Page 22 of A Veteran's Promise
“Thom said he didn’t meet him after school. He messaged him and he didn’t reply, so he assumed he wasn’t coming.”
“Kieren’s missing.” I state the words, and I don’t need to say the meaning behind them. Mark has my son.
11
DEAN
There’s no point in trying to tell Lauren to stay put while I handle this. The best I can do is ask her to drive safely and assure her I’m getting a team on it.
I put in a call to Owen to mobilize law enforcement, while Aiden and the guys suit up and meet me at Jake’s Retreat.
Within twenty minutes I’ve got six highly trained warriors in a meeting room in Jake’s Retreat.
Sam is here with Grant, a recent arrival at Jake’s Retreat. They served together, and although I’ve never met the guy, I trust Sam’s judgment.
Ronan stands at the back, still and expressionless, taking it all in. He’s on a bunch of meds, and I hear his PTSD is bad, but I trained with him when he was a SEAL sniper, and the guy’s focus is unbeatable, even if he is intense.
While I spread a map on the table, Aiden distributes weapons. He’s licensed to carry, same as me. To the other men, he hands tranquilizer guns.
Jace, an ex-special operative who’s recently arrived at Jake’s Retreat, screws up his face as Aiden hands him a tranquilizer gun. “You got anything heavier for me? I’m not hunting lions.”
“Sorry buddy.”
Aiden takes his job seriously. These men may have used high-tech weaponry in the field, but as civilians, they must obey the same rules as everyone else. It’s a lot to get used to, especially for someone who’s fresh out of the fight, like Jace. He arrived at the center a few weeks ago for rehabilitation and is supposed to be resting, but when he heard the commotion, he came out of his room and insisted on coming on the mission. I’m not about to turn away good men, not when Kieren is in danger.
“Come on, man, I’m an Army ranger.” Jace gives a charming grin, which has no effect whatsoever on Aiden.
No one corrects him that heusedto be an Army Ranger, but here he’s a civilian.
It’s a hard thing to come to terms with, leaving the military and an identity you’ve held all your adult life. And it doesn’t seem like Jace has accepted that that part of his life is over.
“If you stick around and get licensed, then we’ll talk,” says Aiden.
I point to a location on the map, and the men crowd around. “Security cameras from the school picked up Kieren getting into a vehicle two hours ago.”
I didn’t wait for Owen’s team. Aiden called on a contact who’s good with tech and doesn’t need to wait for the red tape that Owen does.
Zane hacked into the security camera feeds through Hope, and we picked up the vehicle heading to the industrial area on the outskirts of town. There are no street cameras here, and Zane is going through individual companies’ camera feeds to pick up the trail. I haven’t asked how many privacy laws he’s breaking. I don’t care, as long as we get Kieren back.
Over the last two weeks, it’s not just Lauren I’ve fallen for. Kieren is smart and funny when he lets his guard down. He’s the son I never knew I wanted, and the thought of him in danger isa new kind of fear I’ve never experienced in all my years in the military.
Lauren rushes in the door, and the terror on her face makes my chest ache. I swallow down my own fear, knowing she needs me to be strong now more than ever.
“We’ll get him back.” I pull her into a quick hug. But there’s no comfort that will ease her anxiety. Not until she has her son back in one piece.
“I know where he is.” She holds up her phone, showing a tracking beacon.
It’s the industrial area we tracked the car to, but the beacon shows exactly which building Kieren’s in.
At least the kid still has his phone on. But that leads me to a new worry. Maybe Mark wanted him tracked. Maybe he’s not the real target.
“You’re staying here.” I hold Lauren by the shoulders, but she shakes her head.
“Not a chance.”
“It’s not safe. He might be using Kieren as a lure to get you.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t care. I can’t stay here while my child is in danger. Don’t ask that of me, please.”
