room. Along the far wall were several doors, including the one to the room they’d entered through. He figured the stairs would be at one end or the other, and since he was closer to the door on the right, he went there first.
Bingo.
Daeng caught up to him just as Logan entering the stairwell. “What are you doing?”
“If she’s here, we have to get her.”
“Are you kidding? You go downstairs, they’ll catch you. That’s not going to do anyone any good.”
“It’s the only way we can find out if she’s here or not.”
On that point, Daeng had no argument, and he knew it. “I’ll go,” he said. “If they catch me, I’m just an unlucky local who stumbled into something he shouldn’t have.”
“That’s not going to make it any safer for you.”
“Maybe not a lot, but it’s better than them finding you. They’ve pretty much all seen your face now.”
“Those two from the train know what you look like, too.”
“I’m Thai, remember? There are millions of us here. They won’t recognize me.”
“You’re Thai with a bandage on your ear,” Logan said. “Besides, that whole we-all-look-the-same routine is never really true.” He paused. “You can lead, but I’m still coming.”
Daeng shook his head. “Your stubbornness is predictable.”
“Yes, it is.”
“I didn’t mean it as a compliment.”
Logan shrugged, then said, “Let’s go.”
They moved quietly down the stairs to the door at the bottom. Daeng then opened it just enough so that he could look through.
“Well?” Logan whispered.
“Hallway. Looks empty.”
“No reason to stay here then.”
Not hiding his annoyance, Daeng pulled the door open.
The hallway was maybe fifteen feet long, with doors at either end. The one to their left would lead further into the building, and the one to their right, if Logan’s sense of direction was still intact, would lead outside.
Daeng looked at him, asking which way he wanted to go.
Logan pointed at the door on the left first, then at the one on the right, marking them off in order.
The good news was that his sense of direction still worked, and the first door lead to the outside. It would be handy if they needed a quick means of escape.
They moved down to the door at the other end of the hallway. If Tooney’s granddaughter was in the building, she would be somewhere beyond it.
Daeng reached for the knob, but then paused, and looked at Logan. “If someone sees me after I open this, I’ll pull it shut and hold it while you get out, okay?”
Reluctantly, Logan nodded.
Daeng opened the door a crack. Immediately, they could both hear voices, but none distinct enough to make out what was being said.
He eased it open wider, then stuck his head through the gap. Suddenly, he pulled back and closed the door. The only thing that kept Logan from heading for the exit was that Daeng hadn’t slammed it.
“What?” Logan whispered.
“We need to leave.”
“Did someone see you?”
Daeng shook his head. “No.”
“Then what?”
Daeng hesitated, then said, “She’s there, but there’s no way we can get to her.”
“Let me take a look.” Logan tried to get by him, but Daeng pushed him back.
“She’s tied in a chair, either unconscious or drugged. Maybe both.” He paused. “There’s blood on her shirt, too.”
“Are you sure she’s alive?”
“I think so,” Daeng said. He held Logan’s gaze for a moment. “Logan, you were wrong.”
“About what?”
“This Mr. Bell isn’t just working with the men who came with him. There are at least half a dozen others in there. All farang.”
Logan couldn’t believe it. Elyse was right beyond that door. If there had only been the two men he’d expected, he and Daeng would have had an excellent chance at getting her out. But the two of them against eight? The only chance now would be one of total failure. “I need to see.”
Daeng hesitated a moment, then said, “There’s an enclosed area just beyond the door. If you don’t open it too wide, they shouldn’t notice.”
They switched places, then Logan slowly opened the door.
Beyond the enclosed space was a large room similar to the one upstairs, except this one had several tables and some chairs spread around. He spotted Elyse right away. Her chair was just within his line of sight, toward the center of the room. She was angled so that he could see mostly a front view of her. There was indeed blood on her shirt. Not as much as he feared, but more than he would have liked.
He stared at her until he saw her chest move up and