On Deadly Ground (Devlin Security Force Book 1) by Vaughan Susan

Author:Vaughan, Susan [Vaughan, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Gullwood Press
Published: 2015-02-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Startled by the alien noise, a parrot squawked and darted away into the trees. Max dropped his pack and took out his phone. His heart beat with slow, hard thumps, the way it always did at the start of a battle.

Dammit, Kate was making no move to pick up her jangling phone. She stood statue still, eyes wide with shock as she stared like a trapped jackrabbit at the fucking thing.

Unlikely DSF would phone her directly. Before leaving Cabo Blanco, she’d spoken to her mother and Morales. Could be either of them. But Max’s gut said this was the kidnapper and the timing was right.

In quick strides, he closed the several feet between them, grabbed up her phone, and pressed it into her hand. “Kate, darlin’, you have to answer.”

The ringing or the vibrations must’ve reached her because she blinked and shook her head as if to clear the fog. Her hand closed on the phone.

“You okay? Can you talk if it’s him?”

“Yes, yes. I’m okay. I can do it.”

He nodded encouragement. “If it’s the kidnapper, give me a thumbs-up. Keep him talking. You know the drill.” He punched numbers on his phone. They’d gone over the strategy for when the fucker called. What to say, every detail. But reality was damned different from planning. Being faced with actually talking to her brother’s kidnapper must’ve grabbed Kate by the throat.

Sinking onto her pack as if her legs couldn’t hold her, she drew deep breaths. “It’s a blocked number.” She rotated the antenna and pushed OK. “H-hello. Who’s this?”

Stepping out of the caller’s earshot, Max reached Mara just as Kate gave him the go signal. Her hand shook but her chin was firm, her gaze steady and locked on his. He smiled back.

“Hey, gorgeous, you finding this signal?” He pitched his voice just above a whisper.

“Hold on, big guy.” Clicks and humming came through as Mara worked computer magic.

Shit, yeah, he had to give her time. Too wired to stand by, he crossed to kneel beside Kate so he could hear the kidnapper.

“Yes, of course I have Kizin with me,” Kate said into the phone.

“Tell me where you are. We must meet.”

The accented voice was muffled. Male or female, hard to be sure. The accent could be Spanish, maybe French. Fucking Le Noir? That made no sense, unless he was calling from Cabo Blanco. But why would Centaur’s man want Kate to go to K’eq Xlapak? Stow that for later.

At Kate’s frown, Max shook his head. Pantomimed stretching a big rubber band.

“Oh, dear, I don’t know exactly where I am,” she said. “I’m relying on my guides. I could ask them, but you probably want this kept secret.”

Gotta love the helpless-female act. Max bit his lip against a grin. If this bastard had seen her whacking Rufo, he’d never buy the performance. Hell of a woman.

“No, no, do not ask,” the caller hurried to say.

“We started on the trail a few hours ago.” She looked to Max and shrugged as if to say she was winging it.

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