Page 23 of Nate Hayes

Chloe’s mouth dropped open. “What? No—Grandpa would never—”

“Maybe not,” Siena said, her voice breaking, “but the people around him will.”

“We’re leaving,” I told Axel. “We’ll circle west, head toward that rocky ravine we passed. Lose the car, then we go on foot from there.”

“With three kids?” Axel said.

“Better that than ending up in a body bag,” I said.

I slung my rifle over my back and opened the barn’s side door just a crack. The Audi was still there. The two men were closing in, one with a radio to his ear.

“We move in thirty seconds,” I whispered. “Fast. Silent. Follow my lead.”

I looked down at Siena, then at Chloe and Ethan.

“I swear to you—I’ll get all of you out alive.”

Even if it killed me.

10

Fraiser

The mountain was quiet tonight.

Too quiet.

I leaned against the porch railing of the command cabin, sipping my coffee and gazing into the dark. Stars twinkled high above the pine trees, and the only sounds were the crickets and the occasional rustle of a wild deer in the brush. I loved the tranquility of my mountain.

But something wasn’t sitting right in my gut. Something wasn’t right.

Maybe it was age, perhaps it was instinct, or maybe it was just being responsible for too many of these damn SEALs who acted like invincible cavemen in camo.

Then my phone buzzed.

Encrypted channel. Nate.

I straightened immediately, heart thudding. Nate didn’t check in often during jobs, but it was always short and sweet when he did. This time, his message was anything but sweet.

NATE (Encrypted):

We are being hunted, someone is after the kids I found another grandchild in a barn she escaped but they have her little sister. They were waiting for us when we landed.

Damn it.

I tapped in a secure trace request and pulled up the coordinates. Tuscany. Middle of damn nowhere.

Just then, another message came through. This one wasn't from Nate.

It was from a local Italian number.

UNKNOWN PERSON:

If you want the kids back alive, stay out of this. Do not contact authorities. Your men won’t make it out next time.

I stared at it for a beat. Then I grabbed my secure phone and hit a speed dial marked onlyA&R Ricci.

It rang twice before a smooth voice answered.

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