Page 113 of Captive Lies

“Do we have contact yet? Good.” Andy paused. “Ah,Senator.”

“You sick son of a bitch. What have you done to mydaughter?”

“Oh, you mean, thisdaughter?”

“Daddy …” Valcroaked.

“Oh my God, what have you done to her? I’ll kill you,Spencer.”

“She’s been a handful,” Andysaid.

“Where’s Blaire?”Grant!

“She’s busy earning us billions. Don’t worry—she’s still in one piece,” Andy said. “Now, I want you all to back off. We have no use for the women. Once Blaire gives us what we need, we’ll let themgo.”

“Your word is shit, Spencer. You work for Yashkin,” Grantgrowled.

“Stop hacking the carriers,” Andywarned.

“Chief, we lost another one. We’re down to nine locations,” Ericsaid.

“Damn it, I’m warning you,Senator.”

“No!”

Valscreamed.

I clenched my fist around the cutter and spun around. Rex didn’t see me coming because his attention was on the drama unfolding on the other side of the crates. I jumped on his back just as he was about to turn toward me. With my left hand covering his mouth, I sank the cutter into his neck and jerked it up. Valerie was still screaming and her father was yelling, so no one heard us hit the floor. Blood pooled like a river around us. My body and mind went into survival-attack mode with a single focus. I heard Liam’s voice in myhead.

Fight.

I grabbed Rex’s carbine, checked the magazine, grabbed his extra ones, and went to getValerie.

43

Grant

“No!”the senatoryelled.

That motherfucker had one of his men hold Val down, while the other started to cut afinger.

“Stop it! Allright!”

Andy’s face filled the screen while Val was crying hysterically in the background. “Now, Senator.” Hethreatened.

“Grant, please,” his father turned to him. Grant was conflicted. He had just received an update from Viktor that his analyst was close to isolating the carriers. The AGS men took a chopper out and were hovering around the location dots that were within a twenty-mile radius of each other, so as soon as the real coordinates were identified they could quickly respond. In his mind, Val could survive with one less finger if that meant they could besaved.

“Maybe I should just slit your baby girl’s throat,” his father’s former aide saidsilkily.

“Chief, they’ve got us!” One of Andy’s menshouted.

“You just killed your daughter.” A cruel sneer twisted Andy’sface.

“Stop!” the senator lunged at themonitor.

A loud cracking noise was heard from the screen. The man holding Val fell over, and Andy and two other men ran for cover leaving Val sitting stunned in her chair. Gunshots? Who wasshooting?

“What…?” the senator whispered. Grant’s mind raced, trying to figure out what was going on. Viktor and his men couldn’t have gotten there thisquickly.

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