Leaving her behind was going to break him if he didn’t get out of here fast. He allowed himself one final drag of his thumb across her swollen lips before he abruptly got out of his seat.
She leaned towards him, her eyes shining. “Please be careful.”
“I will.” He opened the van door and threw her a warning look. “Do not leave this van until you’ve been driven to a safe location. I mean it. Don’t come out of this van no matter what you hear.”
HIS WORDS CHILLED HER down to her bones. As she watched him step out of the van and disappear into the night she knew that, despite her fear, she wasn’t going to follow his commands. If she thought that Simon needed her for even a second, she would fight her way out of the van and go to his side.
The door slid shut again and Jake got up to grab a folding chair and sit in front of one of the computers. Grainy night vision footage appeared on the computer screen.
Her heart squeezed as if caught in a vise. The footage was coming from the camera Simon was wearing on him. Right now she could see whatever he was seeing. Bright street lights. The park entrance. The darkness beyond the trees. One jogger in a hoodie raced into the park, but other than him there was no one else into sight.
Jake grabbed a walkie talkie from the table and said, “Okay, ladies and gentlemen. Get into position. We’ve got your back, Simon.”
Her hands started to tremble at the thought of Simon facing the unknown. She clasped them tightly. “Can I watch with you?” It was probably against protocol to watch while Jake was working, but she couldn’t just sit here and do nothing while Simon risked his life.
Jake nodded and pulled up another folded chair for her. “Sure.” He hit the keys on the keyboard and the footage went into split screen, with Simon’s footage at the top of the screen and footage of the suspicions car from earlier on the bottom.
She sat down beside him. “Is there any way I can help?”
“Keep your eye on that car,” he said, pointing to the bottom of the screen. “Watch for any movements and get my attention if anything happens while I watch Simon.”
Those instructions seemed easy, and yet her heart began to hammer wildly. Worst-case scenarios started to form in her head. Simon’s father being killed. Simon getting kidnapped. Never seeing Simon again.
Her lungs constricted painfully, and she took a deep breath. The attempt to calm herself didn’t help, so she forced herself to watch the car. If she focused on her task, the distraction might be useful.
For several minutes, almost nothing happened. The night was so still that even the lone jogger in the park had left. And then, suddenly, one of the car’s doors swung open.
“Jake.” She tapped his shoulder to get his attention.
A man in a mask got out of the driver’s seat and then crossed over to open the passenger door. Onslow limped out. Seeing him look so hurt was like a dagger in her heart. Even though they had argued, she still ached for him.
“We have eyes on the target,” Jake said into the walkie talkie. “Simon, I have a visual on your father. He’s being led across the street by a masked man. They’re both heading into the park. Your cover is hiding behind the trees to your left and he’ll have his weapon trained on the masked man at all times.”
“Got it,” Simon said in a low voice.
The next few moments were absolutely agonizing, as all she could see on the video were the dark trees overhead. The only sound she detected was Simon’s steady breathing. Breathing so steadily that she marveled at how calm he seemed. This must have been an absolute nightmare for him, and yet he hadn’t given even a hint of fear tonight.
Onslow and the masked man appeared in the footage as they walked towards Simon.
“You didn’t bring any cops, did you?” the masked man asked, his voice a menacing growl.
“No, I didn’t,” Simon replied evenly. “Dad, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
The masked man gripped Onslow’s shoulder. “Your old man’s fine. You talk to me, not him. Is that all the money?”
Onslow groaned but stayed silent.
“It’s half of it,” Simon said. “I’m giving you half now. You’ll get the other half when my dad gets to safety.”
“That wasn’t part of the deal,” the kidnapper hissed.
Heather’s heart was pounding so hard she felt like it might explode. There was an unmistakable threat in the kidnapper’s tone, and terror washed over her.
“It’s insurance,” Simon said. “And an act of good faith. I’ll stay here with you until my dad is safe. Then you’ll get the other half.”
The masked man exchanged an unsure glance with Onslow. Shrugging, he finally said, “Fine. Hand over the cash.” He shoved Onslow roughly, causing the older man to stumble and almost lose his balance. Onslow leaned against his son, steadying himself so that he didn’t fall.
She watched as Simon handed over the briefcases. For a second she thought the ordeal was over, but then Simon’s fist connected with the masked man’s jaw with a horrifying crack. A startled cry escaped her throat as Simon scuffled with the kidnapper until they were both struggling on the ground. The footage jumped crazily, Simon’s camera recording at an odd angle now that he was on the ground, fighting with all his strength.