Page 161 of To Catch a Sub

“No, I’ve got it, but I owe you.”

“You buy next time we’re at the pub.”

If this information was right, Landon would buy this man drinks for the rest of his life.

Landon ended the call and pulled up a map on his phone.

“That would be easier on a computer,” Andrei said from the doorway of Landon’s bedroom in the club.

Landon looked up, then immediately glanced back down at the phone. “It would, but that’s Interpol’s laptop.”

And since he’d quit his job several hours ago, it wouldn’t be right of him to use it. Plus, he no longer trusted Interpol.

“Would you like to use my laptop?” Andrei said conversationally.

“No.”

“My personal laptop?”

At that Landon looked up.

Rolf appeared in the door behind Andrei, his massive presence looming and almost blocking out the light from the hall. “Let us help you.”

“You did help.” In the seven hours since Andrei and Rolf had walked into the hospital, barely missing Novak, they’d used all their skills and resources to help him track Colette.

That was up until two hours ago, when both Andrei and Rolf were asked by the director of the British NCB to back off the investigation. Landon’s boss’s boss—former boss’s boss—wasn’t able to order them to do anything, but he could strongly request.

As soon as he was out of A&E, Landon had been on the phone. He made it clear that Colette needed to be located, now, and that Novak wasn’t to be trusted without coming out and actually saying what he suspected—that Novak was working on behalf of Damien and the Bratva, feeding them information.

And his words meant nothing.

The last official order Landon had been given was to go home and get some rest, and let the directors go over all available information tomorrow. Post review, they’d decide what to do about the situation.

Anu was one of the directors that was looped in, and she’d be at the meeting tomorrow. In desperation, Landon had called her personal phone from the club’s landline and explained everything, including his suspicions about Novak.

She’d been sympathetic, and more importantly she believed him. But she wouldn’t authorize the resources and personnel necessary to launch a search for Colette. She assured him that she’d push for a directed search effort in the meeting the next day, but couldn’t guarantee that it would happen.

In a last-ditch effort to prove Colette was trustworthy and that they needed to act now, Landon gave his boss the information about the Saudi diamond. She’d been delighted, and congratulated him on getting the information.

Then she’d told him to go home, rest, and wait.

That’s when he quit. He’d pinned all his hope on the organization he’d devoted himself to for years believing him, and acting on his word. They’d done neither. Instead they’d asked him to wait nearly a full day for their decision, and fuck knew how long it would be after that before they mobilized. If they mobilized. It was possible Novak would convince everyone Colette staged the whole thing.

They were asking him to abandon the woman he loved. To let her suffer pain and abuse for days on end.

“This laptop right here.” Andrei held up the slim black device, wiggling it in the air.

“You shouldn’t help me.” Landon yanked his thoughts away from Colette. Imagining what was happening to her right now arrested his ability to think. “This will kill your careers.”

“Our careers?” Rolf pushed into the room. “You think that matters more to me than rescuing Colette? We know what he might be doing to her.”

Landon swallowed. He was choking on his fear for her. A small voice in the back of his head told him to give up now, because it was too late: Colette was already dead.

“What did your police buddy say?” Andrei dropped into one of the chairs by the window, opening his laptop.

“Which one?” Landon rubbed his head, then rolled his shoulders. His back muscles were screaming thanks to the taser. “London Metro said there was virtually no usable security camera footage of the van. They picked their spot well.”

“Good thing we aren’t relying on them,” Andrei said.