he did, nothing and no one would keep Walter from killing Marco himself. With his bare hands if he had to.
He clenched his hands as they marched through the jungle. Marco walked two men behind him, bringing up the rear. The lead man was setting a brutal pace. The men around Walter were huffing and muttering about it. He ventured a glance over his shoulder. Marco had fallen back a length or two.
Still, not enough to make a break for it, and without weapons or knowing where he was going, or his passport and wallet, it would be madness to try it. Walter looked up at what little sky he could see through the canopy of the trees.
Mid-morning. Between nine and ten, maybe.
God, when were they going to stop and take a break? His side ached, and the muscles in his legs were quivering, threatening to give out at any moment. He kept moving, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, moving forward, surviving. For Shae.
»»•««
Shae entered the cool of the bank, with Max and Logan behind her. She stopped to take it in, scan the layout of the large room and the smaller cubicles of the staff. Ahead of her, four chairs were grouped around a coffee table. She moved to it and took a seat to wait. The three men followed her and sat also.
Within a few minutes, a woman came out to greet them. Shae rose, extended her hand, and greeted the woman in Portuguese. Then she explained her companions spoke only English, and did the lady understand that language?
Luckily, she did. The woman escorted them to her cubicle, but there were only two chairs in front of her desk. Shae took one, and Max took the other. Gunnar and Logan stood behind them, leaning on the low wall of the cube.
“How can I help you?” The woman, Marta, smiled, trying to look helpful.
“Well, I’m buying some property here, and the closing is today. I need to take out my money and pay in cash.” She waited for Marta to digest this.
“Cash?” Marta frowned. “Must it be in cash?”
“Yes, the owners insist.” Shae shrugged, falling into the Brazilian mannerisms she’d grown up around. “It’s tiresome, but…” Another shrug.
“And how much is this amount you need?”
; “One point six million reals.”
Marta blinked.
“You can handle this, right? I hope I didn’t make a mistake having my money at this bank.” No way could Shae survive if this didn’t go through. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest, she thought that Marta would see it for sure and alert the police.
“No. Of course not.” Marta fumbled with her computer. “What currency amount do you need it in?”
“Five hundred or one thousand is fine. Or a mixture if you don’t have enough of one.” Shae crossed her legs, leaned back, and let out her breath slow and silent. She knew better than to act as if anything was wrong. Her father’s life depended on it.
“Your documents, please.” Marta held out her hand.
Shae opened her backpack and pulled out her ID, passport, and the bank card. Marta took them, looked them over, and then smiled.
Marta stared at them and then stood. “I need to speak to my manager. Pardon me.” She walked out of the cubicle and over to another office.
“What’s happening?” Max leaned toward Shae, lowering his voice.
“I’m not sure.” Shae swallowed as she kept her eyes on Marta, who stood in front of a man’s desk, showing him her documents. “What will we do if…”
Logan touched her shoulder. “Relax. You said yourself, they handle cash sales all the time, right?”
Shae nodded.
“So, she’s probably making sure they have enough money on hand. Clearing it with her boss.”
“Right.” Shae exhaled as Marta left the office and headed back to the cube.
Marta entered and smiled at them. “Everything is fine. I just need to scan these and check your balance.” She turned away to a scanner behind her on a credenza. In a few moments, she faced Shae and handed back her papers. Then she typed in some info and scanned the screen.
“Yes. The balance can cover this.”
“Of course it can.” Shae smiled back.
Marta stood. “I’ll have to go to the vault and get the money for you. Will you accompany me?”
Shae stood and grabbed her backpack. “Of course.”
When Max made to stand, Marta held out her hand. “Just the lady.”
Max sat down. “Sure.” He gave Shae a look, and she nodded.
“Be back soon.” Shae passed Logan, and their gazes locked. He gave her a barely-there nod. She followed Marta to the vault, waited as Marta unlocked it, and they stepped inside.
Alone, without her guys for backup, Shae was on her own. She unzipped the backpack as Marta opened a drawer and began to count out the money, placing the stacks on a table in the center of the room.
Shae watched the count. The stacks grew. Not huge, but they’d certainly fill the backpack with little room to spare.
Marta finished. “Shall we count together?” She held up a stack of one thousand real bills.
“Yes.” Shae held open the bag as Marta counted and dropped the bundles into it.
It moved faster than Shae had thought. Marta was efficient and never lost track, using a pen and pad to count off the large amounts.
At last, the bag was filled. Shae zipped it closed.
“Thank you so much.” She held out her hand to shake Marta’s.
“I’m glad you have those big men with you. I’d be scared to take such money onto the streets.” Marta gave her a nervous laugh.
“Well, as soon as the sale goes through, it won’t be my worry anymore.”
They left the vault and met the men at the cubicle. Shae handed the backpack to Max and gave him a nod. “It’s all there. I’m sure our buyer will be more than happy.”
“Good.”
They said goodbye to Marta and left the bank in a tight group with Shae on the inside. For Shae, they couldn’t get to the SUV fast enough. The men kept their eyes open, scanning the surrounding area until they’d unlocked the vehicle and climbed in.
Shae sat with the bag between her legs.
“How much time do we have?” She had to make the drop at eleven.
“Forty-five minutes. Plenty of time.” Logan leaned forward and punched in the coordinates for the drop site into the nav system. A red path showed on the screen.
Shae sat back and exhaled. Now, they just had to drop off the money and wait for the kidnappers to tell her where to pick up her father.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Walter came to a stumbling stop. They were in a small clearing. In the distance he could hear…something. Not jungle noises. A highway? No. A train? Maybe. Whatever it was, they were no longer deep in the Amazon.
Marco had brought them close to the pick-up spot. Walter’s heart raced, and he longed to just sit down. Freedom was so close he could taste it.
The men slung their packs off, tossed them to the ground, and then fell on them. The pace had been hard for everybody. Walter started to sink down to the earth but froze as Marco came up to him.
“If your daughter does as I requested of her, she will have brought the money. Once my man has it, he will call, and I will release you as promised.” Marco grinned as he pointed to another of the men standing nearby, but something didn’t feel right to Walter.
“I have your word on that?”
“Of course!” Marco laughed. His mood seemed to have improved, no doubt due to the impending income heading his way.
Walter didn’t trust Marco. It came down to that. He knew Marco’s face. Knew the faces of the men around him. No one had done anything to hide their identities from him. He’d been a fool.
They were going to kill him, perhaps even before they got the money.
“Wait here.” Marco pointed to the ground. “Raoul will meet your daughter in an hour.” He patted his gun and turned away. He signaled for the man he called Raoul to follow him and left the others to guard Walter. They stood together as Marco gave him instructions. At least, that’s what Walter figured.
Marco looked over at him and grinned at Walter like a shark. Oh, yeah, he was going to kill him as soon as he got the word from Raoul the money was safe.
The men around him gave each other knowing looks as they settled against their packs. They kept their rifles close, and only three covered their faces with their hats, signaling they were going to nap.
This might be his only chance to get free. But with the men surrounding him, he’d never make it to the jungle cover twenty yards away. He didn’t have the stamina to run or the strength to keep going. The men were tired too, but much younger than him.
All he could do was wait and see how it all played out.
He just hoped they’d leave his body where someone could find it, if only for Shae’s sake and the closure it might bring her.
»»•««
Max headed to the drop site.
Logan’s phone rang and he answered. “What’s up, Travis?”
Logan held his breath. This could be nothing or something.
“Look, I found something. A line of men moving in the jungle just outside of Belem.”
“You think it’s them?”
“I do. Same configuration. Same guy in the middle, no backpack, no rifle, white shirt.”
Max glanced to Logan as he signaled to stop, and then pulled over.
“Hey, why are we pulling over?” Shae leaned over the front seat. “We don’t have much time.”
Logan held up his hand for silence, and amazingly, Shae listened.
“Estimated time to them?”
Silence.
“Twenty minutes. They’re close to the west edge of town. Not far from the drop site.”
“What’s up?” Max turned to Logan, and they exchanged a look.
“Okay. Here’s the deal.” Logan turned to face her. “Travis thinks we’ve found your dad, like we did before, through satellite imagery. He’s close, in the jungle. This is real time.”
“He’s alive!” Shae grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. “That’s great news, right?”
“Right.” Logan licked his lips. “Okay, so, we have the
money. We could go to the drop site and leave it. Or we could go after your father, get him, and keep the money.”
“What? Not deliver the ransom? Is that really an option?”
“It is, but it’s risky.” Logan looked into Shae’s eyes. “Your call, Shae.”
Shae took a deep breath. “I don’t care about the money, but…”
“I hear you. Delivering the money means we have to wait to hear where they’re going to release your dad, if they do. They can decide to take the money and kill him.”
“Or it can go smooth, and we get him back,” Max added.
Shae glanced at Max. “What do you think?”
“I think saving your dad is priority one.”
“It’s just how we do it that’s the question.” Logan pointed to the map on the dash screen. “We’re equal distance right now. I can have the men meet us here,” he pointed to the jungle, “or we can go on to the drop site.” He moved his finger to the red dot.
Shae closed her eyes. “Both options are risky, I get it.”
“The real question is whether you believe we can get him back unharmed or whether you believe the kidnappers won’t kill him. He knows what they look like. He might even know names.” Max shrugged.
Shae opened her eyes. “What would you do if this were your father?”
Max, Logan, and Gunnar spoke at the same time, “Go get him.”
A laugh burst from her, like a bubble of air in a pond. “Oh God. I have to be out of my mind. But all I can think is what would my father do if the roles were reversed?”
She sighed and fell back against her seat. “He’d go after me. He’s a risk taker, and I don’t think anything would stop him from getting me back.”
“So.” Logan put his hand over hers. “Call it.”
“Let’s do it. Let’s get my dad back.”
»»•««
The SUV slid to a stop, and Shae grabbed the back of the front seat to brace herself. They’d hauled ass to make it here with enough time to spare. Four doors opened, and everyone got out.
“What will he do when they don’t find the backpack?” Shae clutched the bag in her hand, filled with money and the hope of getting her dad back.
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