A Harmless Little Plan (Harmless #3)(8)

“Where’s Paulson?”

“Sir – Drew? What?”

“Where’s Mark? He got me out of jail and I need his help.”

“He isn’t here.”

“Where the fuck is he?”

“He’s in D.C. figuring out how to spring you. Haven’t heard from him for a while.”

“Well, it worked. Now I need to talk to him or Harry.”

“There is no way you’re getting access to the senator.”

“Watch me.”

“I’ll shoot you on sight if I have to, Drew.” Silas’ voice has an icy edge.

I know he means it.

Trust me. I trained him.

I know.

“They kidnapped Lindsay.”

“Right.” Agony vibrates in his words. “We’re all doing our best -- ”

“Not enough.”

“What’s enough?”

“I don’t know who to trust.”

“You can trust me. And Paulson.”

I shoot him a look.

“You’re not exactly high on the list of trustworthy people from where I stand, Drew. Someone has to break here, and I can’t.”

“I need a laptop. A computer with a powerful processor.”

He walks to his car and I follow. In the backseat, a black leather computer bag has what I need. A few keystrokes and he gives me the laptop. I find my way to an encrypted site and search my wallet.

“Got a micro USB adapter?” I ask him. Silas produces one almost instantly from a small ring of keys in his pocket.

I find the tiny chip in my wallet, insert it in the flash drive, and load up.

A map of North America appears and then it zooms in to California.

“Coordinates are loading,” I mutter to myself.

“You’re tracking her? In real time?”

“I wish. We’re not quite there, but damn close. Any time she gets in range of an RFID scanner...”

The screen’s processing. Churn churn churn. I slump against the seat and breathe. Silas reaches in the backseat and pulls out a water bottle.

“Drink this.” He searches the glove compartment and hands me a small first aid kit. “There’s a protein bar in there and some alcohol wipes for your cuts.”

“Cuts?”

“Whoever detained you did some serious damage, Drew. You should go to a -- ”

I give him a C’mon look.

“Right.” Going to a hospital right now is the best way to get captured. I don’t exist, remember?

And I need to not exist so I can make sure Lindsay does exist.

The screen zooms all the way in and I see a very familiar-looking aerial view.

“That can’t be right. Software malfunctioned,” I say under my breath. The coordinates don’t add up.

“Need help?” Silas asks.

“No,” I reply, terse and confused. Frankly, I do need help, because my right eye’s so swollen I can barely see. The water hurts my mouth more than it helps. I pry my lips open and force myself to drink. It’s better than being dehydrated. Every bone in my joints grinds with effort.

I tighten my hands into fists, pumping my blood.

I read off a list of coordinates.

Those aren’t...wait.

I stare at the numbers. Pull up a new window. Type them in.

The picture the web browser shows is the front gate of an apartment complex.

My apartment complex.

“What the fuck,” I mutter, sure I did something wrong. This is human error. Has to be. There is no way those bastards kidnapped Lindsay from her parents’ estate and took her to my place.

When something makes no sense, backtrack. Double check. Verify.

I do.

Same result.

“What the hell are they doing with her in my apartment?” I say loudly.

Too loudly.

“What’s going on?” Silas is outside the open window, eyes sharp.

“I found her. Maybe.”

“Maybe? There’s no maybe with a tracking chip, Drew. You mean you found where they had her?”

I squint. Not hard when you only have one functional eye, but it hurts. “Looks like the chip passed my complex’s RFID scanner about two hours ago.”

“She’s at your apartment complex?” he asks, confused. Then he whips around on me, hand moving to his weapon. “Why?” Silas’ entire demeanor changes.

“How the hell do I know? They’re not at the Island. Is that where Paulson is? Did he take off to try to rescue her while I was still detained?”

“Don’t know.”

“Silas.”

“I seriously do not know, Drew.”

“I need to get to Lindsay before they move her.”

“Why did they bring her to your apartment in the first place?”

“Why do you think?” The realization crawls over my body.

He reels. “They’re setting you up for her murder.”





Chapter 4





Lindsay



I become intimately acquainted with the fibers on the bedspread in Drew’s bedroom. When you’re stuck face down, bound by the wrists behind your back while wearing skin-tight clothes, you find ways to calm down.