Page 14 of Fearless

Arbitrarily, he was grateful for the extra time, because now he could prepare. These bastards were going down.

Chapter Seven

Daily Inn

Jonesboro, California

Sean pulled into the motel’s parking lot. When the scammers had sent the meeting location last night, he’d dug up everything he could find about the town and the motel. Whoever these people were, they had chosen well for both locations. The town was large enough that new people entering wouldn’t attract attention, but small enough that local law enforcement was limited to a sheriff and two deputies. The motel was located right off the interstate, where transients and families on vacation might stop for only one night.

Not knowing what he was going into, Sean had come prepared. What happened when he entered the motel room would be up to the assholes he was meeting. He would gladly take them into custody and deliver them to law enforcement himself. If they wanted to make it difficult, he was prepared for that as well. Either way, these people would never get the chance to extort another person ever again.

Parking on the other side of the motel from where his meeting would take place, Sean got out of the vehicle and opened his trunk. A soft scuffing noise sounded behind him. Gun in hand, he whirled and faced a challenge he hadn’t anticipated. Six men dressed in fatigues, all pointing semiautomatic rifles at him, hadn’t been on his bingo card for this particular mission.

“Gotta say six soldiers with AR-15s seems like overkill for a meeting with an elderly woman.”

“We all know that’s not what this is about.”

The voice came from behind the men. They parted in synchronistic, robotic steps as if they’d practiced multiple times. A man dressed in a suit that likely cost more than most folks in this town made in a year walked through the opening. Standing a little under six feet, he had a swimmer’s build, pale skin, and a slightly crooked nose. The smile he gave Sean was more of smirk as he said, “Hello, Mr. Donavan. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Sean cursed himself. This was as far off the rail of an extortion case as it could get. It clearly had nothing to do with Brenda and her pointless search for Emma. This was all about him. And he’d fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

“And you would be?” Sean asked.

“I am Colton Kingsley, your host for however how long you are useful to me.”

“Host? You think I’m going somewhere with you?”

The smirk went full blast. “Either that, or you’re going to be filled with holes. I don’t want you dead, but I certainly won’t mind if you’re bleeding.”

When Sean didn’t answer, Kingsley shook his head. “Don’t insult my intelligence or yours by pretending you’re going to be able to fight six mercenaries with guns and live through it.”

The man was right. Sean knew he could take down two, maybe three, but he would not be able to take all six.

“What is it you want?”

“Just some conversation.” Kingsley glanced around the parking lot. “Perhaps in a more comfortable, less-exposed environment.”

“Then let’s go to room 414 as planned.”

“The motel is well below my standards. So, either put your gun down peaceably, or my men will be forced to put you down.”

Either way, Sean was screwed, and they both knew it. Fighting would get him shot. Going with them might at least give him a chance to find out who these cretins were and what they wanted from him.

He placed his gun on the ground. The instant it hit the turf, one of the men grabbed it.

“Get on your knees, hands behind your head,” Kingsley said.

Sean did as he was told. It was a surprise that the man who cuffed him did so as gently as if he were touching an explosive. Sean couldn’t fathom why. This whole thing had gone FUBAR in a hurry and this was just one more item to add to its strangeness.

A black G-Wagon with tinted windows pulled up behind the armed men. Kingsley nodded once, and the man who’d cuffed Sean helped him stand.

“If you’ll join me, please,” Kingsley said.

With little choice of doing anything else, Sean strode to the vehicle and got into the back seat. The man who’d cuffed him got in beside him, while Kingsley got into the front passenger seat. Another G-Wagon pulled up, and the other men loaded into it. Both vehicles took off, heading toward the interstate.

No one spoke, and Sean used the silence to come up with one scenario after another of who these people were and why they’d used Brenda to trap him. How had they known about her trying to find Emma?

Five minutes later, they took a turn down a long, narrow road. He was beginning to think he’d been too optimistic that they didn’t plan to kill him when they passed through a gate, and he saw that they were at a small, private airport. A large helicopter stood in the distance, a pilot already waiting.