Page 109 of Sweet Little Spies

Take them.

Before his fight instincts could take over there was ahissing sound and a sharp pain in his thigh. He heard Zach curse and realizedtwo of the men carried tranquilizer guns. He recognized them because he’drecently been hit with one very similar. These assholes shopped at the samestores as his dad.

Tris felt the world go hazy and prayed he would be able tosee them again.

* * * *

“I want someone to kill.” Big Tag paced like a tiger.

“I know, babe. Believe me, I know, but all Tasha could findwere low-level employees who didn’t know anything.” Charlotte was trying tocalm him down. “They worked fast. I think the manager has likely skipped town,but we’ll find him eventually.”

Carys and Kala had been gone by the time Aidan and Tasha hadfinally gotten through the entrance to the speakeasy. It had been completelyshut down and locked up when they’d gotten there. The big bouncer who’d dressedlike a twenties gangster had been absent from his post, and no one they askedknew anything beyond the bar closed at eleven. An hour or so before they’dentered it the first time.

Had Kala walked in when it was open, and they’d decided touse the opportunity? Then Carys had shown up like a lamb to slaughter.

Aidan felt useless. Lost. How could they be gone?

When they’d realized what had happened, they’d tried to callTris and Zach, but cell service had been out and by the time they’d climbed thestairs to the suite—the elevator had mysteriously stopped working—all they’dbeen left with was luggage.

Someone had jammed service at precisely the right time.Tasha had to drive a mile and a half away before she’d managed to get herfather on the phone to activate the trackers he had implanted in all of what hecalled his “puppies.” Tris, Kala, and Zach should have been trackable.

They’d gotten nothing.

“They must have pulled their trackers,” Lou said.

“Or they’re in range of a jammer.” Adam Miles had been onhis laptop when they’d returned to the safe house. He had barely looked up.“They shut off CCTVs around the hotel, too. They just came back on.”

“Likely because Huisman has them wherever he wants them.”Kenzie paced, too, mirroring her father in so many ways. She’d been tense andshut down, none of her natural ebullience in evidence since she’d learnedsomeone had kidnapped her twin and cousin.

Her father turned to her, his jaw tight. “You need to getupstairs. Parker could be here any minute. He knows Kara’s been taken. Won’t hebe surprised when he sees you here?”

Kenzie’s chin came up in stubborn defiance. “Let him. Idon’t care. My sister is in trouble. My cousin is in trouble. Hell, I’m worriedabout Tris and Zach because what’s going to happen when they realize Tris knowsnothing and Zach is barely involved? They’ll kill Zach, but they’ll likelytorture Tris.”

“Or torture Carys so Tris will talk.” It was the scenarioplaying through Aidan’s head. Carys being hurt over and over again for a secretTris didn’t possess. “He’ll try to make up something, but they’ll figure outhe’s lying.”

“It’ll take them time to verify whatever he tells them,” BigTag said. “Tris is smart. He’ll come up with something. He’ll buy us sometime.”

Aidan had to hope so. “My question is why would they takeKala and Zach? I would think they would be more trouble than they’re worth.”

The logical side of his brain went where his heart didn’twant to go. Kala would be trouble. Zach would be trouble. Should they havesearched the hotel more thoroughly? Would they have found bodies?

Cooper strode down the stairs. He’d changed out of PJ pantsand into black fatigues and a black T-shirt, a tactical vest covering hischest, and he was loaded up. He carried an AR-15, and Aidan counted at leastthree handguns and two knives.

“Yo, Rambo. Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” BigTag asked, staring at Cooper like he could force the other man to do his will.

Kenzie got a good look at Coop and nodded. “One of us has itright. I’ll go with you. Give me a sec to get changed.”

Charlotte sighed. “Yes, because running around Canadadressed for war is going to make everything easier. Kenzie, you’re not goinganywhere.”

“I’m not running around,” Cooper promised. “I know exactlywhere I’m going.”

A brow rose over Big Tag’s eyes. “Do you? Have you carefullyconsidered all the places Huisman could take them and logically narrowed it toone or two buildings? Did you get a listing of all the properties Huisman ownsso you could deduce which one would be the easiest to store four prisoners in?”

“If they’re prisoners.” Tasha sat beside Lou, her hands inknots on her lap. She said out loud what they were all truly afraid of. “Idon’t understand why they need Kala and Zach.”

“We don’t know they have Kala.” TJ was ever the optimist.Like Cooper, he’d dressed in tactical wear and looked ready for anything.Though he hadn’t strapped on an armory yet. “She could be following them. Samefor Zach. You said you left him with Tristan.”

“Yes, in the suite where there wasn’t any place to go,”Tasha argued.

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