to get a happy reception. It’s one thing to be part of a terrorist cell if you’re not part of the community and don’t care. But that bridge is a major hub. Losing it is going to make life impossible.”
“The cell won’t care.”
“No, but anyone who hears the rumors will.” And that played well into their hands. No one was going to let this happen. It could be them on the bridge.
Shadow’s phone buzzed. He scrolled through the texts then slipped a little away and called his contact.
Hawk listened with only half an ear. But something caught his attention. He turned and walked closer.
“What type of equipment?” Shadow said into the phone.
Shadow frowned, his gaze going to Hawk. “We talking C4 or chemicals?”
“You’re sure about that?” Shadow asked. “Okay. We’ll check it out.”
“What’s up?” Hawk asked when he ended the call.
“This guy saw a panel van make several deliveries to a warehouse. A forklift moved pallets of explosives out to the warehouse. He’d been casing the place beside it. He’d been inside when he thought the van was approaching, so he’d slipped out the back and into the next one. And that was when he saw them unloading, using a forklift. Said the place was set up with tables, extra lights and a lot of electrical equipment. He knows nothing about bomb equipment, but something there had his back freezing.”
“Any sign of Mia,” Hawk asked in a tight voice.
“He didn’t mention a prisoner. Said it wasn’t set up with a long term appearance, but they were comfortable as if it had been there for weeks at least.”
“But no sign of a hostage?”
“I’m asking him.” Shadow turned slightly away and spoke to his informant again. “What time of day and was there a woman there?”
“Early this morning and no woman.” The informant’s voice rose.
“Right. If it’s the same group, they’ve taken a woman prisoner. We need to know if they still have her or if they have dumped her along the way.”
Hawk’s throat closed. He struggled to swallow the hard truth. But he knew it was well within the realm of possibility she’d been thrown out like garbage.
“Right.” Shadow frowned. “We’re going to be doing the same. Stay in touch.”
He closed the phone and turned to face Hawk. “He’s going to go back down and take a look.”
“Is that wise?” Hawk didn’t want anyone mucking up the plans. And he had no intention of listening to his orders to stay put. He was heading down there in a few minutes. He just didn’t want Shadow’s contact to get in the way.
“No, but he’s planning to finish the job he was working on when he got sidetracked.”
“Right. Of course he is.” Hawk snorted. “Once a thief, always a thief.”
Shadow smiled. “Yeah, but for the moment he’s our thief.”
“Let’s go.”
Chapter 13
T HE BLOW CAME from left field. She moaned as it cracked against her head. Again. Then the question came. Again.
“Tell us who the men are?”
She gave the same answer she’d given every other time. “I have no idea who they were.”
The words never stopped. The same words came at her over and over again. How many men? Who were the men? Why these men? Were they military? What military?
Time rolled on and the pain rolled on. Nothing stopped them. Her face swelled, her lips cracked. Her tongue could barely move. Her eyes swelled shut. Her head boomed from the blows. Her shoulders were close to being dislocated from the socket. Every blow jerked her to the side. The pain radiated down her body in never-ending waves.
Hawk, where are you , she whispered in her head. If it’s not too much bother, please…help.
She closed her eyes, willing the darkness take her.
Just as she was about to find the joy of the silence, cold water splashed in her face. She gasped and cried out in shock.
“What the hell is wrong with her?”
“No idea. Not normal. Normally the women are blubbering uncontrollably by now.”
“Some kind of
“The cell won’t care.”
“No, but anyone who hears the rumors will.” And that played well into their hands. No one was going to let this happen. It could be them on the bridge.
Shadow’s phone buzzed. He scrolled through the texts then slipped a little away and called his contact.
Hawk listened with only half an ear. But something caught his attention. He turned and walked closer.
“What type of equipment?” Shadow said into the phone.
Shadow frowned, his gaze going to Hawk. “We talking C4 or chemicals?”
“You’re sure about that?” Shadow asked. “Okay. We’ll check it out.”
“What’s up?” Hawk asked when he ended the call.
“This guy saw a panel van make several deliveries to a warehouse. A forklift moved pallets of explosives out to the warehouse. He’d been casing the place beside it. He’d been inside when he thought the van was approaching, so he’d slipped out the back and into the next one. And that was when he saw them unloading, using a forklift. Said the place was set up with tables, extra lights and a lot of electrical equipment. He knows nothing about bomb equipment, but something there had his back freezing.”
“Any sign of Mia,” Hawk asked in a tight voice.
“He didn’t mention a prisoner. Said it wasn’t set up with a long term appearance, but they were comfortable as if it had been there for weeks at least.”
“But no sign of a hostage?”
“I’m asking him.” Shadow turned slightly away and spoke to his informant again. “What time of day and was there a woman there?”
“Early this morning and no woman.” The informant’s voice rose.
“Right. If it’s the same group, they’ve taken a woman prisoner. We need to know if they still have her or if they have dumped her along the way.”
Hawk’s throat closed. He struggled to swallow the hard truth. But he knew it was well within the realm of possibility she’d been thrown out like garbage.
“Right.” Shadow frowned. “We’re going to be doing the same. Stay in touch.”
He closed the phone and turned to face Hawk. “He’s going to go back down and take a look.”
“Is that wise?” Hawk didn’t want anyone mucking up the plans. And he had no intention of listening to his orders to stay put. He was heading down there in a few minutes. He just didn’t want Shadow’s contact to get in the way.
“No, but he’s planning to finish the job he was working on when he got sidetracked.”
“Right. Of course he is.” Hawk snorted. “Once a thief, always a thief.”
Shadow smiled. “Yeah, but for the moment he’s our thief.”
“Let’s go.”
Chapter 13
T HE BLOW CAME from left field. She moaned as it cracked against her head. Again. Then the question came. Again.
“Tell us who the men are?”
She gave the same answer she’d given every other time. “I have no idea who they were.”
The words never stopped. The same words came at her over and over again. How many men? Who were the men? Why these men? Were they military? What military?
Time rolled on and the pain rolled on. Nothing stopped them. Her face swelled, her lips cracked. Her tongue could barely move. Her eyes swelled shut. Her head boomed from the blows. Her shoulders were close to being dislocated from the socket. Every blow jerked her to the side. The pain radiated down her body in never-ending waves.
Hawk, where are you , she whispered in her head. If it’s not too much bother, please…help.
She closed her eyes, willing the darkness take her.
Just as she was about to find the joy of the silence, cold water splashed in her face. She gasped and cried out in shock.
“What the hell is wrong with her?”
“No idea. Not normal. Normally the women are blubbering uncontrollably by now.”
“Some kind of
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