Chapter Twenty-Four

Brody

"Did you pick it up?"

Skinner held Austin's note between the ends of a tweezers, his crime scene guys going through my house for any clues as to what Rivers did with Lindsey. Where he took her. Evidence to use against him in court for kidnapping. Unfortunately, all he left behind was the note and hopefully his fingerprints on the paper.

I nodded. "The bottom right corner."

Skinner slid the note into a plastic bag, then handed it to a tech. "Do you have any ideas where he might have taken her?"

"If I did I'd be there right now," I snapped, pacing, restless, frantic, furious. "I'd be choking the life from him. And bringing Lindsey home."

"I've already contacted the phone folks," Skinner said. "Her cell last pinged off the tower in the area. We can try to track it if it's turned on."

Her phone!

I raced to the basement and flung myself down the steps. I heard Skinner following me but paid him no heed. I searched Lindsey's desk for her phone but didn't find it. Spinning, I almost knocked Skinner off his feet.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Her cell," I replied, my voice ragged. "If it's not here, she has it on her."

"And? It hasn't pinged anywhere in the last several hours."

"We put Find My Friend apps on our phones," I told him, dashing past him and up the stairs. "Maybe that will track her."

"Only if the cell's on, man," he said, chasing me up and into the kitchen. "If it's off, it's no good."

I searched our bedroom and didn't find it. Nor was it in the TV room, nor the guest room. Grabbing my own, I hit the app, and – nothing.

"Damn it."

Inwardly cursing, I paced, trying to not imagine what Lindsey was going through at that moment. Was Austin a rapist like his pal? Did he torture her? Has he killed her already? My mind shied away from all those scenarios, reminding myself that Lindsey was a dragon. And it's mighty hard to kill a dragon, even by another dragon.

I tried the app again. Nothing. "Come on, Lindsey," I begged. "Turn your phone on. Turn it on."

Outside, full night had fallen. Every two minutes I tried to raise Lindsey's phone even as Skinner directed his police in their search. "Try every place he's ever lived in," Skinner snapped into his phone. "Check every associate. He drives a black Lincoln sedan, pull over every one you see. Turn every bit of this city upside down. I want that man caught."

Skinner hung up and eyed me. "Rivers hasn't called with a place or time to drop his money. Has he?"

I shook my head. "No. Can you trace where he's calling from if and when he does?"

"I'll do my best."

While Skinner got back on his cell to instruct the phone folks to keep tabs on Austin's cell, I tried the app again. Nada. Zilch. Zero.

"Lindsey," I whispered, near tears. "Come home, baby. You escaped once. You can do it again. I know you can."

Her cell stayed off. Skinner shut down his call and gazed at me with sympathy. "If Rivers uses his phone, we'll know right where he is."

"And where did his cell last ping from?"

"Unfortunately, right here. I guess he was sharp enough to turn it off after abducting Lindsey."

"He'll have to turn it on again," I said, my hands running through my hair, "to call me. Right?"

"Unless he's sharp enough to use someone else's phone."

"Shit."

"Or a burner phone."

"Fuck."

"You wouldn't make a very good criminal, I'm guessing."

"Gee, what makes you say that?"

I sat at the table and tried the app again. "Dammit, Lindsey, turn your cell on."

"She will." Skinner also sat. "We'll get her back, Brody. Believe in that."

"I wish I could." I stared at him. "Austin has been three steps ahead all the way."

"Crooks make mistakes. And one mistake Austin made is to underestimate Lindsey."

I managed a tight smile. "You're right. He did. And he may not survive this encounter with her."

Shaking his head, Skinner commented, "I'd rather she didn't kill him. You know that. If she does, I sure hope it's an iron clad case of self-defense."

"That asshole kidnapped her," I growled. "How much more iron clad can it get?"

He stared me in the eye. "You know what I mean, Brody. She might decide to kill him even if he can't defend himself."

"I think you know Lindsey better than that."

"I hope I do."

My cell rang, startling me. My hands shook so hard I barely picked it up to look at the screen. Please, Lindsey, please be calling me. The call was from a number I didn't recognize. "Yeah?"

"Hiya, bro," Austin said cheerfully. "How's it hanging?"

My anger surged. "Where's Lindsey, you fucker? What have you done with her?"

Skinner stood, pacing around the table to listen as best he could. I didn't cover the speaker and held my phone slightly away from my ear so he might hear better.

"She's safe, man, just chill. You got my cash?"

"Yeah. Where do I meet you? When?"

He chuckled. "I told Lindsey you lied to her. Poor thing still believes in you."

"Where, dammit? And if you hurt her, I swear to God you'll die a very painful death."

"Chill, baby. Bring the cash to the intersection of the interstate and Highway Twelve. There's a little store there. One hour. And no cops. I see or smell a cop, Lindsey's dead."

He hung up.

Instantly, Skinner got on his cell and called up the phone people. I paced, restless, hoping, daring to think Austin used his cell and we knew exactly where he was. Skinner's face fell.

"Okay, thanks."

He looked at me. "Rivers didn't use his own phone. Probably used a burner."

I grabbed my truck's smart key off the counter. "I know where he'll be in an hour."

"Brody, you can't go. Leave it to us, the police."

"You heard him. He suspects you're around, Lindsey's dead."

"At least let us put a wire on you."

"Nope. And don't follow me, Skinner." I gave him look for look. "You get Lindsey killed, I won't sue you. I'll kill you."

"Brody –"

Ignoring him, I charged from the house and into my truck, roaring down the street before he got to his vehicle. Of course, he could follow me. Of course, he knew where the drop was. All I could do was hope he and his cops stayed out of it.

Austin Rivers would die this night.