Cowboy In The Crossfire(55)

"Y-yes."

"Where did you find it?"

"I got an email from Vince. There was a link to a file."

A low curse sounded from the phone. "Always was a geek," the man muttered. "Bring me the file. I want a hard copy, all electronic copies and the location of the file. Don't try anything funny, or your son dies."

Blake grabbed the phone. "Where do you want me to meet you?"

"Not you, Redmond. Hawthorne's sister. Only her. You bring backup, the boy dies. You call in the Feds, the boy dies."

"You don't need her. I'll come alone."

"She won't be able to lie to me." He paused. "And Redmond, we're watching you. We know you've got help in there. If you want to see the kid alive, you'll follow my instructions to the letter. I want to see Amanda Hawthorne at the corner of Main and Third in one hour. She comes alone."

The phone clicked off.

Blake slammed the receiver into the cradle.

"I can't wait to get hold of this guy." Rafe's expression was dark, the patch over his eye making him scary. "They know I'm here. We've lost the element of surprise."

Amanda walked between the two men. "He's my son. I can do this."

Blake sighed and lifted her chin. "You're the bravest woman I know, but--"

"No." She pushed at him. "I can do this. For Ethan."

A knock sounded at the hotel room door.

Blake eased toward it gun drawn. Rafe followed. With a quick nod at Amanda, she eased into the entryway of the bathroom. On signal, Blake threw open the door.

A man stood in the doorway hands in the air, palms outstretched.

"Johnson?"

At Blake's incredulous voice, Amanda studied the man's face. He looked like a cop. Definitely.

"Don't shoot," Johnson said.

In one sharp move, Blake pinned the man to the open door. He patted him down and removed a knife and gun, handing them to Rafe.

"Blake, I'm here to help."

He spun Johnson around. "How did you know we were here?"

Amanda squinted at the intruder's face, then her gaze raked up and down his clothes. She'd seen them before. The four-leaf clover patch on his sweater's elbow locked her gaze. It was him. It had to be. "Where's my son?" she screamed. "Where's Ethan?" She hurled herself toward him, but Blake held her back with one arm. She strained against his grip. "He took Ethan away."

Johnson looked right, then left. "I don't have much time. Please, let me in. If only because we were undercover partners. You trusted me once."

"Obviously a mistake."

"I can help you get her son back."

"You have one minute." Blake stepped aside, his Glock pointing at the man's head. "Kidnapping a kid, Johnson? That's lower than the scum you used to arrest."

The detective looked at Amanda. "I'm sorry. I don't know how this happened."

"Sorry doesn't bring my son home to me." Amanda crossed her arms, glaring at him.

The detective flushed, guilt staining his cheeks. "Look, the boss is very, very good at drawing you in. At first you think you're helping get the bad guys who get away with it." He shook his head. "Before you know it, you've crossed a line and he has you."

Amanda gave a snort of disgust. "Coward."

"How many are involved?" Blake asked, giving her a warning look.

"I don't know totals. Farraday and I led the...enforcement team."

"Farraday? From Homicide?" Blake shoved his hand in his hair. "Bad temper. And always a few tacos short of a combo."

"He's dead," Johnson said. "Boss killed him."

"Is that why you're here?"

Johnson stilled. "Look, I know I screwed up, but this thing has gone way too wrong. My family's at risk, too." He turned to Amanda. "Do you want to save your son's life?"

"What kind of question is that? I'd do anything."

"If you let these guys call the shots, you're all dead. But there might be a way to get out of this thing alive. Interested?"

"I'm listening," Blake said, his voice still suspicious.

"I leave here with Amanda. We go to that abandoned warehouse off Ninth Street. I tell him that she doesn't trust you anymore and went to the drop zone early with the evidence, so I snagged her. She gives my boss the evidence, and you surprise them."

"No way in hell!"

Amanda gripped Blake's arm and studied Johnson. "Why would you take Ethan earlier and help us now?"

"Boss has gone too far." Johnson stared at her, his eyes haunted. "I don't kill kids."

Amanda took in a deep breath. She looked at Blake, the man who had sacrificed everything for her and Ethan. Her heart pounded. She glanced at Rafe, who still had his weapon pointed at Johnson. "I'm going with him."

"I can't let you," Blake said, although he stood, his eyes blazing with golden fire. "I won't."

"We don't have time for a debate. If they discover I'm here, I'm dead." Johnson turned, keeping his hands visible and looking nervously at Rafe's gun. "Don't go trigger-happy. I'm taking something out of my pocket."