Page 72 of Back To Our Beginning

“Don’t bother, she won’t answer.” Kai told me. I looked over at him. He had that look on his face. The look that all special operators got when they were going into hostile territory. It was his game face.

It displayed nothing except focus and determination.

“Tell me,” I demanded.

“I know nothing more than Maddie’s been taken and we need to get over to Simon’s house.”

“It’s a fifteen-minute drive. Tell me who I can call for answers before we get there.” My voice was harsh.

“I got my call from Simon. He was clear he’d tell me when I got there.”

“Well, Roan can damn well tell me something now, if this is about Maddie.” I was already pressing in his number.

“I told you to get here,” Roan growled when he answered.

“Kai’s driving. You’re on speaker. Give us the rundown while we’re in the car to save time when we get there.”

“I’ll conference in Jase. He’s on his way.”

I waited for what seemed like hours, but it was less than a minute.

“Okay, here’s the sit rep,” Roan started. “The Blood Ravens, do you remember them, Beau?”

“Yeah, they’re the biker gang, the one-percenters, out of Chicago. You planned to snatch one of their brothers. Did you do that?”

“Yep, the operation went down perfectly. They had no idea who took him, or so we thought,” Roan answered.

“Wait a minute, I was in on that job,” Kai interrupted. “We were clean as a whistle. We followed through on that embezzlement job and got him, because we knew they wouldn’t know who we were.”

“The woman, the embezzler, she knew that her company used Onyx Security,” Roan interrupted.

“So? Who was she going to tell? Her brother was already with the C.P.D. and the company and the D.A. were happy.” Kai sounded confused as he pressed down on the accelerator, sending us twenty miles over the speed limit.

“Her ex-husband is a member of the Blood Ravens. That’s who she told,” Roan explained.

I couldn’t stand it a minute longer. “I don’t get it. What does this have to do with Maddie?”

“They kidnapped Maddie. They want to exchange her for Bishop, the one who’s in jail awaiting trial,” Roan answered.

I felt bile rise in my throat, but I pushed it down. “Why Maddie?” I kept my voice even.

“Maddie took some time off and was meeting Trenda at her and Simon’s house. Trenda left the key under the mat for her so she could get in while she picked up Bella at school. Maddie was at the house alone when the Blood Ravens busted in and mistook her for Trenda. They left a message saying they wanted to trade. We need everyone here to see if we can find anything that might give us a lead as to where they might have taken her.”

“Did you get it on film?” Kai asked.

“Simon said that he only got film on the outside,” Roan answered. “Apparently he doesn’t film inside the house, even after the alarm goes off.”

“Do you know the license plate of the vehicle they took her in?” I asked.

“It was covered with mud. I’ve had Nash put an APB out on the make, model, and color. He’s agreed not to come to the scene for the first hour.” I’d met the sheriff, so I knew who Roan was talking about.

“How’s Trenda?” Jase asked.

“Not good,” was Roan’s curt response. “But Simon’s with her.”

“We’ll be there in five,” Kai said. “Is there anything else?”

“Nope. Just get here.”