Page 50 of Complicated Past

A text popped up on the cloned phone.

Bring the boy. We’ll be at zone five

Leaving the parking deck now

Linc texted back.

“Wait here until I contact you,” he said to Kendra before getting out and unbuckling a groggy Jalen.

“Are we going to see Mommy now?”

“We are. We’re going to ride in this van.” He opened the sliding door, set Jalen inside, and then climbed in.

His team usually brainstormed their missions, with Chief Lundgren having the final say. Only they weren’t here. They’d faced dozens of dangerous missions where they couldn’t control factors.

He should have thought this through better. Make Bri come to the van and have Costa and Malloy shove her in. But if Fahey saw Costa, that could tank things as much as Jalen divulging Linc was here.

What if they messed this up, and Tawnya didn’t lead them to her bosses? Would they target Bri? Even Jalen or Kendra?

This had to work.

Linc stayed low and out of sight as Costa entered the arrivals area.

“I see them. Passing them now.” Costa navigated around cars stopped in the middle of the lane to pick up passengers, parked at the curb, and then climbed into the back of the van.

“He’s going to get you out,” Linc told Jalen. “When you see Mommy, I want you to run to her and give her hugs and kisses.”

“Big hugs!”

Costa held onto Jalen as they exited the van, and Linc got into position to watch out the dark tinted back window.

“Jalen!” Bri’s cry came through Linc’s earpiece. Jalen either heard or spotted Bri because he took off running.

Linc’s vision blurred as Bri abandoned the suitcase and dashed to scoop Jalen into her arms. The sound of noisy kisses warmed his heart.

“I missed you, Mommy.”

“I’ve missed you so much, baby.” Bri’s voice broke, and she choked on a sob.

Costa didn’t waste any time getting back in the van.

“Aww, isn’t this sweet?” Tawnya said in that nasally tone that grated on Linc’s nerves. She gripped a suitcase handle in each hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Bri went into bitch mode.

“Are you going to walk to my house from here?”

“I’ll get a taxi or borrow a phone to call a friend. Arealfriend. Because I’m sure as hell not putting my son in the car with you.”

“What about your things?”

Linc couldn’t determine if she meant Bri’s belongings in the suitcase or Regina and Kendra.

“Nothing in there means anything to me. Just take your crap and go. But if you or your kidnapper friend lay a hand on me or my son, I’m going to scream so loud that every cop in this area is coming down on you. We are done.”

“What about your grandma and the social worker?”

“Make the delivery and let them go, and you won’t have to worry about me.”

---