Gone in Seconds

by James, Ed

  Landon snatched it before Chase could get at it. “The image quality is terrible.”

  “Despite that, do you know who she is?”

  Landon shared a look with Chase. “I don’t.”

  Chase took the tablet and his heart skipped a beat. “This is the woman who took my nephew?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to ascertain.” Carter cast his gaze between them. “Do you recognize her?”

  Chase sat there, playing it all through. A woman with a crying baby. A man in a car. People he knew, people he’d dealt with. He passed the device back. “Sorry, I don’t either.”

  Carter looked like he was going to jump down Chase’s throat, but the door opened.

  A female agent leaned in. Kind of cute, but she looked like the sort of woman you didn’t want to cross.

  Carter got up and walked over. He listened to her, then turned back to the brothers. “I need to deal with something. Some of my agents will be in to speak to you shortly, okay?” And he was gone.

  Carter had left them alone. Two assholes who’d tried killing each other minutes earlier. Clearly wanted to see what played out between them. “You recognized her, didn’t you?”

  Landon took his seat and scowled at Chase, that thick beard dulling his expression. “Shut up, Doofus.”

  “Don’t dick me—”

  “Shut up.” Landon jerked a thumb back at a stand-mounted camera. “They’re recording us.”

  Chase got up and checked the video camera. “This thing isn’t even on.”

  “The room’s bugged, asshole.”

  Chase sat again and leaned in to whisper: “That was Marie Edwards on there.”

  Landon stared at the floor.

  “Why didn’t you say anything? Another business associate of yours, like her brother?”

  “Shut. Up.”

  “Landon, did she abduct Ky?”

  Landon thumped the table. “Shut your mouth!”

  “No, I won’t. When we got back to your house, I saw Marcus Edwards sitting outside. Now I see that picture and his sister, Marie, has your kid? What the hell, man?”

  “I said, shut up.”

  “Why, you thinking they’ll overhear your little scheme here? Have you gotten them to abduct your own kid?”

  “How the hell could you even think that?”

  “Because I’ve known you all my life.”

  The door opened, and that cute agent appeared again. “Landon? Need a word.”

  With a frosty glare at Chase, Landon got to his feet and left the room, shoulders slouching.

  What was he hiding? And why?

  Yet again, Chase had to wonder what the hell his brother had gotten involved in. And how crooked his latest scheme was. Usually, he knew a ton more than he let on, even to their parents. Especially to him.

  And he’d only gotten worse with time.

  If Zangiev had taken Ky, the boy was as good as dead.

  But if Landon was involved, if he’d taken his own kid… Why would he? What could he possibly gain from that? Were things with Jennifer that bad?

  Or did he know something about the kid?

  Chase blinked away tears. Felt the shards of glass dig deep into his arm, like it was happening all over again. Heard the screams, the crunch of buckling metal.

  He snapped back to the present. He needed to do something to save him. He needed to get the FBI on Zangiev’s trail, get them to do the heavy lifting into whatever Landon was cooking up here.

  The tablet was still on the table, still unlocked.

  Chase picked it up and checked the screen again, closer this time. Was it really Marie Edwards? Or did the figure just look like her, with his broken brain connecting her to seeing her brother in the car?

  Twelve

  Layla

  20:29

  Warm air fills the car, and Layla is thankful that this rental’s heating doesn’t need the engine in order to work. She’s parked on a downtown street, right in the lion’s den. The FBI’s field office is just around the corner, meaning a frequent check in both side-view mirrors.

  No sign of anyone staking her out. Or they’re that good.

  Down the street, the hotel security is tight. There’s a sign up, advertising Delgado for Senate! A large crowd swarms outside, buying hotdogs and coffee from the vendors. A fancy couple walk up to join the short line, her in a red dress, him in a tux. The two security goons stop them, check their invite, and have a little chat.

  Going to be real tough getting in. Maybe this is the wrong move.

  But she’d planned this for weeks. The whole operation. Come back to Seattle, get him, get revenge, and get the hell out, back to living something approaching a life. Seemed so simple back then. Now, sitting here, watching people, it seems impossible to her.

  A black sedan pulls up just ahead of her and three men get out. Identical, save for the shape of their heads, the color of their hair. Same physiques, same movements, same black suits, same hard-wired earpieces.

  Secret Service Agent Dean Lewandowski steps over to the back driver-side door, his head doing lizard-like sweeps of the street. The other two join him, one holding an umbrella, both scanning the street. Lewandowski gets tight nods, then opens the door.

  Xander Delgado gets out with a few nods of thanks and a loud cheer from the line out front. He waves at them, then buttons up his jacket and lets the other two agents lead him in the back entrance.

  Lewandowski stays standing, his gaze following them in, then he sits back in the car. Standard procedure—never leave the car unattended.

  Time to move. Layla opens her door and puts her foot down on the asphalt. The burner throbs in her pocket.

  Damn it, she should’ve turned it off.

  Keeping her gaze on Lewandowski, she sits back in the car and answers the call.

  “I need you to do something for me.” His voice is ice-cold.

  “How do you know I can help? How do you know I’m even in the country?”

  “I know exactly where you are right now.”

  A shard of ice runs up her spine. “Prove it.”

  “You’re outside Xander Delgado’s rally.”

  She lets out a deep breath.

  “Are you going to help me?”

  In her rearview, a wall of FBI SUVs power out of the street, sirens blaring. Heading right toward her. “Did you do this?”

  “I wish I had that kind of power.”

  They shoot past in a blur of blue and red.

  “I want double our previous rate. In bitcoin.”

  “That won’t be easy, but fine.”

  Layla slips her seatbelt on and drives off, real slow. Allows herself one last look at Lewandowski as she passes. “What do you want me to do?”

  Thirteen

  CARTER

  20:30

  The mobile command center’s interrogation suite was way too small and grubby a room for the father of a kidnapped baby to be sitting in. But Carter couldn’t get him downtown, so he showed the photo again on the tablet screen. “You’ve no idea who this woman could be?”

  Landon took the device out of his hand. “I really don’t.”

  Carter stared at Elisha like he meant something important, the look they always exchanged to throw people off the scent. “This woman was seen trying to get inside your home, and appears to have abducted your baby.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “We believe she abducted your child.”

  Landon made a good show of it. Staring at the photo again like she meant something to him. Like the pixels could be resolved into something he recognized. Some lead for them.

  “And you’ve no idea who she is?”

  Landon gave up with a sigh, large and open-hearted like he was emptied out of all feeling. “Look, I don’t know who she is. Sorry.”

  Carter stood there, arms folded, trying to look mighty pissed. “You expect me to believe that?”

  “It’s the truth. You got any evidence suggesting I know her?”

>   This wasn’t working, so Carter needed a new tack. “We know how she escaped here with the baby.” He pointed up at the top of the walled garden. “There’s a secret entrance hidden under the ivy.”

  “Right.”

  “You knew about it?”

  “Sure.” Landon’s thick beard dampened his expressions, making it hard to tell what was going on behind those eyes. “In case we ever needed to cut and run. Guy in my situation, always need to be able to get away. Make sure me and Jennifer are safe.”

  Carter stood there, fists clenched, trying to keep calm. “You should’ve brought it up. Makes me think you know more than you’re letting on.”

  “Back off, dude. Some asshole’s taken my goddamn kid!”

  “I won’t back off. You wouldn’t believe the number of times an abduction like this involves some arcane plot.”

  “This isn’t me. I’m the victim here.”

  “Any idea who could’ve had a key for the door?”

  “Just me and Jen. Rosita doesn’t even know it’s there.”

  “How well can you trust her?”

  “Rosita’s good. This isn’t her fault.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “I’m putting my son’s life in her hands.”

  “Even so.”

  Landon’s sniff showed him slipping. “Of course I checked her out. Hired a PI firm to vet her. Even with short notice, they went through all of Rosita’s references, even spoke to the ones she’d left out. Ran deep background checks on her. Rosita’s second-generation Colombian, legal citizen, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  “I’m not.” Carter folded his arms. “Why the short notice?”

  “No real reason.”

  “Sounds like it wasn’t always the plan to bring in a nanny.”

  Landon let out a slow breath. “Jen wasn’t coping well with Ky. Kid wouldn’t sleep. Jen kept shouting at me. But I want what’s best for her and for my son, so I insisted. Wanted to do it all herself. Way she was raised. Too proud to bring someone in. I practically had to force her to even consider it.”

  “Who did the work?”

  “Lownds and Karevoll.”

  “They’re not cheap.”

  “They’re the best. And my son deserves the best. They did a ton of work for my old company, do lots for all the corporations springing up around here.”

  “That’s your business, right?”

  “Was.” Landon frowned. “Wait, you think I’ve been threatened because I’m rich? That someone’s taken Ky because…”

  Carter gave him some space.

  “Look. Dude. I get threats all the time, but it’s noise.” Landon tugged at his beard again. “You want, my PA could sift through my mail for you.”

  “That’d be good. Anything that might make you—?”

  “No. Not that I’ve seen.” Landon clenched his jaw, tight. “Look, I get that you’re just doing your job, but I’m not aware of any threats.” He tugged at his beard. “It’s not easy being rich, you know? Running our foundation, it’s a hell of a privilege, but it’s one hell of an expectation too.”

  “But that’s not the source of your wealth, is it?”

  “When our folks died, we inherited a chunk of change, that’s true. We were both working for the family firm. Chase quit, took his money and dabbled in virtual reality. I used mine to grow my stake in our VC firm. Ran it for ten years, then sold up last year. I have enough to provide a good life for Jen and for…” He gasped. “For Ky.”

  “These companies you invested in, were they—?”

  “No. The businesses were all ethical. Honest. Good companies. That’s what made my money, what made us special. You want guns or tobacco or healthcare? Invest somewhere else. We made a lot of money from vegan ice cream parlors, lab-grown meat, fake leather. Hard to think of anyone we pissed off, you know? They’re all hippies and we made a ton of money for our investors.”

  “And now?”

  “These days, I run our family foundation. We get a lot of praise for the work we do in aid of this city.”

  Carter stared at him for a few seconds, but it felt like a dead end. “What were you and Chase fighting about?”

  “We weren’t—”

  “You were. I was there, had to pull you apart. From where I stood, he socked you in the jaw, then you tried to strangle him.”

  Landon gave his beard a sharp tug, kept his focus on Carter. “You got any brothers or sisters?”

  “I’m an only child.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” Carter smiled at him. “My nonexistent siblings escaped a pretty bad time.”

  “Well, you wouldn’t understand. Chase talked some stupid bullshit, and I called him on it.”

  “What was that ‘stupid bullshit’?”

  “It was nothing. Seriously.” Landon shrugged. “I can’t even remember what it was.” He laughed, but it seemed fake. “You know, I love that guy, but he can sure piss me off.”

  Carter took a long look at him. Landon was hiding something from them, but didn’t seem to want to share. Trouble was, Landon was tough. Venture capital was a tough business, needed people to harden their souls, to keep their cards close to their chests.

  Every way Carter sliced it, he didn’t see getting any more out of him.

  His brother, though…

  * * *

  20:45

  Chase was a big guy and looked like he could handle himself. But he also seemed like the kind of guy who was in denial about everything, including all the crimes and slights and misdemeanors he’d committed. Guy was ice-cool. In a vehicle full of feds, he was way too cool.

  Next to Carter was Agent Dane Rodgers, an ex-marine with anger issues who was on his last warning. He made eye contact with Carter, but kept quiet for once.

  Carter took his time inspecting Chase again, watching for any flinches, any tells. “You any idea who took Ky?”

  “What?” Chase laughed, a short and sharp bark. “You think I did it?”

  Carter just stood there, letting the words echo around the room.

  “Why would I?” Chase punched the desk, his meaty fist cracking off the wood. “I’m not going to kidnap my brother’s kid!”

  Carter gave him a grin. “Two objections, no denials.”

  Chase slouched in his chair. “What?”

  “You’re objecting to my accusation, not denying it.”

  “I didn’t take Ky. Jesus. How could I?”

  “Any number of reasons.” Carter shrugged. “I’ve seen most of them.”

  “Did my brother say anything?”

  Carter kept quiet. He was getting somewhere. Chase was a lot easier to crack than his brother.

  “Landon always puts himself under a ton of pressure. Always at the end of the rope, you know? No slack. Says he thrives on it. And he has a habit of lashing out. Thinking he might try and blame me. And if he does, he’s wrong.”

  “So. What were you fighting about?”

  “I can’t remember.”

  “Strange, Landon said the exact same thing. You guys got some condition I should know about?”

  Chase sat there, silently fuming, nostrils flaring up and down with each furious breath. “You want to know what we were arguing about? Fine. Me and Landon arrived back after the foundation dinner. I followed Landon back here and… There was a car there. The guy was clearly watching the house.”

  “Watching how?”

  “Guy was sitting there on the street, pointing this way. Only one entrance on that side of the road in that whole stretch.” He arched his arms like a pelican trying to take off. “This isn’t the kinda neighborhood that happens in.”

  Carter struggled to hide his interest in this. “You get the make or model?”

  “A Chevrolet, I know that for sure. Landon’s got a Ring camera, right? That will have it. Run the plates.”

  “I’m thinking you know who I’ll find.”

  Chase drummed the table with his fingers, but h
is eyes had gone wild.

  “Listen to me. Your nephew has been taken by someone. If you have any idea who might have done it, then it’s your duty to talk to me.”

  “I have no idea who took him.”

  “You strike me as someone who has a lot to hide. I can throw a lot of agents at digging into your past. That what you want?”

  Chase shook his head. Clearly a man with a battalion of skeletons in his closet, but whether any of them knew what happened to Ky…

  “Stop lying to me. Who was in the car?”

  “That blonde-haired woman, the one you showed me the photo of? Her name is Marie Edwards. The driver’s her brother, Marcus. They both work for Boris Zangiev. Surely you’ve heard of him.”

  Carter gave him a frown. Of course he knew of Zangiev. Part of his job was keeping his ear to the ground, knowing the Seattle underworld as much as the federal scene. And Boris Zangiev had started coming up in both worlds a couple of years back. Never close enough to the action to prosecute, but always the center of whispers. “Enlighten me.”

  “Zangiev’s a Russian businessman. He was at the gala dinner tonight. Came up to Landon and, I don’t know, it sounded like he maybe threatened Landon.”

  “Threatened how?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know. Great.”

  “Listen. Zangiev hassling Landon just before his kid goes missing? Come on. Check that car, I swear.”

  Carter looked deep into his eyes. Liar’s eyes. But there was something about a stopped clock being right twice a day. Maybe a liar told the truth twice a day.

  The door opened and Elisha stood there, lips pursed.

  Carter turned to the agent sitting next to him and whispered in his ear: “Rodgers, can you keep this going? Get his full movements this evening. Forwards. Backwards. The lot.”

  “Sir.”

  Chase was frowning. “Listen, you mind if I use the bathroom?”

  “Sure thing.” Carter left the room and pulled the door behind him. “What’s up?”

  “Just received a report back from the Amber Alert.” Elisha leaned in close as Rodgers led Chase past. “A woman at the bus station downtown, carrying what she said was a baby girl, might’ve said ‘Ky’ as she got off.”