Page 175 of Nothing Special X: The Last Stand

Nothing yet.

“Why didn’t you radio earlier?”

“They took every device they could see,” Tech said. “I couldn’t risk letting them know about the Hart Communicator. Couldn’t let them know my glasses transmit. I waited until they stopped searching us.”

“Location?”

“We were in the back of the van for at least an hour. Multiple turns. Highway, then surface streets. I couldn’t see out. We’re in some abandoned warehouse now with high blacked-out windows. They got us zip-tied on the floor.”

God’s mind was moving through a dozen scenarios, none of which seemed possible without breaking a lot of laws.

Ruxs paced. Green stood near the wall, breathing through his nose as if he was trying to ward off a panic attack.

Steele stared out of the window at the blackness, his expression unreadable.

Cassidy had both hands in his hair now, fingers locked at the back of his neck.

Free’s voice slipped into the comm, quieter than Tech’s. “Call Fox. He’s the only one who can work my system.”

“I know,” Day said, “He’s on it.”

“I sent him the access codes,” Free whispered. “Once he’s in, my screens will come up. You’ll get Tech’s glasses cam and our locations will ping.”

“Hurry up,” Cassidy said, voice rough enough to cut. “For Christ’s sake, hurry up.”

God put a hand out in front of him, palm down.

Stay steady.

“They want ten million wired to an offshore account,” Tech said. “One of them plans to take Xander to his bank in the morning to authorize the transfer. They said if he tries anything, they’ll kill us first, then him.”

Cassidy caught the back of a chair in one fist and launched it across the room. It slammed into the wall with a violent crack before it splintered into several pieces.

Nobody flinched. Each of them had been through this before. They knew what it was like to have a gun pointed at the head of the man they loved.

“Fox said he’s almost in,” Day reported.

Free’s voice came again, smaller this time. “God?”

“I’m here.”

“Do not call Ivan. Please.”

God went still.

Hart was his best friend. He couldn’t keep this from him.

“I know you’re gonna get us out of here,” Free whispered. “But for fuck’s sake, don’t call him. I don’t need him losing his mind two thousand miles away where he can’t help.”

God’s throat worked once. “Okay.”

Free breathed out. “Thank you.”

Tech’s voice dropped lower. “They’re coming back. Standby.”

Everyone in the suite froze.

For several seconds, all they heard was distant movement through Tech’s open channel. Footsteps. A metal door. The scrape of something being dragged across concrete. Xander’s quicker breaths, thin and uneven, tipping toward panic.