Page 110 of The Devoted Game

She put her hand on his arm when he would have moved away. “Don’t go getting Grace or yourself killed, McBride. You make this place interesting.”

He snagged the needed map to Trusty Todd’s from the printer and headed for the door.

“McBride?”

He froze. Dammit. He glanced over his shoulder. “I need a smoke.”

Pierce’s disapproval showed on his face, but he didn’t argue; he turned his attention back to the computer where Talley was still trying to track down the source of the video stream.

Four steps outside the conference room, McBride tucked the weapon into his waistband at the small of his back then broke into a run. He’d just hit the stairs when a voice stopped him.

“You’ll need backup.”

Ryan swiveled. “What’re you talking about, Pratt?”

If Schaffer had given him up already, he was going to have to change his opinion of her.

“I saw you running, McBride. I don’t think it’s related to a nicotine attack.” He shrugged. “And there was the weapon. I knew you didn’t have a weapon.”

“All right.” Ryan motioned for him to follow. “Come on.”

They took the stairs two at a time and hit the parking lot running. When they had dropped into the seats of Schaffer’s Mustang, Pratt said, “I’ve always wanted to ride in this car.”

Ryan started the engine and rolled toward the gate. Pratt waved to the guard and the gate slid open.

“Keep me going in the right direction.” Ryan shoved the map at him.

Pratt took a look at the map. “Yeah, I know this place.”

“Tell me the fastest route.”

Pratt gave the directions and Ryan drove as fast as he dared. Before he reached the storage facility, he pulled into a gas station parking lot on the same side of the street. A Check Advance and a pawnshop stood between the gas station and Trusty Todd’s.

“Here’s the deal, Pratt.” He surveyed the parking lot of the convenience store where Goodman and her cameraman were supposed to be waiting. “Fincher knows I’m coming. I don’t know how he managed it, but he had Nadine Goodman call me. Supposedly she and her cameraman are in that gray minivan over there. I know there’s more going on than what she told me. Fincher’s too good to allow a reporter to tail him.”

You didn’t have to be a rocket scientist—and judging by his numerous degrees, Fincher was one—to figure out that Goodman had sent Nameless his invitation, so to speak, and now she’d issued one to Ryan.

Pratt glanced at the minivan. “What’s your plan?”

Ryan surveyed the area again. “I’m going over to the storage facility to see what I can find. If you see anyone heading that way, blow the horn twice.”

“But shouldn’t I go with you?”

“If you want to back me up, you’ve got to do what I tell you.”

Pratt shrugged. “Okay. But if I hear any gunfire, I’m calling Pierce and heading your way.”

“That’s just what I want you to do,” Ryan assured him.

He got out of the car, considered his options, then headed into the shadows of the buildings. There was a chain-link fence around the storage facility. He hoped it wasn’t hot. He touched it. The fence wasn’t electrified.

Continuously surveying the area around him, he climbed over the ten-foot fence. Dropping down onto the other side put him on the back side of a row of storage units.

He didn’t have any idea where to start, so he palmed the weapon he had borrowed from Schaffer and started with the row of units closest to him.

When he eased around the corner of the next row, he spotted Grace’s SUV. Moving quickly now, he made his way there. Anticipation had his heart thundering in his chest.

The SUV was empty.