outside.
“Has anyone seen Claire?”
“I saw her jump in a car with Elsie and her boyfriend’s friend.”
Cooper marched up to the student talking. He was in one of his auto classes. “Which friend?”
“Tony, the guy that comes in the morning.”
“Which way did they go?”
The kid pointed.
“Son of a bitch!” Cooper heard Eastman yell.
Cooper jumped in his face, bumped into him. “What the hell do you know?”
“Stand down.”
Both hands reached for Eastman’s shirt. “Start talking.”
“Hey, hey!” Coach Bennett was pushing in. “What the hell is going on here?”
“You’ve been following Claire for weeks, planted a camera at her front door.”
Eastman’s nose flared.
Cooper pulled his fist back.
“Federal. I’ve been on Tony for a year. Waiting for him to fuck up.”
“Who does Tony work for?”
“Local PD.”
Cooper shoved him out of the way and screamed his frustration.
He pulled out his phone and ran to his car.
Neil answered.
“He has Claire. Tony has Claire.” Saying it out loud made it real. “Elsie is with them.”
Cooper popped the trunk of his car, pushed back the felt covering, and placed his hand on the biometric safe. It slid open and he grabbed his weapon.
The entire track team was standing there.
Cooper turned to Coach Bennett. “Get them out of here. Call the police.”
Eastman was on his phone, jumping in Cooper’s passenger seat. “Special Agent Leonardo Grant requesting backup.” He rattled off his badge number.
Cooper tossed his phone in a drink cup, started the car. Neil’s voice came through the speakers.
“Which way is she headed?”
“North.”
He punched the gas.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Tony pulled the car into an abandoned warehouse.
Claire was told to get out of the car first.
He dragged Elsie across the seats, waved his gun in the direction he wanted Claire to walk, and kept Elsie close to his side.
Outside, the brightness streaming in from the sun was a complete contrast to the darkness unfolding in front of her.
Tony pushed Elsie away from him, causing her to trip and fall.
She scrambled away on her hands and knees like a hand-shy dog looking for shelter.
Claire stayed standing, presented a calm she didn’t completely feel. “What do you want?”
He tossed a pair of handcuffs on the ground. They skittered to a stop at her feet. “Put those on her.”
Claire reached down.
“No.” He directed his gun at Elsie. “You, put them on her.”
Tony obviously knew Claire was the biggest threat.
Elsie scurried over to the handcuffs and picked them up. She slowly got to her feet.
Claire brought both hands out in front of her.
Tony inched forward, yelling, “Do I look like I was fucking born yesterday? Behind your back.”
Shit. Keep it cool, Claire. You’ve practiced hands-tied defense before.
“Claire,” Elsie said.
Claire turned around and backed up slowly. “It’s okay. Just do what he says.”
Tony smiled as the cuffs clicked around her wrists. “Let me see,” he said.
She shifted on her feet, lifted her arms behind her, and pulled at the cuffs. Much too tight to slip out of.
Claire stood in front of Elsie.
“You’re so tough, aren’t you?” Tony growled.
Claire kept quiet.
“Stand over there.”
Claire walked several yards away from Elsie, hating the distance.
“Sit down,” he yelled at Elsie. “Move a muscle and I’ll pop you. You understand?”
Tony walked over to Claire, waved his gun around. “Face the wall.”
Handcuffed with a hostage and a pissed-off cop with a gun.
She turned toward the wall.
“Spread your legs.”
She steadied herself, feet at hip distance apart.
He moved in fast, kicked her legs wider, and shoved her head into the concrete wall. Her head buzzed with the impact.
She felt the gun on the base of her skull as his other hand ran up the inside of her shirt. “What else are you hiding?”
“Nothing.”
She ignored his hand as he grabbed at her chest and ran the length of her bra.
Bile rose when he ran his fingers over her tight shorts. Groping her was a fear tactic. A successful one.
Claire did everything she could to hide any emotion. Showing fear would only encourage him.
“You like that, bitch?”
Tony squeezed the most private part of her body until it hurt.
She bit her tongue.
He wouldn’t be searching her if he planned on just killing her, so she kept quiet and prayed to God the team had found the third tracking device disguised as a clip in her hair.
“Stop fucking the girl.”
Claire turned her head to see the face behind the voice, was rewarded with a palm pressing her face into the hard surface until she felt her skin break and blood trickle down her cheek.
Cooper stood over Claire’s discarded phone and watch. One in each hand.
She could be anywhere. The