Page 52 of Abducted

Cal kicked his foot out, stomping near the handle. The door flew open and crashed against the wall. Wood splinters scattered the floor. They entered, their feet soundless on the carpet. Ethan closed the door softly behind him.

The heavy scent of cigarette smoke invaded his nose. “Come out, Stamos!” Cal barked. He stepped over a take-out box on the floor near the front door. Food-encrusted plates were rotting in the kitchen. The curdling smell of sour milk made Cal swallow over a lump of nausea.

Ethan strode toward the closed bedroom door at the back of the apartment. Cal scanned the living room and checked out the bathroom behind him. Ethan tried the knob.

“It’s locked,” he said gruffly as he took a wide step back and stomped his foot out. It connected with the wood, and the door sprang open, splinters and chunks of debris floating to Cal’s feet as he charged into the bedroom behind Ethan.

He cursed.

It was empty. “Shit,” he breathed.

Ethan lowered his gun. “I’m not surprised. He wouldn’t come back here after coming after you.”

Cal nodded. “Let’s take a quick look around.” He began opening the nightstand drawers, and Ethan moved into the living room. Hell, it was unlikely that he’d find anything remotely helpful. Stamos was stupid, but not dumb enough to leave a paper trail. The nightstand held a bag of weed and a bong, along with a small box of condoms.

“There’s nothing here,” Ethan called.

Cal met him in the living room, and they left the apartment. They climbed into the truck and drove to the address Lana had given them. The difference between the two neighborhoods was staggering. Neatly groomed trees and shrubs lined the newly paved road to Shawn’s address. “Let’s see if we can get through the back without drawing attention.”

Ethan nodded his agreement, and they parked a street over. They moved swiftly down the quiet street and into someone’s backyard. It wasn’t as late as he preferred, but it was dark and quiet. They hopped the fence and landed in Shawn’s yard. Cal pulled out his lock pick set, and Ethan held the flashlight steady. He inserted the tools and maneuvered the lock. It clicked softly. Ethan smiled and they pushed the door open. Silence greeted them.

Cal pulled out his Glock and Ethan stretched his gun out in front of him as they moved out of the laundry room and into the main area. The living room was lit up, and soft voices floated from the TV.

The metallic smell of blood hit them first. Cal’s stomach churned. He knew that smell. Too damn well.

“Shit,” Cal hissed.

“Goddammit.” Ethan turned away from the sight. There, on the couch, was Will—or at least a body that appeared to be his—throat slit. Blood pooled on the brown leather couch beside him, a slow drip forming a puddle on the floor. Cal tucked his Glock into his pants and went for the man’s pocket. He pulled his wallet out and opened it up.

William Anderson Lawson.

Ethan nudged him toward the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

CHAPTER 18

God, this wasawkward. Nate was a nice guy, but having him babysit her in silence had her nerves on end. She cleared her throat for the second time, her brain grasping at conversation topics like straws. Nate tore his gaze away from the baseball game that filled the screen and snagged another handful of chips.

“Cal told me you two were in the military together?”

He settled back in the deep couch and nodded. “Yup, I’ve known him eleven years.” He chomped into a chip and kept his gaze off of the TV. “Actually, I owe it to Cal for getting me out of there. He was the first to leave recon, and until he did that, another career never entered my mind. The night before he returned to the U.S., he sat me down and asked me if this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The short answer was no.”

“How do you guys remain so close when you have such different careers?”

Nate dusted the salt off his hands and rested his feet on the coffee table. He shrugged. “In some cases we get to work together, though not often. Cal is stealth, and very few people know who he is or what he does. That makes him indispensable to the FBI. He’s done some undercover work, and has gone into places the FBI doesn’t have jurisdiction.”

Her eyebrows rose. Wow. Cal had told her his work was dangerous, but hearing the description from Nate made her palms sweat.

“That’s impressive.”

Nate nodded, scooped another handful of chips, then turned his hazel eyes on her. “So you really have no idea who could want you dead?”

Her mouth went dry, and a coil of guilt tightened in her stomach. These men, whom she barely knew, were sacrificing their lives for her…and she was clueless as to who even wanted to do her harm. She swallowed and reached her hand out to stroke Rufus’s ears. He let out a snore and nudged his nose closer to her.

“It’s been spinning through my mind nonstop. But I can’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt me.”

Nate’s lips thinned. “Cal seems pretty dead-set on it being Tanner.”

She rested her elbow on the arm of the chair and pressed her fingertips into her temples. Tanner. As Cal’s primary suspect, he’d been at the forefront of her mind, too. But something didn’t fit.

---