Page 10 of Complicated Past

“I’ll check footage from the bank opposite the grocery. They’ve got better cameras. What’s the time stamp on the van showing up?” Clara asked.

Linc gave her the time before trying the simple passcodes experts warned against using. He kept a list of the combos he tried. “Got it.” Four-five-six-seven. At least it wasn’t one-two-three-four.

He went to the text messages and opened the thread with Bri.

The resort is gorgeous. Thanks so much for watching Jalen so I could come. Tell him I miss him already.

She’d attached two pictures. One was of the beach, taken from the deck of their room, and didn’t include anything to identify the location. The other was a selfie of her blowing a kiss. He downloaded the images to Regina’s phone and checked the details on the chance that, despite his warnings about protectingJalen, she’d enabled location tagging. She hadn’t. For once, he wished she’d bucked him.

Regina had three missed calls, all from a restricted number and in the space of about ten minutes yesterday afternoon. Possibly a debt collector or scammer. He hit the play button anyway. “It’s Bri!” he alerted Clara and restarted the message.

“Grams, it’s Bri.” She spoke softly and urgently. “I’m calling from another number because Tonya—she isn’t a friend—and I’m in trouble. She tried to trick me into smuggling drugs back into the States.”

Linc’s heart thumped against his ribcage. She wasn’t using—but this could be worse. So much worse.

“I told her I won’t do it. She’s locked up my passport and claims the police here are on the cartel’s payroll. I believe her. I don’t know how I’ll get out of here. She has pictures of Jalen outside his school and said she’d send her people there after him. I need you to pick him upnow! Take him someplace safe. Don’t go back to your house in Atlanta?—”

“What are you—you damn bitch. Give me my phone.”

It was the same voice as in the message Bri had left him. Angrier this time.

Based on the clank, the phone must have been knocked to the floor, and all he heard was grunts and banging.

Give her hell, Bri.Except Bri had never been a fighter.

“You’re a sneaky bitch.” Tonya’s voice got louder. “Who were you calling? Your brother’s deployed. He won’t come running to help. Your Grams? Right,” she taunted. “Hello. Hello? You just made things so much worse for yourself.” The message ended.

Fuck. This had become the worst-case scenario. Except Tonya was wrong. Linchadcome. And he’d find Bri.

He didn’t have a number, and the phone was probably an untraceable burner. At least he had a name: Tonya. Whoever this woman was working with here had to be the one who tookRegina. They hadn’t gotten Jalen. The rock in Linc’s gut grew to boulder size. “I need to get Jalen.Now.”

“I’ll send a patrol car to the school until you arrive,” Clara offered.

“Good idea. See what you can find on that van,” he requested then sprinted to the door.

He’d talked to Jalen’s teacher this morning when he dropped him off to let her know he would be the one picking up Jalen. They wouldn’t let anyone else take him, would they?

If Regina had answered or listened to the message, she would have taken precautions, though maybe they would have gotten ReginaandJalen.

What had they done to or with Regina? They might hurt her to motivate Bri to cooperate. Would they kill her? What were the chances they’d let her go?

Shit. How the hell would he protect Jalen and rescue Bri? With his team deployed, he was alone, with no idea where the hell in Mexico Bri even was.

SIX

That Linc had to buzz and wait to be let in the school made him feel better. However, he wasn’t taking any chances leaving his nephew here or putting the other kids or employees in danger.

“Is everything all right with Jalen’s grandmother?” the director asked as she escorted him to Jalen’s room.

“Uh, I’m afraid she’s still missing.” He didn’t elaborate.

“I’m sorry. Does you being here to get Jalen early have anything to do with the police cruiser out front?” Rachel paused outside the classroom.

He doubted much got by this woman. “It does. There’s a possibility she may have been abducted.”

“Oh, dear. At the risk of sounding paranoid, there was a white van parked in the elementary school lot next door last night.”

Linc froze. “A minivan or . . .”

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