Page 11 of Sackett
“You kidnap a lot of women?”Selena didn’t bother pointing out that she was a woman, not a girl.She also knew that she did herself no good by giving in to hysterics.She needed to keep a level head if she was going to find a way out of here.
The stranger shrugged, he tilted his head and watched her, as if he found her interesting in some way.She didn’t like the attention.She couldn’t say why but it made her want to lie back down and pull a blanket up over her body, then her head, just so he couldn’t see her anymore.Selena refused to let him make her hide.Instead, she looked up at him, meeting his gaze and doing her best to be strong, if not outright defiant.After all, he hadn’t told her to do anything, only made her want to.
“You’re here as leverage.If we get what we want, then we’ll let you go, no worse for wear.”Something about his manner, she wasn’t sure if it was the way he moved or the way he spoke, struck her as smarmy.
“And if whoever you are after doesn’t do what you want?”
“Then we’ll have to show them we’re serious.”The stranger lifted one shoulder and let it fall as if he didn’t care one way or the other.He watched her a moment longer then started slowly pacing in front of her.
“How?”Selena narrowed her eyes at him, suspecting there was more to their proof of seriousness than met the eye.
“We told her we’d start cutting parts off you, but I’m not sure that’s our best option.No worries though.We have a bit of time to come up with a better plan.”Mr.Smarmy stopped pacing, turned and watched her, as if trying to gauge her reaction to his words.
She blinked as she stared up at him, giving him her best courtroom face.The one that let no surprise, no horror, no fear show.She didn’t know if he was trying to get her to react, but she wouldn’t give it to him.Her mind spun.He’d said her.The only current female client in or from this area was Donna.Was she here because of the case she had only spoken with the judge over so far?
Selena wondered for a moment if he was going to have a classic villain monologue moment.She hoped not, and could only hope that if he didn’t get the reactions he wanted from her that he’d leave her alone again.Then she’d work on getting out of this tape and trying to get out of here.She had to get out of here.Then she’d worry about figuring out where she was and how to get back to her life.
11
Pickinguptherentalcar went easier than Sackett had anticipated.He’d debated driving himself, then there would be at least one thing in his control, but in the end, handed the keys to Maverick.
“You drive.I want to go over the information Giz sent.Head for Fort Collins.I’ll refine the directions once I have more.”He headed for the passenger’s side, pulling out his phone so he could check messages, there were several waiting for him, if the number of notifications that had come in when he’d turned on his phone after landing was any indication.
After buckling in, he pulled up the first of several messages waiting in his secure email box.One by one, he went through them, reading through everything they’d been able to find out on one Noah Harrison.In a second email he found files on three of Harrison’s associates, a William Chandler, a Jacob Pearson, and a Jonah Harper, who from the files Gizmo had sent was the leader of the commune-turned-cult that Donna had been escaping when she’d met Savage.
Sackett didn’t pay any attention to the road or where they were going as he read, taking time out only to call Jake.
“This is Jake.”
“You with the group coming down?”
“I am.There’s me and three others.”
“Good.How close are you to Fort Collins?”
“Maybe half an hour, but we’re not headed to Fort Collins.Gizmo called me in the air, he got the exact location of the compound from Donna.The closest map dot is a tiny, almost community called Ted’s Place.That’s where we’re headed.”There was a pause.“We’re about fifteen minutes out.I’m not sure what all is there, but the compound is not in the community but closer.We’ll scout the immediate area and I’ll be in touch about where to meet up.”
“Sounds good.I’ll alter our route and let you know how long until we arrive.”
They rang off.Sackett used the on-screen map between him and Maverick to update their route then texted Jake with their ETA.Their brother wouldn’t see it until he stopped but since they were still nearly an hour out, it wouldn’t matter much.With the GPS leading them where they needed to be, he went back to the file and tried to get an idea what they were walking into.
Whentheypulledintothe large parking lot in front of a tiny gas station, Sackett couldn’t help but wonder if they were in the right place.There was almost nothing here.But the four motorcycles parked just north of the small grassy area surrounded by a split rail fence, and the men standing near the bikes, told him they were where they were supposed to be.
Maverick must have seen them too, because he pulled the SUV that had been reserved for them when they’d reached Denver into the lot and parked beside the bikes.
It took a few minutes to exchange greetings, even though it had only been a few weeks since they’d last seen each other, when they’d moved Tuck back to Tucson from the ranch.
“I’m surprised you brought Colt,” Sackett said to Ghost as they walked together, the others already gathering around one of the two picnic tables in the fenced in area.There were a few other cars in the lot, but they were clustered around the gas pump and small store attached.Unless someone had specialized equipment, there was little chance they would be overheard.And in the middle of the clearing, they’d see if anyone approached.“Tuck sent Maverick because he was the only one who could make the short timeline and wasn’t a prospect.”
“We didn’t plan on bringing him, but Jake wanted him.Apparently, the kid actually grew up around here.He not only knows the area, but he’s also been to the compound.It’s been a few years, but he dated a girl out there for a couple of weeks when he was in high school.”
Sackett could only blink and stare at Ghost for a moment as he let the information sink in.How had they gotten so lucky?Between the kid and information from Donna, they had a better chance of being able to find Selena before these goatfucker idiots did anything to hurt her too badly.
“Okay, this is what we know.”Jake bent over the table a tablet already laying in front of him and a legal pad next to it.Sackett didn’t know what the pad was for but as long as they got her out safely, he wouldn’t complain.“Here’s the satellite view of the compound.It’s off public access internet but Donna confirms that it looks accurate, at least up until she left a month ago.”He used the back end of a pen to tap the screen.“There’s a fence all the way around.It’s chain link but only six feet tall without any security measures on top or camera’s as far as she knows.”He went on to point out where Donna said it was most likely Selena would be held, as well as a couple of alternatives.He covered numbers, hazards and things Donna said to watch out for, then looked up at the rest of them, as if wanting to hear what they had to say.
“Most of the compound is open spaces, except for the buildings, and it’s edged by trees about three quarters around.We should wait until after dark to go in.Yes, it will be a little more difficult for us to get around, but we’ve all trained for that.”
Sackett looked around at the faces watching him.
