Page 65 of Justified Lies

“Eden’s missing.” Panic threatened to choke Kap. He beat it back, barely, but he knew he had to keep his head screwed on straight. Eden needed him. She needed all of them.

“What do you mean her phone is on?” El shouted into the phone. And while Kap could understand that he was freaking out--they needed Sam’s help.

He snatched El’s phone out of his hand.

“What the fuck, Hanson?”

He ignored Eden’s brother. Now was not the time to deal with his freak-out. Not when Kap was freaking out enough for the two of them.

“Sam, it’s Kap.”

“Well, thank goodness. El is losing it. Okay, her phone is on and she’s walking. She didn’t take a car.”

“Of course. She doesn’t have a car.”

“Please. Dammit. Her phone just turned off, and I have a feeling she didn’t do it.”

“I’m going to put you on speaker.”

“Okay.”

He clicked on the speaker phone. The only sound they all heard was the keys tapping.

“Do you need anything from our end?” Seth asked.

“Maybe get into her cloud. I assume Dillon and Warner are still in the office?”

The two men in question looked at each other, then back at Kap. Dillon nodded.

“Yes.”

“Have them tap into her cloud. She didn’t have the contact phone on her person. I think she left that at her house when she bugged out. I’m tapping into the traffic cam history, so I can track her movements.”

Dillon pulled out his phone and stepped away. Every little bit of surveillance they did sent Kap’s panic higher. Sweat trickled down his back, and it wasn’t even hot in the office.

More clicking.

“Sam,” El said.

“I know. I’m hurrying.” The tension in the office ratcheted up a notch every second that went by.

“Thanks, Em,” Dillon said as he came back to the group. “Send it to my phone.”

Then he hung up. The only person she texted with was Ian, according to Emily.”

His phone buzzed, and his eyes narrowed. “Dammit, they used Ian.”

He showed Warner, then he turned the phone so the rest of the room could see it. It was Ian, and he looked like he’d been worked over. His lip was split, and blood trickled out of his nose. His eyes were closed, and his hands were zip-tied.

“Shit,” Autumn muttered. “I’m going to kill whoever put their hands on my brother.”

“What is happening?” Sam said, all the while he heard her working on the keyboard.

“It’s Ian. He’s been taken.”

Silence reigned. She wasn’t even tapping on the keyboard.

“Sam?” Kap asked.