MORSE: Any leads on the gray van?
WADE: The eyewitness had been able to record the van’s license plate. We ran the plate, hoping this would take us straight to the kidnappers. Armed with all the information we’d learned in the last few hours, we now feared these women were in great danger. Time was of the essence. We had to find them immediately.
MORSE: But you couldn’t.
WADE: No.
MORSE: You need to speak louder for the recorder, sir.
WADE: No. The van had been stolen. Our lead went nowhere.
Chapter 49
Monday, February 25, 2013
God, just let me save my mother and daughter.
I sat on the ratty couch with Mom and Emily, my brain awhirl. How could I save them? I didn’t dare tell these men where the encryption key was hidden. How could I send these killers to yet another family, another mother and daughter.
To a child?
The very thought made my stomach turn. I’d already killed a man. I could not be responsible for the death of a mother and little girl.
“You have to let us go now.” Mom blinked, as if surprised she’d spoken.
Stone shot her a sarcastic smile. “Tell us what we need to know first. Then you can go.”
Emily stiffened, as if ready to hit him again.
Mom eyed him. “What?”
“What did Morton Leringer tell you?”
Confusion limned Mom’s face. Was she faking it? “I can’t remember.”
“I think you do.”
My mind cleared—and I saw what I had to do.
“Mom.” I patted her leg. “We need to tell him. It doesn’t matter now.”
She turned to me, indignant. “But Morton told us not to tell.”
“Yes. But it doesn’t matter any more.”
“Why?”
“Stone will hurt Emily. Do you want him to do that?”
Mom’s eyes widened. “No.”
Emily shot me a look over her Grand’s head. Her hurt cheek was flaring red.
Stay quiet, please.
My mother faced our captor, anger straightening her spine. “Don’t you hurt my granddaughter.”
Dark amusement pulled at Stone’s mouth. With slow precision he turned and walked to the table where his gun lay. Picked it up.
My lungs clogged.
Mom drew a sharp breath.
Stone returned and placed the trigger against my daughter’s temple.
Words gushed from me. “No-don’t-he-said-Raleigh!”
Stone’s eyebrows raised. “Ah. We seem to be getting somewhere.”
Emily sat very still.
“Yes, Raleigh.” Mom’s voice cracked. “North Carolina. We were going there. To see his daughter.”
Stone frowned. “Leringer has a daughter in Raleigh?”
“Take that gun away from her head.” My throat ran dry. “You don’t need it.”
The man tipped the gun toward the ceiling. Stepped back. Then pointed the weapon at my mother. “You. Tell me.”
“Th-that’s all we know.” Mom fingered her blouse. “He wanted us to see his daughter in Raleigh. He hadn’t seen her in years.”
Stone focused on me. “Why didn’t you just call her?”
Mom had done what I needed her to do. It was clear to Stone she was telling the truth. As she knew it. “Please, put that gun down.”
He moved it to point at me. “Talk.”
“I would have called her. But then you sent someone to kill us, and we had to run.”
“I see. How inconvenient. Why didn’t you head east toward North Carolina?”
“In my car? Everyone was looking for it. I needed my aunt’s car.”
“Why did Leringer want you to see his daughter?”
“I don’t know. He couldn’t say much except that it was important, and not to tell anyone. He didn’t say anything about the video, even though I found out later he’d slipped it in my pocket. He didn’t say anything about an encrypted message—” My mouth snapped shut. Too late, I realized my mistake.
Stone narrowed his eyes. For the longest moment we locked gazes. My heart turned over.
“So. He didn’t tell you anything about our plan.”
“No.”
“Then how do you know about it?”
I glanced at Mom. She stared at Stone, her expression empty and eyes glazed. She’d checked out, the trauma too much for her.
“I watched the video. Saw the power generator falling apart. At some point, I figured it out.”
The gun remained pointed at me. Emily still held her grandmother’s hand.
“Smart woman you are.” Stone’s mouth twisted. “How do you know it’s going to happen tonight?”
My mind spun. I couldn’t turn his attention on Emily. But this was a trick question, right? Stone couldn’t be sure I knew the timing.