Page 35 of Fatal Intent

Seth chuckled. “I’m glad to pay up.”

“Wait.” Grant stared at each of his teammates. “Are you saying you bet on me?”

“Not only you. We had a pool going on when you would finally tell Rayne how you felt. Since you’re dating each other exclusively, that means you manned up long enough to tell the lady how you feel about her.”

Rayne fought hard against the laugh wanting to burst from lips. When her teammates started laughing, she lost the battle.

Grant shook his head, his lips twitching at the corners. “You have too much time on your hands if our love life is this entertaining.”

Seth opened his passenger door for Teagan and helped her inside. “Let’s get moving. Traffic is bad.”

Elias snorted. “When is traffic not bad in Nashville?”

“That’s the truth,” Andre said. “You can always count on at least one accident on the interstates no matter the time of day or night.”

“Accidents and construction,” Riley said. “They go hand-in-hand around this city.”

“Seth’s right. We need to go,” Iona said, frowning. “Now.”

Rayne stared at her team leader. “Is your gut warning of trouble ahead?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Load up,” Teagan said. “We all know what that means.”

Trouble at the speed of light was heading straight for them.

CHAPTER NINE

THE FORTRESS JETtaxied down the runway, gathered speed, and lifted into the air with members of Echo, Artemis, and Jake Davenport aboard. Once they were airborne, the operatives gathered around the table at the front of the jet and began the tedious process of planning a rescue mission.

An hour into the flight, Seth’s phone signaled an incoming message. He checked the screen. “Maddox wants a conference call.”

Grant’s gut knotted. Something had happened in the hour since their jet had lifted into the air, something bad.

“I’ve got it.” Riley tapped several keys on her laptop. A minute later, Maddox’s face appeared on the wall screen where a satellite photo of Los Lobos’s compound had been.

“What happened?” Seth asked.

“Two things. First, Gerald White, Sean’s father, is going through back channels, offering money for the release and safe return of his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren.”

Elias scowled. “Is he crazy? If Los Lobos get their hands on the money, crime in that area of Nicaragua will escalate and the Whites will die.”

“The State Department has been telling Gerald as much, but he won’t listen. He believes everyone has a price, and he’s determined to find Los Lobos’s tipping point.”

“Although they’ll gladly take the cash, they’re not after money. They want Pablo Aguado released.”

“Not happening. The president is holding firm. That’s why he asked your teams to go in after the family.”

Seth dragged a hand down his face. “How much time do we have?”

“Twenty-four hours at the most.”

A collective groan went up from the operatives. “By the time we land, it will be closer to eighteen hours,” Seth said.

“You've got it.”

“Does Los Lobos know Mr. White is coming?”