Page 107 of Wild Mustang Security Firm

“They’re probably going to do that anyway if they haven’t already. You, too, for that matter. Why did they contact you?”

“Because Christian has information they want. I don’t know the specifics, but I do know they don’t want it to get to the authorities.”

“Do you have the information?”

“Yes.” Finn dug into her bra and retrieved the flash drive. “They managed to get Christian and his laptop but not this.”

“How did he get you involved? Is this the only copy?”

“Yes, and Christian didn’t get me involved,” she said, resenting the implication her brother had done something wrong.

“He did, babe. He had to have told them there was a copy, and they reached out to you to get it. If they know your reputation, they also probably figured you already knew. I might be able to use that to our advantage.”

“No, Croft. I have to go alone.”

“That ain’t happening. When and where are you supposed to meet them?”

“I can’t.”

“You can, and you will. Don’t make me spank it out of you, Finn.”

“Tomorrow at high noon, which I thought was a bit melodramatic, and I have GPS coordinates.”

“I take it, then, you have a GPS locator?”

She nodded.

“And high noon in the desert isn’t a bad idea. Far less likely, someone will interrupt you since most folks stay out of that kind of heat.”

“But why here in the canyon? Christian’s never been here that I know of.”

“I doubt he’s here now.”

“No, he has to be. They said we could make the exchange.”

Croft prevented her from getting to her feet and pulled her more tightly against his chest.

“They want you alone in the Grand Canyon. People have disappeared here for hundreds of years. With you gone, they will have whatever Christian had and can dispose of him if they haven’t already. Whoever it is never had any plans to exchange your brother or allow you to walk away. Hopefully, Christian is still alive. They’d want to be able to produce him until they have this.” He indicated the flash drive. “Then you and your brother are expendable and dead.”

“Do you think Christian is dead?”

“I think at this point, the odds are in our favor, but only until they have the flash drive.”

Finn was grateful Croft now included himself in her rescue of Christian.

“What are we going to do?” she asked.

“Wearen’t going to do anything. You are going to give me the GPS coordinates and your locator, and I’ll deal with whoever they sent to kill you.”

“You don’t have time to take me back, and I won’t go.”

“I didn’t expect that you would. You will, however, stay put. This is as good a place as any. I’ll take Jasper with me…”

“You aren’t going to strand me without a mount.”

“How the hell were you planning to get Christian out?” he asked.

“I thought I’d put him up on Jasper and lead them back.”

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