Secret Obsession (Carder Texas Connections #6)(49)

“Oh, yeah, it’s definitely real,” he said. “Too real.”

He groaned and rolled out of bed. “But unless you want Zane to know exactly how we spent our evening, we should probably make the bed.”

She stepped over the spread, her cheeks flaming. Within a few minutes they’d tucked the spread around the pillows and smoothed the wrinkles.

“I better set up the computer,” he said, powering it on and setting up the secure internet. “You’re brilliant, you know. How many people would recognize written Sanskrit?”

“If I were smarter, I’d have figured this out before poor Bill was killed.”

“Come here,” he said, his voice husky, pulling her closer for another kiss. “Without you, we wouldn’t have a lead at all. Take the compliment.”

A sharp knock sounded at the door. Noah left her standing by the computer, pulled out his Glock and answered the door.

Zane walked in. He looked down at her then straight at Noah, his brow arched. With a hooded glance, Noah took in Lyssa’s appearance. She looked thoroughly kissed; there was no denying it. So much for keeping the relationship hidden.

He cleared his throat. “Have a seat.”

Zane popped the top on a can of soda and tugged his laptop from his bag without saying anything except with his eyes. Bad idea. She’s in danger; it could cause trouble. Noah’s head might agree. His heart didn’t give a damn.

He pulled out a sheet of paper and scratched a spiral on it. “Let’s assume each symbol stands for a single number or letter. We think the fourth is a nine.”

“Is the third just an E?” Zane asked.

“I think Lyssa was right before. Let’s try four. Arabic.”

“You really believe he went to the trouble of using different languages?” Zane asked.

“Lyssa speaks several languages, she was a UN translator. In a twisted way it makes sense,” Noah said.

“In a psycho’s head, I guess.”

“Your point?” Noah asked.

“The first symbol was on Chastity’s notepad. A spiral.”

Zane tapped a few keys into Noah’s computer. She leaned forward and pointed to the screen. “There it is—the spiral looks just like the number three in Bengali.”

“Damn,” Zane commented.

“The second doesn’t look like modern writing. More like hieroglyphics or pictographs.”

“But it resembles something I’ve seen in Belize,” Noah said. “Try Mayan.”

Zane typed in a few keystrokes. “There we have it. A bar and three dots. Eight.”

“Three—eight—four—nine.” Lyssa mused. “What does it mean?”

“The beginning of a phone number, an address? It could be almost anything,” Zane said, drumming his fingers on the laptop. “Even a code.”

Lyssa stared at the sequence. “I don’t recognize it.” She let out a sigh. “Are we even on the right track? What if they are letters?”

Zane’s secure phone rang. He pressed the speakerphone. “Westin.”

“Is Noah with you?” Rafe asked. “I didn’t want to use his number since Archimedes used it.”

“You’re on speaker.” Noah didn’t like the sound of his friend’s voice. He braced himself. “Sierra?”

A frustrated sigh reached through from Denver. “Archimedes called. I have a web address. You need to see this.”

Noah’s entire body stilled. “Send it.”

Within seconds, Zane clicked on the link.

A grainy image appeared.

Noah went deathly still.

Sierra lay in the floor of a small room, her hands and feet bound, her mouth duct taped. Her shirt was open and an infinity symbol had been carved near her breastbone. Her eyes were closed.

“Is she—” Noah couldn’t finish the sentence.

“She’s breathing. We can tell that much. She hasn’t opened her eyes, though.”

“That son of a bitch,” Noah bit out. “Where is she?”

“We don’t know.” Noah had never heard Rafe so edgy. “But I’m going to find her. I need to trace the signal. Your father tried but he ended up bouncing around Pakistan. I need Zane’s help.”

“You got it,” Noah said. He clutched the phone in his hand. He turned to Zane. “Find my sister. Take away his leverage.”

*

NOAH PAID FOR a second motel room so Zane could process the video and audio through his high-tech equipment. Noah left his friend alone, muttering at the computer, earphones on and staring at the screen.

He fought not to slam the door open to Lyssa’s motel room in frustration. Shoulders heavy with doubt, he sat on the bed. He should be in Denver, with his family. But if he left, Lyssa was dead.

As if reading his mind, she sat beside him, reaching for his hand. “Rafe will find her. We have to believe that.”

The quiet words held hope, but Noah couldn’t feel it. “Yeah. If Archimedes doesn’t decide she’s better off dead than alive.”

Lyssa winced, pulling away. “I wish—”

“Don’t say anything.” He reached for her hands. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”