His phone buzzed.
A message from Elizabeth.
He tapped it—and his mouth went dry.
She lay, unconscious, duct tape over her mouth, her wrists bound.
Beneath the image was text.
If you want to see her alive again, do exactly as I say. If you try to rescue here, I’ll slit her throat.
Och, Jesus. Elizabeth.
Fear turned his blood to ice, scattered his thoughts.
He forwarded the message to Cobra, swerved to miss a car, and pushed on the gas, the van nowhere in sight.
Then his training kicked in.
Focus, man! You cannae help her like this.
He left the highway and pulled into a parking lot. Then he closed his eyes, leaned his head against the steering wheel, and drew three deep, slow breaths.
It would be at least eleven hours before the Cobra team landed in Glasgow, longer before they’d be ready to go into action, especially if the British government refused to let them get involved in the search.
A dark blue BMW pulled up beside Quinn, its tinted window sliding slowly down to reveal Leo Grant.
Quinn was out of the car, pistol drawn and pointed straight at him. “You fuckin’ bastard! What have you done wi’ her?”
Leo Grant got out of the car, hands raised. “I’d put that away afore someone sees it—or one of my men gets the wrong impression and shoots your damned head off.”
The other windows lowered to reveal three men—two plus the driver—all armed.
Quinn lowered the pistol, slipped it into his holster. “Where have you taken her?”
“Do you think I’d go after a former CIA agent? I’m no’ that stupid. But I know who is—and I know where they’re takin’ her. How about I sit in your vehicle, and we talk?”
Quinn didn’t trust this man, but if Grant had wanted him dead, he’d wouldn’t be standing here. If the fucker truly knew where Elizabeth was… “Aye.”
Quinn unlocked the doors, watching as Grant got in beside him.
“Murray and I went our separate ways after he joined the army.” Grant chuckled. “He didnae approve of my plans for makin’ my fortune. Aye, I sell drugs up and down the coast, McManus, but I didnae kill Jack. I loved him. And I’ve nothin’ to do with your piece bein’ abducted, either.”
“You know who killed Jack?”
“I figured it out the day after you came to see me. I’ve a source in the police station. Sometimes she says more than she realizes. I got enough information from her to know who it had to be. You and I both know Jack would never sell drugs.”
“Aye.” On that they could agree. “Why didn’t you go to the police?”
“I believe in justice—an eye for an eye. Will the courts give us that?”
Quinn saw his point, but that’s not how the law worked. “Are you certain?”
Grant nodded. “One of my men infiltrated their organization. He’s been feedin’ me information. You met him last night when he photographed your license plate.”
“That bastard works foryou?”
Grant grinned. “We set up a sort of picket, followed you back, saw where you were livin’. We followed you here. He knew they were going to take her, and I came to warn you. We were too late.”