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“I knew she needed the system, and you needed her to have it, even if Fortress had to absorb the cost of the equipment.”
“Thanks, boss.”
“The install team will pick up a window to replace the one shattered by the bullet and bring it with them.”
“You worked miracles. I owe you.”
“Yes, you do. I will collect, Torres.”
Rafe chuckled.
“Zane just came in. Hold.” A short, muffled conversation later, Brent returned. “You’re on speaker, Rafe. Zane, go ahead.”
“Heard you had a close call,” the former SEAL said.
“No damage except that I added to Kristi’s bruises when I tackled her.”
“Bruises heal faster than bullet wounds. I looked into Stewart’s and Ward’s locations when the shot was fired. Stewart hasn’t left his office since he arrived at 5:00 a.m., and Ward is in a breakfast meeting at Bakerhill Bistro with four men. The bistro is across town from Kristi’s Bridal. Ward is pitching his hedge fund. These men are serious investors with big bucks in their bank accounts and impressive portfolios.”
Rafe rubbed his jaw, disappointed that the information didn’t resolve some of his questions. “If Stewart or Ward is behind the attack, he doesn’t have to do his own dirty work.”
“Learn something new?” Brent asked.
“The shooter wore tactical boots with a Ward Security logo stitched on the side. WS is Kristi’s former security provider. The same company handles security for Stewart Group as well as Alan Stewart and is a division of Ward Industries.”
The Fortress CEO grunted. “Third-rate company with a lousy reputation in the business. If either Stewart or Ward hired someone from Ward Security to execute the op, he wouldn’t have to break into her home to get to her. He’d have all the information needed to walk in.”
“Check inside her home for cameras or listening devices,” Zane said.
Ice water flowed through Rafe’s veins. He should have thought of that sooner. Maybe his focus was too centered on Kristi. “I’ll take care of it.”
“If the kidnappers are associated with Ward Security, why wait until Kristi was in Gatlinburg to grab her?”
“To prove to Stewart that they could reach his daughter any time they wanted. If Stewart’s hotel staff and security couldn’t keep Kristi safe, she was vulnerable anywhere.”
“Maybe,” Brent said. “They also had a better chance to escape without detection in the mountains surrounding Gatlinburg. Bakerhill has cameras everywhere The kidnappers were smart enough to use one of the empty rental cabins to hold her captive. Bad luck on their part that Kristi’s father had a tracker implanted and knew where she’d been taken.”
“Why would Stewart have his daughter kidnapped?” Zane asked. “Doesn’t make sense since he hired us to rescue her.”
“I’m still mulling that over,” Rafe admitted. “It’s possible he didn’t kidnap her, but knew who took her or hired the kidnappers. I don’t like the man, but I can’t see him subjecting Kristi to a kidnapping sure to resurrect nightmares of her first one. I need the case file of her first kidnapping.”
“You believe the cases are connected?” Brent asked.
“No clue, but it’s worth a look.”
“I love to hack fed databases,” Zane said. “I’ll send a copy of the file to your email.”
“Thanks, Z.”
“No problem, my friend. How does Kristi like the GPS jewelry?”
“She loves the design and is wearing every piece. I don’t know how you decided which design to send Kristi, but your choice was perfect.”
“No magic involved. I looked at the dresses on her website. Although the dress styles are different, the designs are all elegant. The lilies of the valley design seemed to be a perfect match for Kristi.”
“Is it possible for the installation team to bring a satellite phone for her?”
“I’ll have the lead installer stop by my office before they leave. You have a suggestion on the choice of cover?”
