Leaning forward in her chair, her voice dripped with condescension. “And if you happen to make millions in the process, while killing others? You could have just given this discovery to the world. But no, you kept it for yourself. You’re selfish, you’re egocentric, and you’re greedy.”
The Senator’s face returned to its violent red hue. “How dare you! I am this country’s hope for the future. You do not get to speak to me that way. Who do you think you are?”
Laney braced herself on the edge of her chair. “Who am I? I’m one of the people you claim to speak for. You’re not what America is about. You are arrogant. You are elitist. You are without conscience. You are the worst of what America stands for.”
With a strangled cry, the Senator launched himself around the desk at Laney. His hands reached for her throat.
Laney sidestepped his hands and aimed a jab straight at his face. His head snapped back, a strangled cry on his lips.
Grabbing his shoulders, she yanked his head down, slamming her knee into his face. Cupping the back of his head, she pushed it towards the floor, forcing him to the ground while holding onto his right arm. She aimed two more punches at his ribs as he headed to the floor and put a knee into the middle of his back.
She stepped over his arm with her left leg, kicked him in the face, and trapped his arm between her legs. She wrenched back on his arm, breaking it at the elbow. The Senator screamed in pain. She dropped his arm, spun around for the door, and went still.
Gideon lounged against the door frame, a pistol aimed straight at Laney.
“I told you she was a security risk,” he drawled.
CHAPTER 64
Beaver Creek, MT
The security team performed a search of the grounds, but didn’t find any sign of Laney. They did, however, find a total of twelve men killed, five belonging to the Chandler Group and seven strangers.
Jake had personally searched almost every square inch. He’d failed her. Guilt and fear engulfed him. He paced up and down the drive. “How the hell did they find us?”
Patrick stood against the Suburban, his face ashen. “Laney said you let her make a call earlier. Could they have traced us through that?”
Jake shook his head. “No. The phone was untraceable and we didn’t call Kati directly. That’s not what led them to us.”
“It’s my fault,” Yoni said, his head in his hands. “They must have traced the house rentals and then just checked them one by one until they found us. I should have found another way.”
Henry placed his hand on Yoni’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Yoni. They knew we were coming. They just needed to figure out where we were. We’ve been too predictable.”
Henry’s phone rang and he looked at the display. “Excuse me. It’s Danny.” He walked towards the house.
Patrick raked his hand though his hair, wincing as he touched his injury. “Are we sure they even took Laney? Maybe she’s just hiding somewhere.”
“We’ve done a search, Patrick,” Jake said, gently but firmly. “She’s not hiding.”
His attention was diverted to Henry when he heard his tone change. He watched Henry’s face tense. Henry spoke with Danny for a few more minutes and from the expression on his face, Jake could tell he was trying to comfort the young man. This wasn’t going to be good news.
When Henry re-joined the group, Jake spoke before Henry had a chance. “They have Laney.”
Henry nodded and looked at Patrick. “Yes. They just contacted the switchboard at Chandler HQ. Danny got the message. They said Laney won’t come to any harm as long as no word about the operation leaks and no move is made on the compound. If we don’t follow their instructions, Laney will be killed.”
“Oh my God,” Patrick gasped, falling back against the Suburban.
Jake turned to Patrick. “We’ll figure out a way to get her back, Patrick. I promise.”
Patrick looked at him for a long minute and nodded his head before walking quietly into the house.
When Jake was sure Patrick was out of earshot, he spoke quietly to Henry. “That’s not all they said, is it?”
“No,” Henry replied, his expression fierce. “But Patrick doesn’t need to hear the rest of the message. The caller explained how they were going to kill her, in slow and painful detail, if we didn’t follow their instructions to the letter.”
CHAPTER 65
Havre, MT
After the fight with Laney, the Senator had screamed bloody murder. Gideon had hustled her out of the room and back into the food pantry.
She’d expected some sort of payback, but instead, he seemed almost happy. He’d even given her a big grin before locking her in. She’d stayed there for what felt like hours, but she was sure it was much less.