Executive Protection(52)

When no sign of Lucy presented itself in his search, Thad ran to the file storage room. There, he took another look at the files surveying the driveway and gatehouse. The footage repeated after one minute. The cameras watching the gatehouse had been disabled, so no live feed had been recorded. While Thad was talking to Todd, Jaden had driven away, secure with the knowledge that he wouldn’t be seen. He must have done something with the guard on duty.

But why unlock the side door? He could have abducted Lucy and gone through the gate. He didn’t need the door unlocked. Thad didn’t have time to figure that out. He had to find Lucy and he had to find her fast.

Jaden had to have taken her. Thad had seen Jaden at Cam’s house. Had Jaden taken her there? Again, the unlocked side entrance didn’t jive. Was any of this related to Sophie’s kidnapping? Maybe it was all linked somehow and Thad just hadn’t put the pieces together.

Hurrying to the side driveway, he found Sam waiting there. He shook his head at the same time Thad did. They had both found nothing in their searches.

“I have an idea,” Thad said, heading for his Charger.

When Sam got in the passenger side, Thad explained about seeing Jaden at Cam’s house and the side entrance door.

“He could have been trying to throw you off,” Sam said.

That could be possible, if Jaden knew Thad was onto him and knew he’d been watching. Thad had a feeling it was more than that, but he considered the possibility.

“He may have known I’d go talk to the agent in charge,” he said. But Jaden wouldn’t have predicted Thad would wait near the file storage room. He wouldn’t know Thad had made a copy of the recording.

“There’s one way to find out,” Sam said.

Catch Jaden.

As he drove, Thad recalled that Sam hadn’t gone to bed yet. “Where’d you go tonight?”

“Mike and I went to Ted’s Steakhouse for dinner and then ended up getting coffee. We talked awhile.”

All night. They must have talked about their captivity. Thad didn’t press him for more details. If Sam was opening up about what happened to him and Mike, it could only do him good.

His cell phone began to ring.

“Thad. It’s Mike Harris.”

Mike Harris? He exchanged a look with Sam and put his phone on speaker. “Mike, I have Sam with me. Where are you?”

“Right now I’m parked in front of a house.” He told them the address. “After I dropped Sam off, I saw a security agent put Lucy into his car and drive through the gate.”

“Did the security agent see you?” Thad asked.

“No. I was parked a good distance away on the driveway. At first I wasn’t sure what he was carrying. By the time I realized it was a woman, and it was Lucy, Sam had already gone into the house. I thought about going in to get him, but the agent drove through the gate. I decided to follow. I don’t think he saw me.”

Mike wasn’t close to the investigation. He didn’t know that Thad and Lucy had seen Jaden in the living room or that the window had been left unlocked and the security system tampered with.

“The agent dropped her off here,” Mike continued, “and some other man carried her inside.”

Cam. Just as Thad had suspected. Jaden had kidnapped Lucy...for Cam.

“We’re two minutes from you. Call the police.” Thad pushed his Charger to its limit.

* * *

Lucy woke to an aching head. When she went to investigate, she discovered her hands were tied. Next, she discovered her feet were tied and she was lying on a bed. Craning her neck, she struggled to see through the darkness. Was the room windowless?

A light came on and she saw Cam straighten from a lamp on a nightstand. She shut her eyes and pretended to still be unconscious. The last thing she remembered was going up the stairs to bed. Kate had already gone to hers.

Opening her eyes a slit, she saw that Cam had gone toward the door. He must have just put her on the bed and thought he had to wait for her to wake up.

When he left, Lucy twisted her wrists. The rope tying her was too tight. Her hands were numb. Sitting up on the bed, she reached with her bound hands and frantically tugged at the knot tying her feet. She had it loosened when Cam appeared in the doorway.

“Ah. You’re awake.” He approached.

Unable to finish untying the knotted rope around her feet before he reached the bed, Lucy lay back and kicked him against his chest. Catching him off guard, he stumbled backward and fell.

Lucy struggled against the rope around her feet. It loosened some more. She kicked free and scrambled off the bed as Cam got to his feet with a curse.

It was hard to run with her hands bound in front of her. She made it through the bedroom door and down a narrow hallway. It was so dark in here. There was a light on in the living room. The house was a ranch with a large, open great room that had a high, gabled ceiling. As she raced for the front door, she noticed all the windows were boarded up.

Reaching the door, she was horrified to discover it lacked a door handle and the dead bolt could only be opened with a key.

Turning, she leaned against the door and used her teeth to loosen the rope around her wrists. Cam appeared in the great room, walking slowly. His confidence told her all too well how much danger she was in. He was certain she couldn’t get out. Not without a key and not without a fight.

She finished loosening the rope and tossed it aside. “I told you this would happen,” Cam said.