Page 85 of Hot Pursuit
Needing no more prompting, they all raced from the room. Nate and Leo ran to the temporary desks that had been set up for them in the New York office, and hurriedly signed on to the clunky desktop computers.
“Do we request an emergency landing?” Nate asked his partner, his right knee bouncing at an uncontrollable rate as he spun in his chair. “Somewhere in the States? We could have local police waiting?”
Leo scrunched his cheeks, thinking. “Eh, I don’t know. If there’s a hitman on the flight with her, an emergency landing might spook him into action. We both know he wouldn’t need a gun to make his move. Bare hands might be enough, especially if he acted fast enough, during landing when everyone was belted in.”
The idea made Nate queasy. “What then?”
“Let’s get to the Bahamas as fast as we can. My guess is they’ll try to hit Jo and her father at once, kill two birds with one stone, and destroy the evidence on the island. They must suspect foul play to have gone after Ryder. They’ll want to wipe the slate clean. But we can get to her first if we play this right. I know we can.”
“I’ll search for flights to Nassau,” Nate said with a firm nod.
“I’m already calling Air Traffic Control to see if they can stall Jo’s flight until we get there to intercept it.”
“One’s leaving from Newark in forty-five minutes.” The flight was sold out, and they’d never make it in time. But that didn’t matter.Sometimes, it’s good to be a Fed.“I’ll call the airline on the way to reserve seats. Tell Air Traffic Control they need to hold the flight.”
“Will do. I’m being transferred. Book a boat for when we land, just in case we’re too late.”
“Already on it.”
They went back and forth a few more times. Within five minutes, they hastily rushed out the door with nothing but their guns, badges, and wallets as they hailed a cab. Nate didn’t give a damn about the suits hanging in his hotel closet. The shoes. The belts. The boss would have someone grab them. All Nate cared about was Jo. Was getting to her in time.
Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
The memory made him flinch. He couldn’t be late—he wouldn’t be late.
Not this time.
Not with her.
Not again.
- 29 -
Jo
When the wheels touched down in Nassau, Jo jolted in her seat at the impact. She blinked a few times, clearing the water from her eyes, but couldn’t clear the daze. Her mind was a jumbled mess.
Russians.
And hitmen.
And arms deals.
And money laundering.
And human trafficking.
And those were just the words. The pictures that had come with them—
Jo shook her head and lifted her fingers to her lips, coughing as she fought to contain the physical manifestation of her disgust. Nate had been right. These were bad people. Horrific people. And her father had helped them. Jo saw the evidence clear as day. Some of the artwork she’d helped steal had been used as collateral payment for illegal arms deals with terrorist organizations, some for things even worse than that, things she couldn’t bear thinking about. Forgeries she’d seen her father create in his studio had been used to cheat and steal and lie. All the meeting dates had lined up with trips her father and Thad had taken, telling her they were going to the mainland for supplies. All the proof Nate needed was right there in his files, but Jo was the missing piece, the person who could tie it all together and confirm his suspicions. After finally opening her eyes to the truth, she knew exactly what she needed to do.
Jo followed the horde blindly off the plane, struggling to keep her mind focused on the reality around her and not the fireworks exploding like bombs inside her brain. She waited for her checked bag. The passengers around her grumbled about the delay. Apparently, the flight had taken about an hour longer than expected—a long route due to some unforeseen weather they’d had to fly around. Jo hadn’t noticed a thing. She didn’t even notice her bag on the conveyor belt until it slid right by and out of reach, forcing her to wait another few minutes for it to circle back around.
“Jolene!”
