Page 24 of Ozzie

“Where were your guys sitting when they got the intel?” I ask.

She points to the adjoining building. “On that roof.”

“It doesn’t make sense that they leave JB alone all day,” I say.

Harding is reading something off her phone. “They thought so, too, so one of our guys followed the men. They own a shop at the Grand Bazaar and were there all day.”

I lean back. “Our kidnappers are shop owners? That doesn’t seem right.”

Harding shrugs. “They saw an opportunity and wanted to make some money on the ransom. Makes sense to me.”

Lightning rubs his hands together. “This looks easy. We go in, grab the boy, and leave.”

Harding folds up her map and slips it back into her bag. “Don’t get cocky.”

“No cockiness here,” Lightning says.

“Ha!” I blurt. It couldn’t be helped.

Harding laughs. “Yeah, he is pretty full of himself.” Then Harding grows serious. “There’s another complication, so this isn’t going to be as easy as it looks.”

Of course, there’s more. Otherwise, this would have been a mission Harding could have taken care of by herself.

“There’s a snowstorm coming in tonight. We should be in and out before it arrives, but we’re monitoring it just in case.”

Lightning frowns. “A snowstorm? Are we driving somewhere after we land?”

Harding shakes her head. “No, it’s a snowstorm coming right at Istanbul. It’s rare but not unheard of.”

There’s an uneasy feeling in my stomach, but I try to ignore it. Like Harding says, we’ll be done before it comes in.

“Hey, how is Piper doing? Reed said she was attacked by an ex-boyfriend.”

“She was, but even after he shot her in the leg, she kicked his ass. I had no idea she had moves like that,” I say.

Lightning laughs. “Suppose those aren’t the moves you’re interested in.”

I elbow him hard. “Don’t disrespect her like that.”

“You really do care for her,” Harding says.

Harding is not someone I’ve ever talked to about my feelings for Piper. But she’s perceptive, and I’m sure she’s picked up on something.

“I do.”

Harding lies down across her seat and the one next to her. “Good. She needs more good men in her life. I’m going to try to sleep some more. You should too. I’ve set my phone alarm to go off as we begin our descent.”

Her comment makes me wonder if she knows Piper’s history. I’ll ask her later when we aren’t on an assignment.

“Sounds good.” I glance at Lightning, who jumps up and returns to his seat.

I lie back and close my eyes. We boarded the plane at four this morning, so I really do need to get more sleep. But my mind is racing as I wonder what Piper is doing now. I need to get focused. Durango is with her, and he’d never let anything happen to her.

Once we disembark from the plane, we each go separately to the south side of the Grand Bazaar. The hope is that no one connects us together. The problem is there are fewer American tourists here in January than you’d see during cruise ship season. Although we all did try to dress to blend in.

I spot Harding ahead but continue on, leaving distance between us until I’m on the street where the building JB is in is located.

I walk down the road, keeping my head down. There are not many people out here, so once it appears no one is watching, I duck between two buildings and head to the back.

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