Trusting Danger (Danger, #2)(72)

King had been in and out of the tent, but he hadn’t said a word. About ten minutes ago, he’d left again but hadn’t come back yet. Grayson looked toward the tent’s opening. If it had been a bathroom break, King should have been back by now.

Grimacing, Grayson shifted in his seat. The camp chair wasn’t heavy; being tied to it was more an inconvenience than anything else. There was no way he could loosen these ropes on his own, and there was nothing in the tent that would help. He needed to get outside, find a rock or something else sharp. He’d heard helicopters flying overhead, most likely related to efforts to put out the wildfire. If he could free himself and get outside, try to draw attention to himself, a pilot might spot him.

He jerked his body as much as the rope binding him would allow. The lightweight chair wobbled slightly before righting itself.

Grayson jerked again, this time in a sharper movement. As the chair lifted, he shifted his weight. The ropes around his wrists and ankles cut deeper into his flesh. He gritted his teeth as the chair teetered.

Come on. Come on.

Finally, the chair toppled. Grayson landed hard on his shoulder, but there was no time for pain. Using his hands and feet, he began inching himself along the ground toward the opening of the tent.

Minutes later, after slow and painful progress, he was inches away from the tent’s flap. Grayson froze at the sound of a vehicle approaching.

A moment later, a man lifted the tent flap and nearly walked into him, kicking dirt into Grayson’s face. Grayson’s wallet was in his hand. He studied it for a moment before tossing it onto the table.

“Going somewhere, Agent Matthews?”

The man hoisted the chair Grayson was tied to with a grunt, righting it again. Grayson swallowed down dust and disappointment.

What now? The only thing he could do was try to reason with him.

Blinking against the grit in his eyes, Grayson took in the newcomer. His piercing blue eyes sparked a memory of a photo Grayson had seen recently, and then it all clicked into place.

Glad to have some frame of reference, Grayson met the man’s gaze. “Is this where you planned to hold Claire?” When he didn’t answer, Grayson tried again. “How did you find us at the safe house?”

The man let out a snort. “You want answers? Fine. I’ll throw you a bone. You’re right. This is where we were going to hold Claire.” He scanned the tent with a grimace. “Not exactly what she’s accustomed to, but it would have done the job.”

Grayson’s anger surged. “Then what? You were going to kill her?”

The man scoffed at him. “Killing Claire was never part of the plan. She’s like family. She would have never seen my face, never known I was involved.”

“Kidnapping her is treating her like family?”

“The disappointment goes both ways, Agent Matthews. I would never have been in financial trouble if it weren’t for Claire’s relationship with Gabe.”

“How did you find us at the safe house?” Grayson asked again, but the man shook his head.

“That’s all you’re going to get from me. I’ve said enough.”

Keep him talking. Stall. “You’re under investigation, you know.”

The man laughed. “Proving things will be another matter, Agent Matthews.”

“My team knows I’m here.”

“Yes, well, your trail will soon disappear. Your cell phone will be leaving here. So will your car. And soon, we’re going to take a little walk.”

Son of a bitch.

His heart jackhammering, Grayson grated out, “So you’ll up the ante from just being an accessory? Go from kidnapping to murder?”

The man gave him a somber look. “You’ve left me no choice.”

Grayson’s jaw tensed as he stared straight ahead. What was going to happen when King came back?





Chapter Sixty-Two





Claire chewed on a knuckle as she stared out the window, ignoring the idle chitchat between Eli and Alex. It was probably for her benefit, a distraction from her worry. Her stomach burned and she pressed a hand to it, wishing they could drive faster.

When they were turning off the interstate about twenty minutes from her parents’ property, Eli called the county sheriff again and put him on speaker. “Any luck yet?”

“I was just about to call you. A helicopter pilot working the fire circled your area and spotted something. A large tent.”

Eli turned back to look at Claire and asked, “Is there a reason a tent would be on your property?”

“No.” Raising her voice, Claire asked, “Where is it?”

“By a pond.” The sheriff’s reply came through with some static. “It’s a good-sized tent, maybe ten by ten or bigger.”

Claire bit on her lower lip, thinking hard to remember. “There are two ponds on the property.”

“Both have access roads?” Eli asked Claire.

“Only one does. The other is about a half mile off the main drive. You can get to it on foot or with an off-road vehicle.”

“Can you have your deputy meet us at the entrance to the property?” Eli asked the sheriff. “We’re about fifteen, twenty minutes out.”

Eli ended the call, then turned back to Claire. “Can you show me the ponds on your phone?”