Page 106 of Spy With Me
Devi moved and quickly. She put herself between the two. Shewasn’t going to let Zach lose his mom. Her hands came up as though she couldplacate the beast she found herself with.
There were suddenly a whole lot of guns pointed their way.
“There’s no need for violence,” Devi said quietly, the wordstremulous. She forced herself to breathe. “I’ll be good, and Ms. Reed is goingto do what we need to do. I think you’ll find if you send Zach a body part, hewon’t be able to be reasonable. Send him proof of life and let him know I’mgood, that I’m being taken care of. That’s how you deal with Zach and myfamily. You’re right. I’m not a part of that team. I’m a fashion designer. I’mnot going to give you any trouble.”
She felt Shannon’s hand on her shoulder. She wasn’t sure ifshe was trying to give her support or needed the support herself, but sheappreciated the fact that she wasn’t alone.
Huisman backed down. “We’ll record proof of life when we getto the base. If you step out of line in any way, I will make you wish you weredead. I will allow all of these men to have a go at you.”
Shannon tried to move to her side. “And I will make sure mybomb explodes in your face. You won’t see it coming. I’ll be clever. I will notlet you harm my boy this way. He loves her. Nell told me all about her.”
She hadn’t even thought about Lacey…Lucy’s mom. She’d mether a long time ago and she was the sweetest woman. Was she okay? Had Henrygotten her out?
Devi pushed the questions aside because she couldn’t knowand wouldn’t trust anything these men told her. She needed to bring the heatlevel down. “I’m not going to cause any trouble. I’ll help Ms. Reed. I’m goodwith my hands, so you shouldn’t cut those off.”
Huisman snarled and turned and walked toward the back of theplane. She heard a door slam shut.
A sigh of relief went through her. Somehow all those menwith guns didn’t scare her nearly as much as the one who didn’t carry at all.
Shannon stumbled and Devi caught her, helping her back downto a chair.
“Hello, baby.” Ray hadn’t moved at all, and his focus wasentirely on the woman he’d put through hell.
Shannon brought her hand up, giving her husband the fingerbefore she slumped back.
Ray chuckled like she amused him. “It’s so fucking good tosee you, too, babe. We’re going to work a few things out.”
Devi sat down and found herself holding Shannon’s hand evenas she slipped back into sleep.
She vowed she would do whatever it took to protect Zach’smom.
ChapterSeventeen
“I don’t like this plan.” Big Tag paced the floor of thehouse they were renting on the outskirts of Kathmandu. “Or rather I don’t likethis timeline.”
From the small windows Zach could see the mountains in thedistance, including the one where Devi was being held. Where she’d been heldfor the last three days. Seventy-two hours where she might be tortured. He hadno idea what she’d been forced to endure while they’d been moving things intoplace and waiting for Ben Parker to let them know he was going in.
Zach was done waiting. “I’m turning myself in, and I’ll doit whether the Canadians are ready or not. We honestly still have to thinkabout what Huisman said. I find it interesting that they were so gung ho daysago they couldn’t wait for us, and now we’re twiddling our thumbs waiting forthem.”
“Kenzie only got the key card a few hours ago,” Big Tagpointed out. “And Huisman set a time limit. You still have twenty-four hoursbefore you turn yourself in.”
“Parker is being cautious.” Kala sat at the small diningroom table, watching them with hooded eyes. “I know. I don’t like this feeling.I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. I should be all Parker’s a traitor,but it doesn’t add up. I’ve worked with the man. He’s had several good shots attaking us out or handing us over, and he hasn’t. This is Huisman bullshit meantto divide us.”
“I tend to agree,” Big Tag said.
He didn’t know Parker the way Kala and Kenzie did. He wasn’tthe operative in the field. He was the guy who moved in when it all went tohell and they needed someone to start blowing shit up.
Sitting on his hands was killing him.
“She looked good in the last video.” TJ stood in the doorwaythat led back to the bedrooms. Lou and Tristan and Tasha were set up in whatthey called command central. Tris had already gotten into part of Huisman’ssecurity camera system.
They could see the workspaces but not his private residence,which was deep inside the mountain. They couldn’t see what was most likely historture chambers.
Last night he sat up watching the monitors, waiting for anysign of her. He’d watched as she carried something from the loading docks backto the halls where there were no cameras to be hacked.
She’d been steady and calm, and beyond looking tired, therewere no outward signs that she was being harmed.
But some scars were hidden.
