Page 51 of Reclaimed (Hostage Rescue Team)

He raced up the stairs, refusing to even wait for the elevator. Every second counted. They were up against a deadline and Summer’s life hung in the balance.

Inside her room he headed straight for the nightstands on either side of the bed. They were empty except for a Quran and a phone book.

He rushed over to the desk, where Tuck was looking. “Anything?” The half-eaten bag of M&Ms was still there, tormenting him with its bittersweet memories.

“Nope.”

Fuck. He had to be right about this. Just had to.

Bauer was over at the closet. “There’s a safe in here.”

The safe. Of course, why hadn’t he goddamn thought of that first?

Adam rushed over, pushed Bauer aside and tried to think of what code she might have used. Taking a wild guess, he punched in her birthday. His. Their anniversary. Her social security number.

Nothing.

He tried her cell number.

No luck.

Tapping his earpiece, he contacted Cruzie, who was down in the lobby with Vance, and kept trying. “Get security up here with someone who can unlock the safe.Now.”

“You got it.”

The wait was agonizing. While the others searched the entire room and came up empty he kept punching in code after code, everything he could think of that might be sentimental to her. Their address. The day they’d gotten engaged. Her favorite numbers.

Nothing worked.

“We’re on our way up,” Cruzie announced.

Thank God. “Hurry.”

“You know it.”

A minute later they were at the door, practically carrying a middle-aged man who was red-faced and panting, no doubt from trying to keep pace with them up all the stairs.

Adam grabbed him and hauled him over to the safe. “Open it,” he commanded, wishing he could just pry the fucking thing open with his bare hands.

Pulling out a master key, the man did as he said. The moment it popped open, Adam hauled him back out of the way and shoved a hand inside it without looking while Vance escorted the man out into the hall.

His fingers touched something cool and smooth. He pulled out the framed picture, a spear of grief hitting him when he saw the familiar shot of them together in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

They looked so happy, so in love. It touched him deeply to know she still took it with her wherever she went.

Inside with it he found her passport, some cash…

And a file folder.

Adrenaline sliced through him. He grabbed the file, flipped it open and quickly perused the contents. Her emphasized message played in his mind.In the first place.

The first place mentioned in the file?

He scanned the document, looking for a location.

And found it at the end of the third paragraph.

Northern Shuneh.

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