Page 124 of Trapped
“Take her back to her room.”
The guy yanked me to my feet and dragged me back without a word.
The click of the thick metal cuff locking on my wrist had a finality to it that drained the fight out of me.
How do I warn Nathan and the guys at SSI?
I’d never be able to steal a phone, and it wouldn’t matter anyway. Everyone’s phone number was saved in my phone. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d memorized a phone number.
Except Grans and Ashley’s parents, because they still had the same landline phone numbers from when we were kids. I could call them and ask them to warn Nathan and everyone at SSI.
How the hell can I steal a phone if I can’t leave the room?
Chapter 43
Nathan
“How’d they find Ashley if you didn’t have a tail?” Kroup asked. He wasn’t the first person to ask, and I still didn’t know the answer.
“I don’t know. The only thing I can think of is they bugged my truck, but we searched it.”
“What about your phone?” he asked.
“It’s clean,” Doug answered. “Ashley’s too.”
“He could’ve hacked it, which wouldn’t leave a physical trace,” Kroup suggested.
“Fuck! Why didn’t I think of that?” I ran my hand down my face. “Sharpe?”
“I can try, but it’d take more time than we have. Let’s assume he did,” Doug answered.
“Then we leave all cell phones here and use comms from now on.” I asked, “John, will you collect them?”
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and asked Meg for a bag. After collecting the phones, he put them in his office.
“I don’t want Meg staying here alone. If he tracks the phones, it’ll lead him to her.”
“She and Violet can stay with Mary. I’ll call from the office phone and have Mary pick them up before we leave,” John answered.
“Thanks. And tell Ma I said thanks too.”
“Kroup, you need to call the missus before handing it over?”
“No, she’s made of granite. Kissed me goodbye and told me not to call until we’d saved your girl.”
She was a seasoned SEAL wife and knew the drill. Don’t give your man more to worry about before a mission.
“Then gear up.”
We put on black clothes, applied greasepaint to our faces, tossed on our body armor, and loaded our gear.
“You look like you’re going to war,” Mary said as she hugged John goodbye.
“Nah, just a little manhunt. I’ll be home before you know it.”
“You were supposed to be done with this shit when you retired from the police force.” Mary buried her face in his plate-covered chest. “You lied.”
“Mary, look at me.” She lifted her head, tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry I lied, but it wasn’t intentional. How could I know we’d see so much action?”
