Holding his Hostage - Amy Gamet Page 0,40
her room.”
“What? Put her on speaker.”
He hit a button. “…woods around the cabin, but I don’t see her. Should I call the police?”
Jo was light-headed with fear. “Did she leave on her own? Was anyone there?”
“As far as I knew, everything was fine. I went upstairs to wake her like you asked me to, and it doesn’t even look like her bed was slept in last night.”
“Did she run away?” Jo clutched at his shirt. “Was she that mad at me? We have to find her. We have to find her, Sloan!”
“I should have had guys stationed at the cabin,” he barked. “Damn it, I thought she’d be safe. Call the police. I’ll get HERO Force out there as soon as I can. I’ll call you back.” He hung up.
“He couldn’t have found the kids. He couldn’t have!” She was losing it, the panic attack appearing out of nowhere and instantly on overdrive.
He held her by her upper arms. “Listen to me. She’s a smart kid. She wouldn’t have run away in the middle of winter in a place she doesn’t know.”
She swallowed against the knot in her throat, knowing he was right but unable to comprehend the consequences of the truth. “Then she was taken. But how? This doesn’t make any sense! We checked every device, everything. We were careful.”
“It’s like they had inside information. Someone telling them where we were.”
“But who would do that? The kids know we’re in danger. They wouldn’t be so foolish as to tell someone where they are.” An image of April in tears at the campground appeared in her mind. “No…”
“What is it?”
“It’s not possible.” She ran to the other room and picked up her phone, searching for Instagram and downloading the app, Sloan entering the room behind her. “The guy on Instagram who had me so concerned. I just assumed he was a kid, but what if he’s not?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if he’s Bannon, or one of his guys? All you need to fake an identity on Instagram is a profile picture.” The possibilities were horrible and endless. “But your mom checked for me last night. April hadn’t reinstalled the app.”
“I saw her on Fiona’s iPad.” He headed for the other room. “I’m calling my mother back.”
The app finished downloading and Jo opened it. She knew April’s email address but not her password. She tried the one she used for everything, knowing the kids often did the same. “Please, God, let this work…” The screen changed to April’s feed. “I’m in!”
A knock sounded on the bedroom door. “I got it. That’s Mac,” called Sloan. “Mom, I need you to check Fiona’s iPad. See if she has Instagram.”
Jo found her way to April’s messages as Sloan greeted the men. The messages came one after another from Justin971—the most recent posting at eleven o’clock last night.
I’ll meet you by the main road.
“No, no, no…” she whispered, scrolling to read their earlier conversation.
Sloan swore loudly. “She had Instagram on the iPad.”
“I know. I’m in her account. She was talking to him.”
This stupid log cabin. I have to share a room with my sister…
That sucks. Where are you?
The thriving metropolis of Esopus, New York.
I’m visiting my aunt in New York City. That’s not too far away. With your mom gone, we could see each other. I’ll take an Uber like last time.
Isn’t that expensive?
It would be worth it to see you.
Okay, that would be great! I’m at 818 Creek Road.
“Jesus Christ, she gave him the address.” She stood and raised her voice to be heard over the men, who’d grown louder as Sloan filled them in. “She gave him her address!” The phone vibrated in her hand. She had a new text from a number she didn’t recognize, and she opened it.
TIME’S UP.
I’VE GOT THE GIRL, NOW I WANT MY MONEY.
LEAVE IT ON THE BENCH BY THE STATUE AT JEFFERSON PARK AT 10:00 P.M. COME ALONE.
I’LL CONTACT YOU AFTER.
24
Sloan knew this had been too easy.
His gut was never wrong, and this mission had just taken a serious turn for the worse, with April’s life hanging in the balance. Rage twisted with protectiveness, his blood pumping fast. She wasn’t his flesh-and-blood child, but she could have been, and that made every difference in his heart.
“We don’t even have the money!” Joanne was hyperventilating, clearly having a panic attack, and he worried about her ability to handle this latest development. “How can we give them what we don’t even have?”
He crossed to her and pulled her to