Part 49 (1/2)

”I thought I'd flip out after,” Dan continued, ”like, holy Christ, what have I done? But...” He shook his head. ”I just...I want her in my life.”

And okay. That was a very future-tense statement. It didn't sound as if Dan was planning his own funeral just yet. Maybe...he just wanted to talk.

”You really don't have to knock her up to do that, man,” Izzy pointed out. ”I mean, she kinda married you.”

”I know,” Dan said. ”But I want it all. I want a family and...Jesus, I'm turning into Jenk.”

”Maybe you're turning into me,” Izzy suggested. ”It's far more likely, considering you've got a s.h.i.+tload of my blood in your veins.”

Dan laughed. ”Yeah, no, Zanella, see, Jenk's married to the love of his life and-” He stopped himself. Looked at Izzy.

Who looked back at him like, and... and... ? ?

For once, Dan was speechless.

”For me, it was love at first sight,” Izzy told him, as long as it was true confession time, ”that was completely cemented when your sister started to talk. Every day I love her even more-it's crazy.” He glanced at Dan again. ”And you'll note that I'm I'm not afraid to use the L-word, unlike some p.u.s.s.ies, one of whom might be sitting next to me in this very car.” not afraid to use the L-word, unlike some p.u.s.s.ies, one of whom might be sitting next to me in this very car.”

”I'm not afraid to say it,” Dan scoffed, but he was smiling, too. ”I love Jenni. See? Unlike some douches who say it, and then have to make sure everyone knows they're they're not a p.u.s.s.y not a p.u.s.s.y because because they've said it.” they've said it.”

Izzy glanced over at him. ”It's scary as s.h.i.+t, huh?”

”h.e.l.l, yeah.” Dan paused. ”If those a.s.sholes hurt them...”

”Why don't you dig into my bag and see what you can make that'll give us some flash and bang,” Izzy suggested, still trying to distract.

And Dan was about to do just that, when Izzy's cell phone beeped from its place, front and center, in the cup holder between them. Dan picked it up.

”Signal's cut,” he announced.

”On purpose?” Izzy asked, which was stupid, because how would Dan know? ”Use Eden's phone to call Jenk and Lindsey and ask.”

”Already on it,” Dan said, but then said, ”Whoa, you're getting a text. From me. Arrived, Arrived,” he read. ”I love you.” ”I love you.”

Izzy glanced over, and as he met Dan's eyes, he knew that the other SEAL was thinking the same thing he was. That that I love you I love you was terribly final sounding. That Eden thought they were going to die. was terribly final sounding. That Eden thought they were going to die.

And that that kind of thinking wasn't going to help any of them. So Izzy swallowed past the lump in his throat, and tried to change the gloom-and-doom mood by saying, ”I love you, too, man.” kind of thinking wasn't going to help any of them. So Izzy swallowed past the lump in his throat, and tried to change the gloom-and-doom mood by saying, ”I love you, too, man.”

But Dan didn't take the bait. He didn't roll his eyes or Zanella don't be an a.s.shole Zanella don't be an a.s.shole him, the way he would've done in the past. Instead, he just kind of nodded and said, ”Eden can't let them find my phone.” him, the way he would've done in the past. Instead, he just kind of nodded and said, ”Eden can't let them find my phone.”

”She knows,” Izzy said. ”She'll ditch it.”

”She better.”

”She's Eden,” Izzy said, trying to feel as confident as he sounded. ”She'll get the job done.”

It wasn't easy to lie, naked, in a puddle of his own vomit.

But Ben knew that he had to do it, if he was going to continue to convince his kidnappers that he was not only unable to respond to their questions, but unable to move or otherwise put up a fight.

He'd made himself lie still, even when the bald cop from the mall-who wasn't a cop after all-told Ben that they were going out to find Eden.

Find was better than kill, and the man had already threatened to kill Ben's sister, in an attempt to force him to reveal Neesha's location.

”I don't know where Neesha is!”

Ben had said it, over and over and over over after waking up here, head pounding, on the floor of this hot little empty room. With its too-high-to-reach drop ceiling and the in-the-wall air conditioner chugging ineffectually away, with the single door leading out to who knows where, Ben could have been anywhere in Las Vegas or outside of the city, for that matter. after waking up here, head pounding, on the floor of this hot little empty room. With its too-high-to-reach drop ceiling and the in-the-wall air conditioner chugging ineffectually away, with the single door leading out to who knows where, Ben could have been anywhere in Las Vegas or outside of the city, for that matter.

And the men who had grabbed him from the courtyard of Eden's apartment complex made it very clear that where he was didn't matter. It was who he was with and what they wanted from him that counted.

And they hit him and they kicked him, and he still couldn't tell them where Neesha was, because he honestly and gratefully didn't know. And finally, when the bald cop said that unless Ben told him-immediately-where the girl was, he was going to go and kill Eden, Ben had lied and said that if he did that, he'd be screwed, because only Eden knew where Neesha was hiding.

Which wasn't true, but he would have said anything to keep his sister safe.

And then he made himself shake and he made himself throw up, right on the bald cop's boots.

Which had gotten him another kick, but he let himself flop back from it, as if he'd fainted.

The bald cop-who wasn't a cop-was cursing and shouting at him, ”Tell us where Neesha is!”

But Ben didn't move.

It was then that he thought they were testing him, because two of them grabbed him and pulled him away from the mess that he'd made, and started taking off his clothes. They weren't very gentle-so much so that after they pulled off his T-s.h.i.+rt, his head bounced against the cheap tile floor so hard that he saw stars beneath his closed eyelids.

But he still didn't fight them, didn't speak, didn't move. Not even when they yanked off his boots and stripped his jeans and briefs from him so that he was buck naked.

He almost gave himself away at that point, because there was no way he was going to lie there and let himself get raped without fighting back.

But no one touched him, other than to grab him by the ankles and straighten his legs-a move that s.h.i.+fted him completely onto his back-and to roughly push his hair out of his face.

It was then he heard the unmistakable sound of a digital camera.

The pervs were taking pictures of him naked.

Someone-the photographer, apparently-said, ”Turn him over.”

Again the hands that touched him were impersonal and not at all gentle. The camera clicked and whirred, clicked and whirred.

And then someone tossed something-his shorts and his jeans-over Ben's bare b.u.t.t, and even though the message was clear-he could get himself dressed now-he still didn't move because he wanted them to think he was helpless.

”I wonder if he speaks Korean,” one of the men said.

Another laughed. ”Yeah, that's where I was thinking he'd be going. Good old Mr. Kim. Poor kid.”

”Maybe there'll be a bidding war. Maybe he'll end up in Turkey, instead.”

”Could happen. The boss is the only guy I know who can turn a profit from a threat.”

One of the voices faded. ”Provided Jake gets his a.s.s in gear and finds the girl.”

The remaining man called after him. ”If he doesn't? Boss is going to s.h.i.+p him him off to Korea or Turkey, too.” off to Korea or Turkey, too.”