Love's Taming(87)

Matt looked into the eyes of his friend, seeing anguish war with the anger that was there.

“I’ve just got…,” Shane’s voice cracked and he dropped his eyes for a moment.

They both looked up as the chief came around the corner looking for them. “Got more. The girl Suzanne was found in her apartment. She’s alive but had been tasered as well and tied up. That person must have used her phone to text in this morning so that no one would be looking for her.”

“Jesus, fuck,” Shane bit out, realizing how organized this operation had been.

“There’s more,” the chief said, causing Shane and Matt to focus their eyes on him again.

“Dr. Carl Odgen. His mother died a few months ago. There is no apartment that he shared with her. It’s just his stuff and not much of it. He’s missing too.”

“So he’s an imposter? Not even a vet?” Matt growled.

“No, he’s a licensed veterinarian. We don’t know at this time what his involvement is. We just know he doesn’t live with his mother and he’s missing.”

Matt and Shane looked at each other, trying to fit the pieces together.

“If Carl was part of the gang, he had plenty of opportunity to hurt Annie. Hell, even at the markets the other day he could have helped take her. It doesn’t add up.”

“Men,” the chief said, calling their attention back to him. “I don’t usually agree with partnering with a security agency, but I want you two over at Alverez Security. We need everything we can get.” With that, the chief turned and walked back into the briefing room while Matt and Shane charged out of the building.

* * *

Annie was lying in the back of another panel van, bouncing on the hard metal floor, her arms and shoulders screaming with pain from being tied behind her back. Tape covered her mouth so that she couldn’t make a sound. Her kidnappers had changed vans twice; each time the drivers had stayed the same. The young man who had tasered her kept looking back over his shoulder.

She lost all sense of direction, not having any idea where they were going. Oh, please let Leon be all right. And let Shane get hold of the security tapes. But they’ve changed vans. The license plates will be different.

Just then the van made a sharp turn and the road became very bumpy. She felt every jostle, every pothole, every movement of the van as her head banged against the metal floor once again. A movement to her side had her jerking her head around. The young man had crawled out of his seat and into the back of the van.

Heart pounding, she could feel bile rising, but tried to force it down, knowing with her mouth taped shut she could choke.

“You’re very pretty, doctor,” he said, eyes glittering as they stared at her chest. He reached out a finger and traced her jaw down to her neck, then down further as he slid his hand over her breast and squeezed. “You and me, we could have a lot of fun,” he said.

“Marco! Stop feeling up the girl and get your ass back up here,” the driver yelled.

The one called Marco scowled as his gaze shot between the driver and Annie. His eyes drifted back down to her heaving breasts. Giving one final squeeze, he crawled back up to the front of the van and sat back down in his seat.

Silent tears slid down her face onto the cold metal floor as despair washed over her. She had no idea where the end of the road was going to be, but she began to realize that she was heading toward hell.





Chapter 27





Shane and Matt were ushered immediately into Alverez Security. The outside of the brick building located on the edge of the city was unassuming, belying the high-tech equipment on the inside. They entered through an ordinary door leading into what looked like the reception area of any business. A polite, professionally dressed woman sat at the reception desk, and as soon as they entered she pointed to the wooden doors behind her.

“Gentlemen, you may go through. You are expected.”

They pushed open the doors and encountered a short hallway with offices on one side and a conference room on the other. Heavy steel doors were at the end of the hall. As soon as they entered the hall, a young man with wire-rim glasses met them.

“Shane, Matt. Follow me, please. Tony’s waiting.” He led them through the steel doors and they couldn’t help but feel shocked at the difference. The side they came from was a normal business office. On this side, computer stations were all around a large room, with a few doors leading out from it. Electronic maps were on the walls with a group of men standing around one of them. Tony looked over and headed their way.

Reaching them, he grasped Shane by the shoulders, looking him directly in the eyes. “We’ll find her man. We’re on it. Your force is on it. We’ll get her back.”