Dead in a Week (Forensic Instincts 7)

This time it was Marc who spoke into the microphone. “All secure. We’ve got the hostage.”

“All clear in front,” Philip replied.

Aidan moved forward, squatting beside Lauren. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head.

“Then let’s get you out of here.” He scooped her up in his arms and turned to go. “Coming out with Lauren,” he said.

“I’ll do a tech sweep,” Marc told him.

Nodding, Aidan went to plan, heading for the front door since it was the shortest distant back to their SUVs. “Confiscate any computers,” he called over his shoulder.

“Yup.” Marc did that by rote. He moved quickly, retrieving the kidnappers’ cell phones, grinding them beneath his heels so they couldn’t be tracked. “Did you take care of Mr. Smoker’s cell phone?” he asked Philip into the microphone.

“Crushed,” was the reply.

The only other electronic device in the house was a laptop—clearly the one they’d used for Lauren’s videoconferences with her father. That, Marc took with him, striding forward to join Aidan.

Philip was waiting and they all raced for where the cars were hidden. Lauren was softly weeping, her face buried against Aidan’s vest, her body quaking with the aftereffects of her ordeal.

They reached the SUVs, where Aidan wrapped Lauren in warm blankets and settled her on the back seat.

Marc held out the laptop, and Aidan gestured for him to put it in Philip’s car, which Marc did.

“Please deliver that to Danijel in Zagreb,” Aidan requested of Philip as they all shed their gear. “Besides the usual porn, games, and sports stuff, I’m sure he’ll find a gold mine of data, like other operations in Croatia that this scumbag Albanian OC group is running. Tell him I hope it helps, and thanks. Oh, and tell him there’ll be a case of Blanton’s coming his way. Fine bourbon is Danijel’s Achilles’ heel. I’ll have Terri get on it ASAP.”

“Done.” A corner of Philip’s mouth lifted. “Then I’m heading back to the UK for some much-needed rest and recreation.”

Aidan chuckled, shaking his colleague’s hand. “Enjoy both, particularly the latter. You’ve earned it.”

Philip snapped off a salute to Marc, who’d hopped into the back seat of the SUV next to Lauren, both to offer her any reassurances she might need and to make certain she did nothing to distract Aidan while he drove.

Settling himself behind the wheel of the other SUV, Philip pulled the door shut and flipped on the ignition. Then, he waited, per Zermatt protocol, until all team members were ready to go.

Minutes later, both SUVs rolled out, Philip en route to Zagreb, Aidan and Marc en route to Osijek Airport.

Lauren’s nightmare was at an end.

28

Crescent Woods Garden Apartments

Palo Alto, California

1 March

Thursday, 7:35 p.m. local time

Simone shifted in the driver’s seat of her car, itching to enact the plan to trap the mole.

It had been almost two hours since she’d planted the bug in Jia li’s apartment. Since then, she’d been holed up in her car, cell phone on the seat beside her. Her Bluetooth-ed headset in place, she remained connected to Terri.

This was the waiting part.

The fun part had been when she first returned to her car.

Terri hadn’t wasted a minute.