Page 39 of River

“Because we don’t know what will happen to him, we are far away…”

River interrupted. “Why is he still talking? He needs to be talking to the neighbors. Have him check the videos where I live to see if anyone followed Kat when she left the condos that morning,” River demanded.

“I’ll call you later. Here are some more jeeps. Do they have guns?”

“No, they don’t have guns. They’re crying. That’s Rush’s friend and his wife,” I said as the truck came to a stop. Rush jumped out and carried Joey to his parents. By then, they were all in tears.

Rush motioned to his friend, who approached and glanced at my leg. “Follow him,” Rush said. “He’s a doctor. He’ll fix you up. This is where we part ways. I’m heading back to base. Thanks for all your help. The Rangers will handle getting everyone to safety.”

We followed the doctor to his clinic, but I was already fading fast. I passed out before we arrived, completely unaware of what was happening with Kat.

I woke up three days later.

Raven was in the room when I opened my eyes. It took a few moments for my brain to catch up. “How long have I been out?”

“Three days,” Raven replied, meeting my gaze.

“Have they found her?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

“The neighbors went over when they heard the dogs crying. Kat must’ve locked them in a closet to keep them safe. They found blood, but we don’t know whose it is.Remember, Kat’s a Marine lieutenant. She knows how to handle herself in situations like this.”

“She’s a medic, not a soldier in combat situations. That doesn’t mean she knows what to do here. Help me up. We’ve got to find her. Where are the others?”

“They went to help find Kat. Gage said he saw a car parked outside the condo’s gate the morning she disappeared. They followed her when she left. The car was stolen, and there were no fingerprints,” Raven explained.

“Damn it. Help me stand. I’m so dizzy,” I muttered, trying to push myself up. Just then, the doctor walked into the room.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded.

“I have to go. Thank you for keeping me alive, but I can’t stay here,” I said, feeling the room spin. I closed my eyes, trying to stay upright.

“You lost a lot of blood. You’re lucky Raven’s blood matched yours. But you need to be very careful. If you put weight on that leg, you’ll tear the stitches and risk infection.”

“The woman I love has been kidnapped by someone who wants me dead,” I said, gritting my teeth. “They’re threatening to kill her. I can’t just stay here.”

“At least stay off your leg as much as possible. I’ll be praying you find her.”

“Thanks for saving my life. I’ll be careful,” I promised, even though I knew I wouldn’t be able to follow his advice.

21

RIVER

I hada splitting headache and desperately needed sleep. I walked into Kat’s bedroom and sat on her bed. I looked around the room, and that’s when I spotted the little recorder on the floor in the corner. With a groan, I had to push myself off the bed. My leg fucking hurt, but I ignored the pain.

I picked it up and returned to her bed; I lay back on her pillow, her scent still lingering.

Then I looked at the digital recorder and turned it on. I was about to turn it off when I heard a gunshot followed by the sound of men speaking in a foreign language. My heart raced. I immediately called Cyclone, it seemed to take forever before he answered. “Tell me what they are saying,” I demanded.

“What?” he replied, confused.

“Just listen!” I shouted, playing the recording—first thegunshot, then those bastards' voices. I could hear the dogs barking in the background. “What are they saying?”

Cyclone paused, listening intently. “It says, ‘Stuff her in the bag and let's get the fuck out of here before the boss wants us as damaged as she does this woman. Where did you get the recorder?”

“It was in the corner of Kat’s room. What language is that?”

“It’s Arabic, but it could be from several countries. We need to think about who you’ve pissed off.”

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