Page 83 of Countdown

Raina closed her eyes for a brief moment. “Why do you have to be right abouteverything?”

“It’s the way God made me. What can I say?”

Raina snorted and ignored the paramedics’ guffaws. “Fine. Let’s go, Mr. Right About Everything. We have a plane to catch, and Kira said she’d drive us to the hangar.”

“Right behind you.” He paused. “As long as there’s no running involved.”

????

“Where is he!” Simon’s shout outside the restaurant turned heads of those seated in the covered area. He pulled in several deep breaths before forcing a smile and waving to the lookie-loos that he was fine. They returned to their meals and Simon focused on his call, thankful he’d arrived at the restaurant early.

“He wasn’t really my assignment, remember?” Freddy Harper’s unflappable voice made Simon want to chew and spit nails at the PI.

“I thought you had someone watching him.”

“That kid travels all over the place. You don’t pay me enough to keep track of him that well. It’s all I can do to keep up with the woman—who is also causing problems.”

“What do you mean?”

A pause. “Nothing really. She’s just a pain to keep track of. As for your kid ... I know he got on a plane not too long ago.”

“Like you said, he travels. Where was he going this time?”

“Flight plan said Colorado.”

“What hotel would he be overseeing in—” Dread curled inside him. “No. Please tell me he’s not—”

“What?”

Simon hung up and dialed Christopher’s number. “Answer the phone, son. Please,” he whispered.

“Hello?”

Simon gasped at the relief that flowed through him. “Can you talk?”

“Um ... hang on a sec.” Simon heard the door shut. “What is it?”

“Your brother has taken off to Colorado.”

“So?”

“So? Are you not keeping up with the kid? Michael Harrison? Even I have an alert on my phone that lets me know when his name is mentioned in the news or if there’s anything going on with snowboarding.”

“Tell me.”

“He’s going to be at some snowboarding event in Colorado. Keith has hopped a plane and is headed there. Probably to see the kid. We need to catch up to him and stop him from doing anything stupid.”

Christopher’s groan echoed the one Simon wanted to release. “We? I thought you had someone on him!”

“So did I, but apparently I don’t pay well enough to—”

He broke off when heads turned again and realized his voice was once again louder than it should be.

“Simon?”

He turned to see his lunch appointment eyeing him with a raised brow. Simon waved, indicating he’d be right there. “I’ve got to go. Can you find someone there to stop him?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” A pause. “I’m very sick of cleaning up his messes, Dad. Just letting you know that.”

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