Page 131 of Wild Mustang Security Firm

“No cops, then,” Thom said. “I’ll ask people not to intercept but to tell me where they leave from and if they have a flight path.”

“Shit!” Croft said as he and John reached Noah, who had a cab waiting for them. Croft was sure Noah had promised the cabbie a very large tip for breaking every speed limit on the Vegas strip to get them there in the least amount of time.

They were back in the chopper and in the air in record time, Croft upfront with Avery.

“Everybody, hang on. I’m going to see if we can spot them. There’re field glasses back there,” she said as she headed down the strip in the last known direction of the town car that held Finn.

Quietly, Avery signaled Croft to switch comm channels.

“We’ll find her, Croft. She’s tough, and she knows you’re coming. We’ll get her. I promise.”

He nodded, and they switched back to the main comm channel.

“Christian, I’m Croft. How are you doing?”

“Physically much better, but that madman has my sister.”

“We know,” John said quietly. “I don’t know if you know who we are, but this is what we do, and we’ll get your sister back. As soon as we can, we’re going to ask our old buddy Fariq here a few pointed questions about what the fuck is going on, and he’s going to tell us.”

Croft turned in his seat and watched Fariq Abdal, one of the most notorious arms dealers in the world, try to shrink into as small a space as he could. He was no fool. He knew Wild Mustang by reputation, but more importantly, he knew Croft, and the first hostage’s sister, who was now being held, was Croft’s woman. Fariq knew him well enough to know there was nothing Croft wouldn’t do to get Finn back.

Chapter

Ten

It was all Finn could do not to shriek in terror as the man who had kidnapped her snatched her comm unit and crushed it underneath his foot.

“I take it you do not have the flash drive?” he said.

“No. One of the men with Wild Mustang had it. You and Fariq were to have sat with him, and he would have given it to you. If you wanted the evidence?—”

Her sentence was cut off when he backhanded her.

“You only speak when it is necessary, and you do not question me. That old man,” he spat, “should never have allowed this. He should have killed the man you hired at the original meeting, then found and killed you and disposed of your brother. Instead, my brother is dead, and Fariq’s operation is compromised. Now they have both your brother and the flash drive.”

“But you,”—he silenced her again with another stunning blow—“have me,” she continued. “They will trade the flash drive for me. My brother and I will keep silent to stay alive.”

“Perhaps,” he said. “But Fariq still lives. It won’t take him long to ferret out those who are loyal to me and dispose ofthem… as he did my brother. I’m not sure you’re worth the trouble to keep alive.”

“Of course, I am. You know Wild Mustang by reputation. You kill me, and it won’t be just Fariq who keeps you looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.”

He raised his hand again, and Finn flinched. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. It wasn’t that he was handsome, but there was something about him, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on, something familiar.

“This has all gone so wrong,” he muttered. “If only my brother hadn’t gotten greedy and impatient. He always was impatient. Had he just waited, he never would have exposed Fariq’s flank, so to speak, never have been so stupid as to kidnap your brother, and force Fariq’s hand. He’d still be alive.”

“So, your brother was the one behind all this? The one I’m assuming Fariq killed?”

“Yes, but you know I don’t blame Fariq, not really. He had to kill him, but perhaps I can use that as a more acceptable reason to take over Fariq’s business than just wanting the old man out of the way. Now, be silent. I need to think.”

Finn cringed internally. The man sitting next to her didn’t mourn his brother’s demise, only that what he had done had accelerated his own plans and had put a serious dent in them. The car sped down the strip and out of Las Vegas, heading where, Finn wasn’t sure.

The Wild Mustang helicopter landed at their headquarters. Avery reached over to squeeze Croft’s hand but said nothing and took off as soon as everyone was clear. The men went into the office and were greeted by Thom.

“I’ve been on the phone with both the Four Seasons and the Las Vegas cops. The hotel was amenable to staying out of it when I told them the firm would pay for all damages, including allowing them to comp the hotel bills of the few guests who were in there. The cops are pissed,” Adam said.

“I’ll bet they are,” John said. “Junior, don’t you have friends high up in their department?”

“Sure do. I’ll get on the horn and get this smoothed over. I’ll assure them we thought it was a simple information exchange.”

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