Page 41 of Stryker

John had to admit he was tired after afull day of trying to be social. He’d only cut and run into theback workshop a few times during the opening for a breather, so itwas an improvement. The townspeople of Marshall were so friendlythat, at times, John forgot about his anxiety.

“I’m just going to run upto my apartment and grab a few things for the lake house,” Johntold Rick.

Stryker and Brick had gone up to thebar to settle the bill. They’d stay at the lake house for anextended period if the case wasn’t solved. He’d need some personalbelongings and changes of clothing.

“I’ll come with you.” Rickstarted to stand.

“No. I can do this all onmy own. I’ll only be a few minutes, and it’s only upstairs. I’lltake the internal staircase.”

“But Stryker said…” Rickblurted.

John was feeling brave. “Strykerdoesn’t own me.” Well, maybe he did. A little. But he was tired offeeling like a victim. “I’m capable of doing this bymyself..”

Without waiting for a response from astartled Rick, John strode off.

He walked into the kitchen, and up theback staircase to his apartment. He waved at the cook, Pete, andthe dishwasher, Kevin, on his way by.

He unlocked the apartment door,entered his bedroom, grabbed the suitcase out of the closet, andbegan filling it with clothes and toiletries. He wasn’t sure howlong to pack for, so he packed a little extra to be on the safeside.

It wasn’t until he heard the floorcreak that he knew he wasn’t alone. Something pricked his neck, andhis world went dark.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Stryker

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”Stryker paced the bar like a tiger in a cage as the flashing lightsfrom police cruisers lit up the area. John had been missing forover sixty minutes.

The minute John had left the bar to goto his room, Rick had found Stryker and told him what had happened.He’d rushed up to the apartment but John was already gone. He’dcursed at Rick for letting him go until Brick told him firmly tocalm down.

Stryker knew it wasn’t Rick’s fault;it was John being stubborn that had caused the situation. He’d havea few choice words to say to his lover when they found him. Becausehe had to believe they would find him alive and well or he’d gocrazy.

The police were searching every inchof the county for John but so far, no success. He and Spencerremained at the apartment looking for clues about who’d taken John,though they figured it was the Noah Project group. Probably nosurprises there.

Stryker stared at the open suitcasesitting on the bed. It was obvious that John had been caught offguard by whoever had taken him, and the cap from a hypodermicneedle they’d found on the floor was damning evidence.

The first thing they’d done wasfingerprint the doors and windows. All entry points were tested,and the fingerprints ran through Spencer’s equipment. The man was agenius, and Stryker was counting on him to come up with a name, butit would take time. Time they didn’t have. With every passingminute, they could be taking John farther and fartheraway.

He fought to control his anger andthink logically, or else he’d be useless, but the hole in the pitof his stomach was growing larger by the minute. He had to findJohn; there was no other option.

***

John

He came to with bongos pounding insidehis head. He’d woken up on the floor of a room without windows andonly one door, which was no doubt locked. He stared around hazily,wishing now he’d never gone to his apartment alone. Stryker wasgoing to freak when he found out, rip him a newarsehole.

Shit. It was too late for what-ifs.There had to be a way out of here, and he wouldn’t stop until hefound it because there was no way he was sticking around to findout what plans the Noah Group had for him.

He listened for any noise to give himan indication of where he might be. A highway, a dog barking,anything, but he was met with a very disturbing silence.

Where the hellam I?

There was comfort inknowing Stryker and the team wouldn’t stop until they’d found him.He had to hold out until they got here. Whereverherewas. John wished heknew what was on the other side of the door. Then it hithim.

“Shit, this is the perfecttime to see what I can do. “

He concentrated on the door and thewall on that side of the room, hoping to see something or someoneand get a better idea of his position. Slowly, an image began toappear. A long hallway in front of him reminded him of an officebuilding with cubicles on either side.

As far as he could see, no one wasaround. There was no guard stationed outside his door or person tobe seen. He turned to another wall and concentrated again, findinga storage room on one side and another office on the other. Itlooked as if he was still in an urban area, not some godforsakenplace in the hills where men with axes roamed. John had seen thosegory films and they never ended well.

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