Page 9 of Guarded from Danger

Erik and Niall come jogging into the room, and Niall says, “Rhi’s on her way. She was out checking the perimeter fences.”

“Where is she?” I repeat, pinning Dante with my gaze. “You said Lucy is alive. How do you know?”

“Xav.” Matt looks up at me. His tone is low and somber. “Let me explain what I found.”

Shit. I’m forgetting all my training. My discipline. “Fine.” I don’t sit, but I stand behind one of the leather chairs with my hands on the back of it. “What did you find out?”

If possible, Matt’s features go even more solemn. “I’ve been using a web crawler to run facial recognition on videos found on the dark web, trying to see if Lucy’s in any of them.”

Bile rises in my throat, and I have to swallow to keep from vomiting. “And you found her?”

“Don’t freak out,” Dante interjects. “It’s not trafficking. Not like that.”

“So what is it?” I bite out.

“It’s a game,” Matt replies. “A fucked up one. It’s called Expiration Date.”

Rhiannon comes running into the room and comes to stand beside me. She puts her hand on my shoulder, a small gesture of support.

“What’s Expiration Date?” Niall asks. His brow furrows. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s fairly new, apparently.” Matt scowls. “The people behind it… they kidnap innocent victims and hold them captive. Each person is put in a separate location. Abandoned houses. Cabins. Bomb shelters. And they’re”—he grimaces—“given some food and water. But not enough.”

“What does that mean?” I glance between Dante and Matt. “Are you saying Lucy?—”

“Yes,” Dante replies, his gaze darkening. “They took Lucy. And what they do… Each victim is just left there. No one goes back. But there’s video surveillance, so viewers on the dark web can watch. And—” His jaw goes hard. “They place bets. On how long thecontestant, they’re called—will last. Once the food and water run out. And there’s a rope…”

“What?”Rage like nothing I’ve felt roars through me. “Lucy’s part of some fucked up game? Where people are betting when she starves? What thefuck?”

“It’s only been five days,” Matt says. “She’s not in danger of starving yet. And I’m working on tracking the camera right now. As soon as I get the location, we’ll get her out.”

A terrible realization hits me. “But you saw Lucy. Held captive.”

His eyes meet mine. “I did.” Then he turns the laptop towards me. “Don’t freak out, Xav. We’re going to get her.”

As I walk towards Matt, it feels like I’m moving in slow motion.

I’m desperate to see Lucy, but I’m also scared.

And then.

I see her.

She’s huddled in the corner of a tiny cabin, her arms wrapped around her legs, her forehead resting on her knees. Her long hair falls in tangled curtains around her face. There’s a heavy metal shackle around one ankle and one of her wrists, and she’s shaking, her shoulders heaving with silent sobs.

My Lucy.

Rage and sorrow and guilt slam into me in waves.

Who would dare do this to her?

I’m shaking, not with fear, but fury.

Niall comes to my other side. “How soon before we locate her?”

“I have a program running,” Matt answers. “Hopefully soon. I identified the VPN used to post the video stream. Now I just need to find the IP address.”

“As soon as we get the location, we’ll head out.” Dante pauses. “Niall, Rhiannon, can you get the car ready? All the standard gear, medical kit, and—” He pauses, and then more quietly, “Bolt cutters. Just in case.”

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