He grabbed a pen from the counter and wrote the license number of the Taurus on a prescription pad. “Call Detective Langley at the Asheville Police and report this. Give him this plate number,” he said over his shoulder as he strode out, Regan held tightly against his chest.
At Dani’s, he gave Jared a brief explanation and left Regan in the man’s care. Knowing it was useless to try and catch up with Eli, Logan drove to the airport and boarded the Lear that Buchanan had waiting for him. He had to believe Eli was taking her to Arkansas; otherwise he’d screwed up so bad he would never be able to forgive himself. He had a little over an hour to berate himself before the jet landed.
When the wheels touched down, Logan picked up his duffel bag and computer case, impatiently standing at the exit door when the Lear came to a stop. Knowing he had to stay focused, he put aside his guilt to be dealt with later. There was no room for more mistakes.
Turner waited at the bottom of the steps, took one look at Logan, and blew out a breath. “Hello, Iceman,” he said.
“When do Buchanan and the team land?”
“That’s them coming in now.”
Logan turned and watched the incoming jet. “You get us a conference room we can use?”
“Yeah. The greedy airport manager charged me two hundred, but it’s ours for as long as we need it.”
It could have been two thousand for all he cared. Worry about Dani’s whereabouts and fear for her safety kept trying to creep into his mind, but he shut the thoughts down. The only way to save her was to stay focused.
As soon as the others deplaned and got their gear stowed in the two rental vans, they all followed Turner into the small airport’s lobby. Logan caught the double take the girl behind the counter gave them. Probably not every day ten oversized men and one Barbie-doll lookalike—all wearing camouflage—filed by. The envious look she gave Barbie would have been funny if Logan had been in a mood to laugh.
He pulled Buchanan aside before they entered the room. “Are Jacobs and Boyer on their way to Asheville?”
“Should be landing any minute. Between Dani’s friends and our guys, Regan’s safe.” The look Buchanan turned on him was full of accusation. “How the hell did you let this happen, boss?”
“I fucked up,” Logan said, and then entered the room.
Barbie took a seat next to him and opened her laptop. She would man their base of operations, keeping track of each of them and coordinating the mission.
He looked around the table at the two teams, meeting the eyes of each one, letting them see his rage. Each one acknowledged him without a blink. The best of the best sat in this room ready to obey his every command. These men would put their lives on the line to save her. His fear for Dani eased, but only a little.
Buchanan would head up Bravo team; Turner, Delta team; and he trusted both with his life. But it was Dani’s life in jeopardy, and as badly as he wanted to rush into the compound and rescue her singlehandedly, he was going to have to put his faith in these men and Barbie.
“I’m going to tell you upfront,” he said, getting everyone’s attention. “This situation is personal for me, meaning I can’t guarantee my actions in the heat of the moment because I don’t give a flying fuck about anything but rescuing Dani Prescott. That’s a worst-case scenario for any mission because it increases the danger to you. If anyone has reservations about my leadership going forward, now’s the time to speak.” Holding his breath, he waited.
“Prescott was our brother,” Buchanan said.
And that said it all.
Logan took a few seconds to clear his throat. Damned thing felt like it was closing up on him. “We’re making an educated guess that Evan’s twin is bringing Dani back to the compound. Not only will he feel safe there, I’d stake Buchanan’s mother that Herbert Ballard is pulling Eli’s strings.”
“And he swears he loves my mother,” Buchanan muttered.
Logan nodded. “Never doubt it.” Barbie handed him the satellite photos and he passed them around. “If Eli drives straight though, he should be here in about twelve hours. Fortunately, there’s five miles between the turnoff from the highway and the compound gates. We’re going to intercept him somewhere along that road, get Dani, and be gone before anyone knows we’re here.”
“If we meet any resistance?” Crawford from Delta team asked.
Logan let them see the determination in his eyes. “Then we do what we do best.” Whatever repercussions resulted, he would deal with them. “If it eases your mind, I’ve called my contact at the FBI. I have no intention of hiding what we’re up to from the feds.”