Page 24 of Casey's Hero

“I’d better get there and then move on to the Big Wave,” Jacob said. “They don’t open until eleven, but Ray gets there early to prep for lunch. Camila might have introduced herself to him, using her full name. It’s a stretch, but one we need to check out.”

Hank frowned. “You say he met her in San Diego?”

“That’s right,” Jacob acknowledged.

“And she didn’t show up until last night?” Hank continued.

“As far as I know, Hawk hadn’t seen her since he left San Diego,” Jacob said. “She mentioned that she’d had a helluva time finding him.”

Hank gave a single nod. “I’ll have Swede crosscheck aircraft flight manifests for any passengers with the first name of Camilaarriving within the past couple of days. In the meantime, I need to find a place to set up a command center.”

“You can use my place,” Casey dug her keys out of her purse and slipped one off the ring, handing it to Hank. “My apartment isn’t big, but I have a large whiteboard and high-speed internet. I’ll have Jacob text the address to you.”

“Great.” Hank took the key. “If Swede or I come up with any leads, I’ll check them out. Plus, I’ll gather my contacts for a possible extraction team.”

Jacob had forgotten just how good Hank was. He was glad the man was on their team and working to get Hawk back. “Good. We might need a full team to make it happen.”

“Are you headed over to see Kalea?” Hank asked Casey.

She shook her head. “I’m going with Jacob. If Ray knows anything, I want to be on it immediately. I feel responsible for losing the groom.”

Hank’s brow furrowed. “Why? You couldn’t have known those men would show up to kidnap him.”

Casey’s cheeks flushed a bright red. “I’m the wedding planner…I should know where the wedding party is at all times.” She turned to Jacob. “Are we going? Your vehicle is parked at the Big Wave. We’ll have to take mine.”

Hank’s gaze went from Casey to Jacob and back to Casey, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Jacob almost laughed, but he held his humor in check. Casey would not be amused to know Hank had figured out there might be something between the two of them. Why else would she still be at the hotel with Jacob’s vehicle parked at the bar?

“Let us know if you find anything,” Jacob said.

Hank nodded. “You do the same.”

Jacob followed Casey out of the hotel and climbed into the passenger seat of her SUV.

Casey gave him her address.

Jacob keyed it into his smartphone and texted it to Hank. A moment later, he looked up. “He got it.”

For a moment, Casey sat still with her hands on the steering wheel, her lips pressed into a tight line. “How could we not hear someone abducting Hawk right across the hallway from us last night?” She smacked her palm on the steering wheel. “How?”

“Uh, sweetheart, we were making our own noise most of the night. By the time we fell asleep, we were pretty wiped out.”

She closed her eyes, started the engine and opened her eyes again. “We shouldn’t have.”

Jacob reached across and covered her hand with his. “I can’t regret it. Even if I’d been alone, I doubt I would’ve heard the commotion. Those rooms and doors are fairly well insulated. They had to have used a key since the door wasn’t damaged. Hawk was out before we dropped him in his bed. He never saw them coming.”

“Still…we shouldn’t have.” She shifted into reverse, backed out of the parking space, shifted into drive and pulled out of the lot onto the main road.

“Well, I, for one, am glad we did. And I’m all for doing it again.” He grinned and stared at the road ahead. “I know. The focus is on Hawk. I’m all about getting him back to his bride before the wedding march plays. So, step on it. We have a wedding to save.”

Casey hit the accelerator hard, sending the SUV leaping forward. The drive that should have taken twenty minutes only took fifteen. They arrived at the Big Wave and drove around to the rear since it wasn’t eleven yet.

An older man wearing a white apron came out of the back of the building carrying a trash bag.

“That’s Ray,” Jacob said.

Casey parked the vehicle and jumped down at the same time as Jacob.

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