Retribution (Secrets & Lies #3)(59)

“What?” I ask, running inside. Carson hands me my phone, and I hold it up. “Melissa?”

“Non, mon ami,” Isis purrs into my ear, “but I have her with me.”

I want to threaten her. I want to scream to bring Melissa back. Instead I take a deep breath, and remind myself that I have to be a pro, at least for a little while. “What do you want, Isis?”

“Lafayette Cemetery, midnight tomorrow night. If you and your entire family are not there, including the baby, she dies.”

“Including the baby? He's a sick f*ck, Isis. You know that, right?”

Isis hums before she answers. “Most of my clients are not what the world would consider normal. But those are his terms. If not... she gets mailed to that clinic in pieces.”

I can't help it, I shiver at the image. “I understand. One question.”

Isis pauses before answering. “What? You want proof of life?”

“That... but also a question. How did you know to look in Asheville? The clinic I understand, but why Asheville?”

“A couple of things,” Isis says. “First, those pictures. That granite is amazing, by the way. Then I remembered you talking about setting up a property in North Carolina right before our last mission. Who knows, maybe I was jealous and thought you were getting tired of me? Maybe that's why I shot you in the derrière.”

“Cashing out on an investment?” I ask, surprisingly not hurt at all. “If you say so. In any case, let me talk to Melissa. I know, it's just for a few seconds.”

“So much nicer to do this with pros than amateurs,” she replies, and the phone crackles for a moment before Melissa comes on. “Quick, and no clues, Melissa.”

“Nathan?” Melissa asks, and I feel my knees go to water, she sounds healthy at least so far, and not as scared as I thought she'd be.

“Yeah. Are you hurt?”

“I told Peter I'd bite his cock off, but so far I'm fine,” Melissa says, and I have to smile at the spirit in her voice. “Isis has been... professional.”

The phone moves again, and Isis comes back on. “So nice to be complimented for my work. Remember, Nathan. Midnight, Lafayette Cemetery. Everyone, or Melissa dies.”

The call ends, and I close my phone, tossing it to Katrina. “Track that number if you can. In the meantime, everyone get ready, we roll out in thirty minutes or as soon as Jackson's done with the van. Isis says we need to be at the Lafayette Cemetery at midnight tomorrow, or else.”

“You don't plan on making that meeting, do you?” Katrina asks, plugging in my phone. She gives me a smirk and starts typing, keeping an ear cocked even as she starts to work.

“Hell no,” I reply, a grin coming to my face. “I plan on finding Isis and Peter and making sure the only reason they need to go to Lafayette Cemetery is because that is where they're going to be spending eternity.”

Andrea, who's been watching the whole exchange, shivers and turns away. I grow concerned and come around, taking her hand. “Andi? Are you okay? Is it the baby?”

“No, everything's fine there,” Andrea replies with a shake of her head. “Just... when you smiled, I saw what you used to be, Nathan. I hoped I'd never see that side of you again.”

I nod, patting her on the knee. “Twenty-four hours, and hopefully you never have to again.”



“I got something,” Katrina says as we drive down the interstate. It's nearly three in the morning, and behind us on the bench seat BA is trying to sleep in her car seat, while up front Jackson is driving the van and behind us, Andrea is tailing in the truck.

“What do you have?” I ask, trying not to jump all over her. Katrina's been a trooper, working in the pitch blackness of the back of the van's rearmost seat. The satellite connection seems to be holding relatively steady, but I can't really tell, and she's been constantly working. “You have their location?”

“No, Darcy thinks Peter's got his car off right now,” Katrina says. Figures. If Coup De Grace can't get it done, BlakDhal1A can. It makes sense, too. Darcy in her home has the higher speed connection and a better setup than a laptop. But she's got confirmation of the system attached to that Porsche he's driving, and even had a two second signal, enough to get a general location, but not enough to give her a full GPS location.”

“What does she say about the feed?” I ask, and Katrina taps away for a second.

“She says it got her a lock to the center of New Orleans, but that she couldn't get closer in the time she had. But she doesn't think that's where he's holding Melissa. She got a reading within a mile, but most of it is either nice housing or nightlife. Not the sort of place to stash a kidnap victim.”

“Okay. Then next thing I want you to do is get some rack time,” I tell Katrina. “When we go unleashing hell tomorrow, I need you rested.”

“But...” Katrina says, then sighs and nods. “You're right. Okay, five minutes, then I'm moving closer to the front to catch Zs.”

“You can move at the truck stop. How's BA?”

“Amazing. I have the world's best daughter,” Katrina says softly, looking over at the baby seat. “I've got a nearly perfect family.”

“What would make it perfect?” I ask. “Better care of our rear windows?”