Page 117 of Wild Mustang Security Firm

“And Fariq? I want you there in person, seated at the table.”

“Done. Until tomorrow, then?”

Croft inclined his head and watched the helicopter lift off. As it turned and headed back down the canyon, just barely above the water, Croft took a deep breath before turning Sam back toward the campsite.

Finn was just beginning to saddle Jasper. She’d waited until what she thought was the last minute after arguing with herself what course of action she would take. Part of her knew she should trust in Croft’s experience and go for help, but every other part of her insisted she ride after him.

She looked up to see Croft riding Sam, alone, but he didn’t seem injured.

“You’re all right?”

Croft smiled. Finn hoped he’d taken note it wasn’t quite five hours, and she had Jasper ready to go. Whether she would have gone for help or come after him was debatable, but it was also immaterial.

“I’m fine.” He nodded as he stepped down. “Christian wasn’t with them, but he is alive, and I’ve been assured he’s received medical attention. The man holding him is one we’ve dealt with before. As long as they get the flash drive, we can make the exchange, and if your brother doesn’t threaten them again, they’ll leave both of you alone.”

“You know these people?”

“The man is Fariq Abdal.”

“The arms dealer? He’s an assassin and terrorist.”

“Actually, he’s neither. He sells arms to both but rarely gets personally involved. It’s not the same… at least not in his mind, and that’s important to remember. I’m not saying he isn’t adangerous man, but he has his own code of honor we’ve come to trust. We’re going to make the exchange tomorrow in Vegas. We need to get back to Mesa, get a team put together, and make this happen. I have every hope by tomorrow afternoon, you’ll have your brother back.”

Finn embraced him and held onto him with all her might.

“And you’re not hurt?” she whispered.

“No, baby,” he said, taking hold of her ass, lifting her off of the ground and into his groin. “I’m in pain, but fine.”

She tilted her head back, so she could look him in the face as he grinned at her. Apparently, Croft was happy to see her—the throbbing bulge in the front of his jeans was proof. He chuckled as he set her back on the ground.

“Did you get any proof Christian is still alive?”

“No, but Fariq told me he was, and I believe him. Fariq’s word has always been good. He doesn’t care about you or Christian, and if Christian isn’t at the exchange, the deal is off. He’s going to call the firm this afternoon and have Christian talk to you. He wants to assure Christian that you’re okay. We’ll make the exchange tomorrow. I know how stressful this is for you, but for Fariq, it’s just business as usual. In this kind of situation, it’s much better to deal with professionals. Let’s get the camp broken down and you ready to ride. You up for taking the trail to the top?”

“Yes. I trust you and Jasper. If I start to freak, I’ll toss you his lead.”

“Good girl.” He kissed her. “Let’s go.”

They were packed and ready to move out in less than fifteen minutes, opting to ford the river where they were, then head to the trailhead. Finn took in the daunting series of switchbacks that led up the steep rockface and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

“You sure you want to do this? I can go up and send a chopper back for you here or at Phantom Ranch.”

“No, we need to get Christian, and that means you need to get to your people. I’m not going to let a trail frighten me into making things more difficult. I won’t,” she said adamantly.

Croft rode back, coming alongside her. Leaning out of his saddle, he cupped her head and crushed her mouth to his. He released her, turned Sam back around, and headed up the challenging trail.

“Tell me more about Fariq Abdal,” Finn said.

Croft smiled, knowing she was trying to get her mind off the daunting trail they were about to ride.

“I’m guessing you know as much as most. He’s North African by birth. He was a mercenary who took out one of the richest arms dealers in the world and took over his business. Unlike the man he replaced, he keeps his word and honors the deals he makes. Cross him, and he’ll kill you without blinking an eye, but if you hold to the bargain, so will he. As I said before, once I knew it was Fariq, I felt a lot better about our odds of getting Christian back.”

“What makes Fariq think Christian will remain quiet?”

“Because if he doesn’t, Fariq will kill him. Christian needs to become a non-threat.”

They talked about things not connected with arms dealers, terrorists, and assassins. Croft opened up about some of the things he had seen and shared with her the things that had caused him to walk away from what would have been a brilliant career in the Navy.

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