Page 91 of Out of the Shadows

He pocketed his phone and looked out at cyber’s work area. Countless monitors were busy with activity. Restlessenergy buzzed through him. They were so damn close to bringing Constance Whitcomb down.

“Abbot,” he called out. When she glanced over, he made his way toward her. “Where’s Whitcomb right now?”

She turned to her computer. After a few keystrokes, numerous security feeds filled the screen. “Still at the Pacific View. She and the bodyguard resurfaced from their room not too long ago. Looks like they just got seated in the dining room.”

“Thanks,” he said. “Keep an eye on her, please.”

“You got it,” she said, calling over Oliphant.

Leaving them to it, Gavin reentered his office. He nodded at Alvarez, who’d pulled up an extra chair beside Xander. Taking his seat behind his desk, he met Quinn’s curious gaze. “We have confirmation that Constance Whitcomb is embezzling money from her family’s nonprofit foundation. There’s also a high probability that she was involved in the kidnapping of her nephew, along with the multiple shootings.”

Quinn’s eyebrows rose. “No shit?”

“We still have to dig a little deeper for the proverbial smoking gun, but it’s there somewhere. Esme will be informing the FBI with what we’ve found, but you know as well as I do, those fuckers are slower than molasses.”

Quinn remained silent and then nodded. “I can have Deputy Chase go out and post up at the resort.” With his elbows on the armrests of his chair, Quinn steepled his fingers and brought them to his lips. “If Constance leaves the resort, what do you think Chase should be on the lookout for? Hypothetically speaking, of course.”

“He could stop her for expired tabs.” Gavin shrugged. “Hypothetically speaking.”

Quinn chuckled. “Of course?—”

Gavin’s cell phone rang. “Sorry,” he muttered. He didn’trecognize the number but brought his phone to his ear. “Frazier.”

“The almighty Gavin fucking Frazier,” a man said, disdain clear in his voice.

Everything inside Gavin stilled. Glancing at his colleagues, he quickly put the call on speaker. “Who the fuck is this?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” The man tsked, clearly enjoying himself. “How about this? I have your girlfriend.”

Ice shot through his veins, and his vision tunneled on his phone. “What the fuck did you just say?” he hissed.

He desperately wanted to reach through the phone and strangle this fucker. Demand he tell him what the fuck he was talking about. Instead, he had to sit there and watch as Xander, Alvarez, and Quinn sprang into action. Alvarez shot out the door with his phone to his ear. Quinn moved to the opposite side of Gavin’s office, quietly speaking into his phone. Xander shot to his feet, his attention locked on Gavin.

The man on the other end chuckled. “Got your attention, didn’t I? Well, asshole, I have your girlfriend. Pretty little thing, and she looks great in those skintight leggings of hers. You have two hours to round up ten million dollars. I’ll call with transfer instructions.”

Gavin knew there was a protocol for keeping the caller on the line, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember what it was. The only thing on his mind was Bean. “How the fuck do I know you’re not lying?”

“I was planning on sending you a video of her before I send you the transfer instructions. I’m nice like that. Consider it like a before and after. If you don’t send the money, I’ll send another video of me cutting off one of her pretty toes. Perhaps one for each fifteen minutes you’re late with your payment. Once her toes are gone, I’ll move to her fingers. Talk soon, asshole.”

The call disconnected.

Gavin stood staring at his phone. A dull roar filled his brain. His heart hammered in his chest, and his breaths came in pants. Gripping the edge of his desk, images of Bean flashed in his mind like a slideshow. Then the images were tinged with red, and the noise in his head intensified. With a deafening cry, he flipped his desk. He stalked to the bookcase on the side of the room and upended it. Rage poured out of him in a howl.

He turned to the Smartboard mounted on his office wall and grabbed the edge, but strong arms clamped down around him.

“That’s enough, Frazier,” Xander shouted.

He stilled. Not because the other man had his arms pinned, but because he was about to clobber his friend.

“Brother or not,” Gavin seethed, “you have one motherfucking second to let go of me.”

Xander let go but shoved him hard.

Off-balance, Gavin fell onto his couch.

Xander got right in his face, and it took everything he had to not punch his friend.

“Dammit, Frazier, focus! We don’t know if he actually has her. Cyber’s tracing the call and searching for her phone.”

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