one of our team. Kelsey?”
Karen nodded slowly. “I remember her.”
“Do you know anything that could help us in finding her?” Logan wished he could ask that question better, but that was all he had.
Karen’s eyes slid over his shoulder and widened.
Logan glanced behind him at Felecia.
Her smile was gone, and she had a stony expression on her face. Given what Felecia had found out about her mother, namely that she wasn’t dead and knew full well what hell her daughter was living through with her father, it was a rocky relationship.
“Kelsey is my very best friend,” Felecia said. “Tell him. Please? I’ll come to dinners. Whatever you want, so long as we find her.”
Logan glanced back at Karen.
Her lips were parted, and she swayed. He could see her heart there on her sleeve, how badly she wanted to go to her daughter. But Felecia had kept that door firmly shut.
Karen glanced up and down the hall. “Is here safe?”
“Here is what we have. What do you know?”
“About Skilton?” Karen shrugged. “Some. Enough. What my husband told me. Skilton is careful. He rarely comes to this part of the world. When he does, he never enters or leaves the same way twice. He prefers to masquerade under legal pretense. So, a cargo flight. Diplomatic trip. That sort of thing. He’s connected to wealthy and powerful people. He wouldn’t hesitate to use them, twist their arms a little so he can’t be connected. That’s all I know. I swear.”
Logan glanced at Felecia.
She nodded slowly. “Thank you.”
“You’ll...” Karen licked her lips. “You’ll come to dinner?”
“Maybe. If Kelsey is safe.”
“Thank you,” Logan said.
Karen looked up at him with her dark eyes. “I hope you find her. Not for my sake but, well, because no one should be at that man’s mercy.”
“Me, too. Thanks.” Logan turned, his mind buzzing with possibilities.
“Did you hear something in that?” Felecia fell into step with him.
“You mean did I hear a way to find him? Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Where’s Diha?”
“This way.”
Felecia led Logan through the open area where the others were still gathered, down another hall and into a long, narrow room.
Diha and Cat were both bent over a computer. Miles, Diha’s boyfriend, was at another desk. The other lab assistants were also present.
“I think we know how to find him. Skilton, I mean,” Logan announced.
All eyes fastened on him.
“What?” Diha pressed a hand to her stomach. The other she reached out to Cat. “How? How can we help?”
“Karen said he uses people. Wealthy people. Diplomats. Cargo. He likes to enter legally. So, how big of a pool does that leave us with?”
Diha cringed. “Around the holidays? A lot. Especially if we’re factoring in cargo and freight options.”
“Can you work with that? Given that we know Skilton hasn’t been here for long?”
Diha chewed a nail and glanced at Miles. “Yes. Yeah, I think so. It might be a long list, but it’s something.”
Logan nodded and stepped back. Diha clapped her hands and began issuing orders.
Now the hard part began.
He’d once promised himself he could be patient and wait for Kelsey. It was time to put that to the test.
24.
Tuesday. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Washington, DC.
Skilton stretched out on the bed in the private cabin part of the plane. There were just a few more hours to go until they took flight. He couldn’t exactly rest. Not until they were in the air.
Americans were unpredictable. It was why he preferred not to do business with them and even more of a reason to stay out of this country. Dixon had been the perfect puppet. Skilton had operated through him without having to deal with the hassle.
He was getting too old for this job. Unfortunately, there was only one way out of this profession and he wasn’t ready to die yet.
Just a few more hours...
WEDNESDAY. RONALD REAGAN Washington National Airport. Washington, DC.
Kelsey strained to listen past Dixon’s labored breathing for any sound. Any at all.
They’d released her from her bonds for a while earlier. Mostly so she could use the toilet and bolt some food. Those were positive signs in her book. You didn’t feed someone you intended to kill. What was the point?
Case in point, Dixon.
They’d given him water, but not much else. It was clear to her that Dixon’s presence served two purposes. One, he was a potential hostage if anything happened before they departed. Two, Skilton intended to make a very painful example out of the man.
She had to get off this plane before they