VANISHED, A Romantic Suspense Novel (Edgars Family Novel) by Suzanne Ferrell Page B

her phone’s signal.”
    “That’s a good thing, right?”
    She set the ice bucket back on the wet bar and made herself a pop. He watched as she took a drink, the muscles of her neck working as she swallowed, then her tongue slipped out to swipe across her lips. Closing his eyes he fought the urge to moan.
    “Luke?”
    The concern in her voice cleared his thoughts. She wanted to know about her friend, not his perverted thoughts.
    “Yes, two pings says the battery is still in the unit. What we need now is just one more to get in alignment so we can triangulate her exact location. It’s just taking time to get them in place. Would be easier if I had her password. You wouldn’t have any clue what it might be, would you?”
    Shaking her head, she sat on the other bed. “Sorry. Brianna was just as smart about codes as she was numbers. Whatever she chose would be random words, numbers and capitalization. Drove me crazy reminding me to mix it up and change them periodically. You could say she was almost paranoid about it.” She paused, nibbling on her lower lip again. “I guess with good reason, huh?”
    “She definitely stumbled into something dangerous. Would she have access to any information that a competitor to Hollister-Klein might want to get a hold of?”
    “I don’t think so. She worked simply in the financial area of the company. Nothing with manufacturing. She mostly handled shipping or receiving data. Why?”
    “Unless someone was trying a hostile takeover, I doubt they’d go to the extremes these people have just to get Brenda’s codes.”
    “Brianna. And I can see your point. Then what could they want from her?”
    “I’d say it was whatever prompted her call to you, just like we’ve thought all along.”
    With a sigh, she shook her head, stared out the window, blinking hard. “You’re right. I should’ve gotten her tell me more, pinned her down for more information, instead of just hopping on a plane.”
    “Hey, don’t go there” he said, trying to stop her from wallowing in guilt before it started. “This is not your fault in any way, Abby. She asked you to come help and like a good friend you did just that.”
    “I know, but—” Before she could answer his laptop pinged. She set her drink on the bedside table and leaned over his shoulder to peer at the screen. “Is that her? Did it find her?”
    “It’s her cell phone, Abby. Remember that. It may or may not be with her.” Ignoring the warmth of her body pressed against his back and shoulder he focused on what the computer was telling him. Fingers flying over the keyboard, he typed in a request for the exact coordinates of the signal.
    “Just about got it,” he said, zeroing in.
    Then the signal disappeared.
    “Dammit!” Luke gripped the laptop, wanting to shake it.
    “What happened? Where did it go?”
    “I don’t know. The signal just stopped.” He entered codes to try and pull up the signal once more. Nothing.
    “Could it be the satellites moved?”
    He pulled air slowly into his lungs, calming the frustration itching at his nerves, then typed in more code to check the locations of the military satellites once more. “They’re all in alignment. None of them moved. Something happened to the signal from her end.”
    “No. Do something. Get it back.”
    “I can’t make something appear that is no longer there. More than likely whoever has her found the cell phone and is smart enough to remove the battery.”
    “You don’t know that.” She strode the space between the beds, turning and pointing a finger at him like he was a child. “ You don’t know that. Call DC. Get someone who’s a tech on it. Someone who knows computers and satellites better than you.”
    There is no one better than me .
    “There’s no one better than you? Oh so now you’re a computer expert, as well as super spy?” she snapped.
    Dammit, he hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
    Her sharp criticism stung. He vaulted from the bed, to stand