Finding Raina by whatever means necessary is Kas’ only thought as he bursts through the large glass doors of the prestigious office building. The receptionist backs away when Kas rushes towards him with his gun held tightly in his hand, “Where’s Parker?”
The man trembles as he informs Kas that Mr. Parker is out of the country on business.
Grabbing the man by the collar, Kas effortlessly hauls him over the counter and roughly shakes him. “Don’t lie to me!” he threatens.
The man is reduced to tears as he vehemently shakes his head, “I’m not lying, I swear! Mr. Parker left for China this morning.”
Releasing the man, Kas dials Erik on his way out the door, “Check the airport itinerary. Make sure Parker boarded a plane to China today. I want to see footage of him getting on and off that damn plane.”
The fog in Raina’s brain slowly clears, and pain quickly replaces the debilitating haze. Her head jerks up as she groggily looks around the room. Twisting her bound wrists, the plastic restraints tear into her skin. The empty room seems even larger without any furniture inside of it. A large black granite and stained cherry island dominates the otherwise barren kitchen. Bare taupe walls are in front of her and to her left. Windows stretch across the wall to her right showing off a dense forest, the late afternoon sun’s rays filter through the branches, causing the deceiving light to spill across the floor. Seeing the woods provides her with a little comfort as she surveys the area for something to free her from her restraints. The cream, marble floor makes an eerie screeching sound as Raina pushes backwards against the chair, trying to reach the island to see if there’s anything in there that she can use to cut herself loose.
“I was told you are a troublemaker,” Max scolds, standing up from his reclined spot behind her and roughly grabbing her arm as he slides her chair back to the middle of the kitchen floor.
Raina glares at the man, furiously twisting her wrists, biting back the pain when her punishing restraints won’t budge.
“You’re bleeding,” Max states calmly. “You can keep that up if you like, but all you’re gonna do is continue to tear yourself up.”
“Then let me go,” Raina hisses, her eyes blazing as she stares at the large, burly man in front of her.
His laughter echoes, vibrating throughout the barren room. “That’s not going to happen, honey.” Kneeling in front of her, he places his hand on her knee, slowly sliding it higher, “But, I can promise you a minimal amount of pain if you cooperate.”
“Where’s Carrie?” Raina demands, thrusting her knee to the side, shaking off his groping hand.
“Who?”
“The girl the other man showed me. Where is she?” she screams.
“I haven’t met any Carrie. As far as the man you are referring to, Drevor, he dropped you off and left. It’s just you, me, and Terrance now.”
Raina turns her head as far as her restrained position allows and sees the beady-eyed man leaning against the far wall behind her for the first time.
“I’m Max, and now that all the formalities are out of the way, we need to get down to why you are here. I need you to hack into the FBI database and erase everything you have on Prizrak.”
It’s Raina’s laugh that resounds throughout the room this time, “Now,
that’s
not going to happen.”
Slowly standing, Max sighs, “He told me you would choose the hard way.” His blow is the most excruciating she’s ever felt.
Brent
follows
Michael
to the geek sheik department, his mind on nothing but Raina and a very painful murder. The team from New Jersey doesn’t waste precious time knocking on the door. They find Kas in the middle of the room, simultaneously studying the images on the large screens on the wall, giving orders to bring in more reinforcements, keeping in constant contact with the teams in the field, and ruling out potential holding areas.
“Tell us what to do,” Michael states, ready to do whatever necessary to find his friend.
Kas’ distressed gaze briefly lands on Brent. Michael waits, knowing that when Kas had told him Brent is welcome if he helps find Raina, he was desperate, but now that Brent’s there in person, he wonders if he’s going to have to try to protect his agent. The grateful look in Kas’ eyes eases his worry.
“The trace to the Lexus ended up as a rental. We’ve traced the renter to a bogus name. Brent, see if you can help Grant track who the real renter is.” Nodding at the rest of Michael’s team, he tells them, “Erik could use a hand with the footage trying to follow the path of the vehicle after it got out of the reach of the cameras.” Kas pulls up Drevor’s image, his voice is nothing short of deadly when he tells Michael that he is the man who took Raina, currently the second most wanted man on his list, falling just short of Prizrak.
“We’ll find her,” Michael assures Kas, immediately jumping into the chaotic efficiency.
Cliff enters the room with five men directly behind him. Shaking his head, he silently informs Kas that the last place they checked turned up empty, and he pulls his son in for a quick hug as he unnecessarily reminds him that Raina’s a fighter, before getting down to business. Kas doesn’t need to tell him what to do; his father and his former special ops team are exceptionally trained.
Chase is speed-reading every file on hand. His brain is on overload trying to come up with where Parker will have Raina. His advice to Kas keeps replaying in his head, tormenting him with how if he had agreed with Kas, maybe this wouldn’t have happened, maybe Raina wouldn’t have been taken. Knowing his decision was sound for her emotional well-being, the thought of him aiding in her abduction in any way sickens him.
Kas forces himself to maintain focus as he studies the areas Parker might be holding his wife. The options are endless with the trafficker’s large reach. Kas has alerted every airfield and dock within an eight-state circumference, sending Raina’s picture to each one. The Coast guard, highway patrol, and every local law enforcement agency has also been notified.
The entire human trafficking unit is looking for Raina, breaking down doors and questioning every informant. Every hour that passes reduces Raina’s chances of survival. Eighteen hours and twenty-two minutes have come and gone.
Chase takes Kas a cup of coffee, “Sit down and take a short break, you’ve been going nonstop.”
Kas shakes his head, making another call to his contacts in China, cursing loudly when they still haven’t been able to locate Parker, “Where the hell did he disappear to? How could he have just vanished when he got off the damn plane?”
“Take a break, Kas,” Chase insists, placing the coffee in his hand.
Throwing the cup into the trash, Kas turns his attention back to looking for more areas where Raina could be.
Chase places his hand on his best friend’s shoulder, and Kas nearly crumbles.
“I can’t take a break, Chase. They have my wife! If I stop, the thoughts of what they might be doing to her—” his voice cracks. Heartbreaking tears well in his eyes, “I can’t handle those thoughts.” The hot tears threaten to spill, and he angrily swipes the back of his hand against his eyes, “I have to find her!”
Nodding curtly, Chase walks away, leaving Kas to do what he does best, finding the taken and bringing them home. His own pain is nearly unbearable; he can’t fathom his best friends right now. He prays they find Raina. The stark devastation in Kas’ eyes proves he will never survive it if they don’t.
Judge glances at Chase as he walks back to the files in front of them; his nightmare is written on his haggard face, “You’ve profiled this Parker, this Ghost. Tell me the truth, is there any chance he will let Raina go?”
Chase’s lack of response screams Judge’s despair and tears spill from his hazel eyes. Removing his glasses, he wipes away the tears, refusing to visit that possibility, refusing to even think it.
Staring at the screens in front of him, Kas’ hands are locked tightly against the top of his head. Focusing on finding Raina is the only thing keeping him from going completely mad with grief. The images of more than seventy searched areas marked through with thick, black ink taunts him. Pressing his fingers against his throbbing forehead, he closes his eyes,
Think,
dammit,
think!
Every conversation with Parker, about Parker, flashes through his mind. The interrogations between Parker and Raina replay for the hundredth time in his memory. A thought sparks hope.
Claudia
. Spinning around, Kas grabs a file from in front of Chase, “You said Parker will have Raina close, taunting us with his superiority, right?”
“Most likely,” Chase confirms, looking over Kas’ shoulder.
“We’ve already searched every known location in this city that his ring has touched and all of the abandoned buildings in D.C. When El Diablo was killed, his house was put on the market. Did it ever sale?”
Chase helps him search for the address, quickly entering it into the system. Chase’s eyes dart back to Kas, “It hasn’t sold.”
“That’s where he’s holding her,” Kas calls out, yelling for his team to grab their gear.
Raina
doesn’t
know
how much more pain she can endure as the burly trafficker hangs up the phone and turns back to her, a cruel smile on his lips as his eyes show a hint of respect. “I’m impressed you haven’t talked yet, most men I’ve dealt with have broken down way before this point.”
“Maybe you’re just losing your touch,” she spits out, trying to make her words sound stronger than she feels.
Blood pools in her mouth as he punches her again. Her head is violently thrust sideways from the blow, and she pulls on the little reserves she has left, making herself lift her chin and hold her head high. She spits a mouthful of blood onto the marble floor, desperately trying to push past the pain.
“No more games, sweetheart, you are going to cooperate now,” Max warns, his tone is full of threatening assurance.
“Oh, but, we’ve been playing together so nicely,” Raina retorts, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she looks up at him with the one eye that isn’t swollen shut. She catches his sideways glance to the security camera in the corner and rage burns through her blood, “He’s watching isn’t he?”
“I think you’re starting to get a little delirious, honey.”
“No, he’s watching!” Lifting her chin defiantly, Raina stares straight at the camera, “What’s the matter? You can’t handle this part, Parker? You have to have your flunkies do it for you? Why don’t you face me yourself?”
The shrill ring of Max’s cell infuriates her further. Before Max has time to talk, she lets out a bitter laugh as she stares into the camera. “I’ve spent so much energy hating you lately. The funny thing is, I realized that I don’t hate you,” Raina states honestly, “I feel sorry for you. I feel sorry for the type of man you are inside to do what you do. No matter what happens to me, you will go down. You think I’m the brains behind this? You’re wrong! They’re every bit as intelligent as I am. You will be hunted for the rest of your life, never knowing the meaning of peace ever again. Kas will never let this go. There will not be another day where you won’t be looking over your shoulder wondering if that is the moment you are going to die.”
“Get her to erase the file, then finish her!” Parker yells through the phone, loud enough for all of them to hear.
“Why don’t you finish me yourself? You coward!” Raina screams.
“Put the phone to her ear,” Evan commands Max, his voice back to eerily calm as he studies Raina. When he sees that she is listening, he lets out a slow breath, “It’s a pity seeing you in such pain. Erase the file, and I promise the pain will end.”
“Erase the file yourself,” she seethes, “you’re the genius.”
His laughter makes her want to come straight out of her skin, “Now, Raina, you know that I don’t have the time to detect and disable all the wonderful traps you have embedded in my file for me. I’m sure they are loads of fun, and I’m really tempted to play, but I’ll have to respectfully decline.”
“Not up for the challenge, Parker?”
“I’m up for anything you throw my way,” Evan teases, then lets out a long sigh before continuing, “imagine the amazing accomplishments we could’ve made together. It didn’t have to be this way, you know. I would have enjoyed having you as my own, I’m not always the monster you make me out to be, I can be quite kind. It’s a shame I won’t see you again, you are by far the best opponent I’ve ever met. I will give you the respect you deserve and let you die without an audience. I have a plane to catch anyway. Oh, and don’t worry about them having any indecent liberties with you, I saw the fear in your eyes and the way you flinched when Max touched your knee. They have strict instructions not to harm you in that way. Like I said, Raina, I’m not a monster.”
“No, you’re much worse!” Remembering Kas’ words about her father, Raina laughs with contempt at how the evil in Evan Parker far surpasses anything her father has ever done, “Monster’s aren’t real. You are!”
A soft chuckle is his only response for a few seconds, then, Raina is sure she’s mistaken when it’s regret that she hears laced in his next words, “Do yourself a favor, please do as your told to save yourself from any further suffering. I give you my word that the end will be quick and painless as soon as you do as asked.”
A single tear escapes, slowly trickling down her cheek as she whispers, “Kas will find you.”
“Maybe,” Evan responds. There’s a long pause before he continues, the regret undeniable this time, “But it will be too late to save you. Good-bye, Raina.”
The call ends, leaving Raina shivering uncontrollably. She can’t tell if it’s from anger or fear. Thoughts of Kas storm her brain. The sorrow of never seeing him again cripples her. She almost allows herself to drown in the despair before the images of her husband flashing through her mind give her strength.
I
will
not
die!
I
will
not
lose
him!
Max twists his left fist tightly in her hair, roughly yanking her head backwards as he takes out his knife and touches the blade to her cheek, slowly sliding it down to her throat.