Game of Fear (Montgomery Justice #3)(86)

“If our suspicion is right about the Gasmerati family and the game people working together, maybe there’s another location we can search.”

“Our . . . informant . . . mentioned other construction sites. One in Nevada, right? One somewhere else. Idaho or Ohio. He wasn’t sure.”

A possibility stewed in Gabe’s mind if Steve Paretti was telling the truth. “Version VIII is close to being released and Ashley has vanished. Shannon disappeared just prior to Version II releasing.” He raced to the vehicle and pulled out a list. He ran his finger down the dates of the missing kids. “There are clusters of kidnappings. I need the release dates of Point of Entry.”

“You got it.” Whitney pulled out a tablet and tapped for a few moments. She strode over to him and they compared the list. “Not bad, Gabe. You’d make a decent detective.”

“What are you saying?” Deb asked.

“Except for Ashley and Justin, there’s been a distinct pattern. Approximately six months before each issue of Point of Entry, several high-IQ teens have gone missing.”

Deb gripped Gabe’s arm. “They just take them? And they’re never found.”

Gabe didn’t know how to answer. He could imagine exactly what happened to them if the bone fragments here were any indication. The idea was too horrific to imagine.

A siren sounded off in the distance. Several vehicles sped toward them.

Whitney stepped back. “The local police are here to cordon off the crime scene. This is going to take a while. The FBI is on the way. State and federal forensics, too. I have to follow up, there’s nothing you can do here. See if your informant can identify any other locations. We have to narrow down where she might be.”

“I have access to equipment that will handle that,” Zach said. “We can find a penny on the ground from outer space, if we need to.”

Gabe nodded. “Okay, we’ll head back to Denver.”

Zach and Deb started toward the car. As he unlocked it, he yelled, “I’ll leave it at the airport for you, Whitney. Keys will be at the rental’s registration desk.”

Gabe hung back, feeling awkward. Should he hug her? Man, this was messed up.

Whitney shifted her feet and looked at him. She nearly held out her hand, but she didn’t. There was an awkward silence. “I’ll be in touch if I learn more,” she offered.

“Right. Same here.”

He started back to the car when the sat phone rang. He looked down at the number but didn’t recognize it. “Hello?”

“Uh, hi. I’m, uh, trying to reach Deborah Lansing. This is supposed to be her phone.”

“Hold on. I’ll get her.” Gabe bolted to the car, pulled open the door, and hit the Speaker button. He indicated the call was for her and Deb grabbed it.

“Hello, this is Deborah Lansing.”

The voice on the other end broke. “This is Ashley’s boyfriend, Justin Connell. We were kidnapped. You have to help me rescue her or she’s going to die.”





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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE




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DEB GRIPPED THE phone in her shaking hand. “Justin! Oh God, Justin, do you know where Ashley is?”

Zach and Whitney came running.

Staring into the phone as if she could see Ashley through the device, Deb gripped it tight with two hands. “Where are you, Justin? Where’s Ashley?”

“Idaho.” Justin’s voice had gone urgent.

Gabe met Deb’s gaze. Ernie had been right. So had Steve.

“D-desert somewhere in southern Idaho. There’s a bombing range nearby.”

Zach immediately began searching his phone and Whitney her tablet.

“What’s the nearest town?” Deb demanded.

Gabe tightened his hold. “Keep it together,” he whispered. “Get as much detail as you can.”

Deb nodded.

“I don’t know. But a couple of miles from here is a weigh station. It got hit with a bomb and exploded. They tried to kill us. They won’t stop.”

Bombs, explosions, what the hell was going on? “What are you talking about, Justin?”

“Just let me talk. I don’t know how long this phone will last.” Justin took a deep, shuddering breath. “Ashley’s in trouble. I tried to convince her to come with us, but they put a tracking chip in her and someone had to disarm the security system. She’s the best—”

A sob escaped him, then an urgent whisper sounded in the background.

“Shut up, Dave,” Justin hissed. “I know. I’m trying to be quiet. We hitched a ride, but they found us. The truck driver is dead, his rig exploded. We barely got away. We had to run. We’re still in the desert somewhere near there, but I saw a sign advertising Reno. Black Rock City, too, though I don’t know how far away they are. I don’t think we’re near the Nevada border yet.”

He cursed. “My battery is on red and blinking.”

Deb could barely talk around her fear. “Where’s Ashley?”

“Still at the compound with the others. A huge gray warehouse kind of building, but it’s filled with electronics. They had us working on computers. Look for power usage. Has to be huge. But the place is fortified like a prison. Guards. Guns. Sensors. The works.”