Kingston Kidnappings (What Happens In Vegas Book 3) by Matt Lincoln (great book club books .txt) 📗

considering I was something of a fugitive right now, that probably wasn’t the wisest idea.

“Look, I’m not trying to be a pain or anything,” I spoke as calmly as I could manage. “But this is an emergency. It’s federal business, and I need to get on that plane. Can you ask your manager or something?” The young man leveled me an uncertain look before finally shrugging.

“Okay, just a second,” he murmured as he pulled his radio off his hip and said something into it. His manager arrived an agonizing five minutes later, and finally, they allowed me through without any further trouble.

I walked as quickly as I could toward the hangar our plane was in, breaking into a run as soon as it was in view. The pilot who typically transported us to and from our destinations, Conner, was leaning against the narrow staircase, looking at something on his phone.

“Hey,” he called as he saw me approaching. “Ready to go? I heard it was urgent.”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “The faster we get back, the better.”

“Just you?” he asked, glancing around me in confusion. “Where’s Agent Patel?”

“Not coming,” I answered. “She’s doing damage control.” It wasn’t really a lie since she probably was currently trying to put out the fire I’d started back at the police station.

“Alright, let’s go,” Conner called as he tucked his phone into his pocket and climbed up the stairs. He closed the door behind me as soon as I was inside before retreating to the cockpit.

I sank into the first chair I reached. Adrenaline had been coursing through my body since the moment I’d answered Eliza’s call, and now that I was finally sitting down, my muscles were starting to ache from the strain.

I forced myself to take some deep breaths as I willed my heartbeat to slow down to a more reasonable rhythm. I felt the plane begin to move as we prepared to take off, and I reached down to pull my seatbelt on. My fingers were trembling, and I fumbled with the seatbelt for a minute before finally managing to get it latched together.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the seat. I’d told Patel just a few days ago that she wouldn’t be able to focus if she let her emotions get the best of her, and here I was doing the same thing. I needed to calm down, but the moment I closed my eyes, I could hear Eliza’s screams again. We’d known each other for almost a decade now, and I’d never heard her sound like that. I clenched my fists as the rage I’d felt earlier began to bubble inside of me again. I was going to find who’d done this and make them pay.

30

Fiona

I bounced my leg nervously as I racked my brain for ways I might be able to help. I’d been staring at the same spot on my computer screen for over ten minutes now, but I hadn’t been able to think of anything. I shuddered as I remembered the events that had transpired earlier that day.

It had been right around six in the evening, and everyone had been preparing to go home. Especially after the incident with the delivery truck, Wallace wanted everyone to make sure they got plenty of rest. Junior had gotten a call just as we were about to leave, and I’d watched with mounting dread as his face had grown more and more horrified the more he listened.

Eventually, he’d revealed to us that someone had attacked Charlie’s mentor, Harry, and kidnapped his granddaughter, Amber. Amber’s mother, Eliza, was beside herself, and Junior and Miranda had taken off right away to bring her back to the office.

Eliza had been hysterical when she’d arrived, wailing at the top of her lungs and begging us to help find her child. Eventually, she had calmed down and was currently sitting in the break room, completely silent. Honestly, I wasn’t sure which was worse. It had been heartbreaking to hear her cry so pitifully, but the shell-shocked, catatonic state she was in now was troubling in a different way.

It was now a little after eight in the evening. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, but everyone was still here. I wasn’t sure what we were waiting for. The flight from Bermuda to Las Vegas was about nine hours without stops, so it would take Charlie all night to get here. Still, Eliza was Charlie’s family, which meant she was one of us. I knew that none of us were willing to leave her alone while she was going through this.

That being said, I felt frustrated at my inability to do anything useful. Wallace had asked me to try to trace the taunting call she’d received, but unless the person called back, there was very little I could do. I glanced out of my office window and toward the break room. The door was open, and I could just make out Eliza sitting on the couch. She was staring blankly at the floor while Junior said something to her. If anyone could get through to her, I was confident it would be him. Miranda had told me he’d even deescalated a standoff earlier that day between a group of police officers and a pair of armed suspects. He was good at reaching people emotionally.

“Hey,” Miranda suddenly called gloomily from the doorway.

“Oh, hey,” I responded just as despondently. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“How’s the trace coming along?” She asked.

“It’s not,” I replied as my face grew hot with shame. “There’s just nothing I can do without a little more to go on.”

I flinched as Miranda swore and slammed her fist down onto my desk. Normally, I would have chided her about being more careful around my equipment, but given the current situation, I let it slide.

“How could I not have noticed earlier?” she muttered. “We saw that truck. That scumbag was right there, just a few feet away from us,