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He ignores my threats. “Twenty million.”

“You get nothing until I get proof that Peg is unharmed.”

“I think I’ll be the one making the deal here, Caleb.”

“It’s a standard request, Higgins. If you had any experience with kidnapping, you’d know that.”

He sighs. “I’d watch your mouth, partner. And I’ll let you talk to her once you bring the money to the designated meeting spot.”

“That’s not good enough, Wesley. How do I know you don’t have her on a plane to some uncharted island, hm? I want to see her.”

The blue sedan that was off in the distance has turned off the highway, and is weaving in and out of traffic, almost swerving, as I make the same turn off the freeway. “Oh, yeah, and you can tell your goons that they’re following the wrong guy. He’s a decoy.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” I sneer.

“I’m serious.” He chuckles again, making my fist ball up. “Blue Hyundai?” He’s fucking laughing at me, like I’m some kind of joke. “Yeah, that’s Ned. He’s my decoy. I’m somewhere you’ll never find me, especially where you’re heading, if you were stupid enough to follow Ned.”

“Fuck you, asshole. I’m not falling for your shit.”

“There’s nothing to fall for, Caleb. I’m being straight with you. I tell you what, you get me the twenty million in an hour, and it’s like none of this happened.” He bargains, making me want to waste him so bad, I can picture myself choking him, watching his face turn purple, his eyes bleed red, until he sputters for air, and then dies right in my fucking hands, so I can spit in his face on his last breath.

“When I find you,” I seethe. “I will fucking kill you, man.”

“That’s the thing, Caleb. You’ll never find me.” He says, oh so casually, almost mocking me. “And if you fuck up, you’ll never see the brat ever again, either.”

“I will feed your fucking innards to my brother’s lizard, you asshole!” I shout into the phone. “You touch one hair on that bairn’s body and I’ll make sure you suffer every second until your death.”

“Price just went up a million, Caleb. What’s it going to be.” He patronizes.

“Where do you want me to send the money, you asshole.” I answer after a beat, in a low, guttural mutter. He gives me his banking information, which I ignore, since there’s no way in hell that I’m giving him a red cent. He’ll be dead before I give him any of my money. In the background, I’ll bet da’s got a lead on the asshole in the blue Hyundai, and together with Laney’s goons and mine, we’ll have Peg back in her little Princess room before she can bat an eyelash.

“Did you get all that, Caleb?” He taunts.

“Yeah, every drop.” I lie, still using my guttural voice.

“When I see it, if it’s in the next hour, I’ll call you back with the pickup location for Peg.”

“Why don’t you tell me now, you fucking coward.”

“Because I’m no fool, Caleb.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Wesley. You’re fucking with the wrong Scot, man, and you’re going to find that out real fast.”

“Lots of talk from the man with the huge wallet.” He clucks his tongue. “But, like I said, mate, you don’t scare me.”

“Aye. Then you are a fool, Wesley. If you think you’ve got this licked, you better think again.”

“Funny how you say that, yet, you still don’t have Peg back.”

“And you still don’t have the money. But I bet you twelve million fucking dollars that the cops will be at your door before you can count the money.” Laney sends me a text message. It says that they caught the man who took Peg on the security camera. He’s known to them. She doesn’t say more. I’m torn between letting this asshole go, so I can talk to Laney, and keeping him on the line, to find out as much as I can about him.

“So dramatic, Caleb. Are you sending a message to the bank now, or are you wasting my time?”

I decide to dig. “I bet your name isn’t even Higgins, is it.”

The chuckle that will haunt me until the end of time.

“And you have no ties with Gretchen at all, do you.”

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