Page 74 of Back To Our Beginning

“Hold on,” Simon said tightly. “I’ll switch it to the next video feed.”

It took a moment, but then we saw Grizz coming out the front with Maddie still over his shoulder. Her blanketed body looked so small against his big shoulder. Nobody would guess that he was carrying a woman.

Bishop popped the trunk of the Buick and Grizz dumped her in the trunk like she was a sack of potatoes.

I was now going to make his death five minutes longer than I had originally planned.

He slammed the trunk shut and got into the passenger side. Bishop made a three-point turn in front of the house, then drove down the long driveway and took a right turn, heading for the highway.

“That’s all there is,” Simon growled.

“Maybe Nash will find something,” Jase said.

“He’s going to find that car on the side of the road somewhere. Empty. For sure, they have another car waiting for them,” Roan said.

My friend was right. I might not be into civilian investigation, but if I was in their shoes, that’s what I would figure.

“They’re going to want to be on their home turf, aren’t they?” I asked Simon.

Simon nodded.

“So, Chicago?” I asked.

“Yeah. They know their man, Skid, is locked up in Chicago. So, I’m sure that’s where they’re going to make the trade,” Simon confirmed. “Beau, how solid are you? Can you keep it together if we take you with us?”

“I dare you not to.” I glared at the older man. I knew he thought he could act like my commander, but only my captain gave me orders, so Simon better back the fuck off. Simon must have seen my determination, because he just nodded.

“Roan, you stay here. I need you to coordinate things along with Nolan. Once that’s done, get to the office and start the normal searches. Jase and Kai, you’ll fly up to Chicago and get us situated. Roan will have something figured out by the time you land. Beau and I will drive to Chicago now. If we get any sightings, we can stop them on the way.”

“They’re going to be mostly on I-65 and I-75 if they want to make good time,” Kai pointed out.

My stomach lurched. Maddie could die in that trunk with tape over her mouth if she threw up.

“We’ve got to find her before she leaves Tennessee,” I said hoarsely. “She can’t survive a trip that long in a trunk.”

Kai put his hand on my shoulder. “They need her in good shape for proof of life, bro. When they switch cars, they’ll get her out of the trunk.”

I looked into eyes that were identical to mine, except they had confidence shining in them. Kai nodded. “I’m not lying to you, Beau. They’re going to keep her alive. We’ve got time.”

I nodded. Time was a luxury I didn’t believe in anymore. But I’d take every second I could get for her. I had no other choice but to believe him. Anything else would kill me.

Chapter Twenty

I screamed.

“Did you want to eat or not?”

I blinked fast, trying to adjust to the bright light and the woman’s voice, all while coping with the fact that my lips had been torn raw along with the duct tape.

I tasted blood.

“Well, are you going to eat? I don’t have all day, you know.”

She moved so she was no longer standing between the ceiling light and me. I could make out her over made-up face and bad bleach job.

I started to reach up to staunch the blood on my lips, and let out a cry. My shoulder burned with pain as I tried to move my arm. So did my side where the glass was still embedded.

“I’m not going to stand here all day, and I’m sure as hell not going to feed you. You either eat now, or I’m taking it away.”