Page 86 of Hard Wired

“Tomorrow?”

“Someone will call you in the afternoon when the car is nearby. They’ll tell you where to meet up with them. All you have to do is ditch the ankle monitor and walk away. If the police figure out your running, it’s not a problem. Our car will get to you faster.” Sandford smirked. “Until then.”

The lawyer’s face disappeared.

He hadn’t even given Dominic a chance to argue, to ask questions. Nothing. Because there was absolutely nothing he could do.

Charles was demanding he come in and put himself at the mercy of the Syndicate.

Dominic didn’t just turn off his screen. He powered down his phone completely. “He’s gone.”

Sylvie raced across the room. “Why are they doing this? Do you think they know about our plan to target their hackers?”

Dominic shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think they’ve been planning this all along. I gave them what they wanted, so now they have no more use for me. Maybe Charles really does want me to put in a word with his captains. But after that…”

They were going to kill him. Dominic was sure of it.

He hardly felt anything, just numb. Like the shock hadn’t worked its way through his entire brain yet.

“You’re not going with those people, are you?” Maureen asked.

He huffed a laugh. “Not if I want to live through the week.”

Sylvie covered her gasp with her hand.

Charles had trapped him. Left him no way out but to run.

Lana had told him they might be able to move up the schedule if circumstances changed. But could she find a way to get him out of here by tomorrow?

He reached for his phone. Then he remembered he had to use the burner. “I need to contact Lana and see if the Feds can get me and Maureen out of here tomorrow.”

“They have to,” Sylvie said. “There’s no way they’ll just leave you at the Syndicate’s mercy. You’re a witness.”

Tanner walked toward them, his hands tucked casually into his shorts pockets like always. “Or we could just skip the bureaucracy and deal with Bennett Security instead. We’ll get you out of here tonight. No messing around. We’ll get you into one of Max’s safe houses until we can figure out a more permanent arrangement.”

“You think Max would do that?” Dominic said. “You’d be helping me violate bail. That’s a crime.”

Tanner shrugged. “Pretty sure he would.”

Sylvie sat on the couch and took Dominic’s hand. “Even if Max wouldn’t help you, he would do it for me. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.“

He wasn’t sure he believed her. But it meant a lot that she’d said it.

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