Grant

“Homestead Charlie.”

“Fuck!”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Viktor commented as Grant sprinted for the elevators, phone in his ear.

“Tyler, bring the car around.” He punched the button to call the car before turning to his companions. “Homestead Charlie is a threat code similar to Defcon 3. Donovan ended the call immediately and I think it’s because Andy was already there.”

“What do we do?” the senator asked no one in particular. All four of them got into the elevator.

“We’re heading to the penthouse,” Grant said. “Donovan will call once he has the situation handled.” That was the optimal result. As soon as they cleared the elevator, he brought up his phone app that contained the tracking software. “I’m getting a faulty read. Blaire’s blinking in and out of the penthouse.”

“The tracking device made specifically for the BloodTrak serum is more accurate,” Viktor said who was looking over Grant’s shoulder. He caught a troubled look on the blond man’s face, but it quickly disappeared and Viktor’s face was once again unreadable.

Tyler was already waiting for them in the Escalade and all four of them climbed in.

“Sully and I will ride with you for now,” Viktor informed him. “Our vehicles and my men are on the way.”

Grant didn’t respond but reached for the tracking device in the glove compartment and turned it on. “Signal is weak, but, from the coordinates, it looks like she’s in the basement.” They’d been in the car for a few minutes when Blaire’s signal blinked out. “Shit, this couldn’t be right? She disappeared.”

“How could that be?” the senator queried. “The BloodTrak serum is fool-proof.”

“Not anymore,” Sully countered.

Grant turned in his seat and glared at the two AGS men. “Explain. And don’t tell me it’s classified.”

“But it is,” Viktor replied. “Even the senator doesn’t know about it.”

“Well, I suggest you de-classify it pretty quick,” his dad snapped.

Viktor regarded the senator for a second before speaking. “Since the attack on your wife when the explosive device was identified, the CIA stepped up its probe against YGE and Yashkin’s other associates,” he said. “We’ve uncovered a company that fronts as an energy research laboratory that’s actually manufacturing counter-measures against U.S.-made advanced military weapons. Among those was the hack of the BloodTrak serum.”

“Yes, but how would Andy know that’s the tracker we used on Blaire?” Grant said. “We’ve kept the information confidential from Dad and his staff until now.”

“Would Blaire have mentioned it to Andy in passing?” Sully asked. “We couldn’t access both their cell phone records.”

Grant smiled grimly. “Blaire’s phone is secured, but no, I don’t know if she’s mentioned it to that son of a bitch.”

“It doesn’t matter. Spencer would be aware of this serum and could use a specialized tracking wand to confirm it’s active,” Viktor replied.

He was about to ask another question when Tyler cut in to ask if he should park on the street or the garage. Grant instructed him to go directly to the basement. Parking in their designated area, Blaire’s signal still had not resurfaced.

“We need to split up,” Viktor said. “Sully, go with Tyler. Mr. Thorne, hand Tyler the tracking device. Let’s go to your penthouse.”

Grant got into the elevator with his dad and Viktor. He swiped his keycard and punched the level for the penthouse. It was the slowest elevator ride in his life. The car stopped at the lobby and Grant wanted to smash his fist into the elevator panel. A person who was coming in from a morning run was about to hop on, but he blocked the man.

Grant glared at the runner. “Take the next one,” he snarled and repeatedly punched the arrow buttons to close the doors.

The senator stared at the floor and shook his head. Viktor cleared his throat. Grant stared ahead at the lit elevator numbers willing them to ascend faster. His mind raced with a thousand questions, but couldn’t find the words to voice a coherent one. When they reached the penthouse level, Grant re-swiped his access card to open the doors. He stepped out first, cursing when he saw one of the bodyguards sprawled at the foyer. He refused to be paralyzed by fear. Blaire needed him to be stronger than ever. He bent over and felt for a pulse while Viktor and his dad went to check on Jake and his third man. His bodyguard was alive. He left everyone to check the rooms even if his instincts screamed at him that Blaire was gone. He returned to the kitchen where his father met him.

“We need to call for an ambulance,” the senator said.

“No,” Viktor said. “The AGS is involved now and we want to keep this under the radar if possible. I’m sure Spencer and his cronies are monitoring first responder channels. I’ll get someone here.”

Grant watched Viktor call that someone on his smartphone. He remembered his father mentioning how the CIA couldn’t operate in the homeland without local law enforcement taking the lead. As the AGS boss made arrangements for medical service to be brought in, Sully and Tyler emerged from the elevators. His bodyguard shook his head to indicate that they hadn’t found anything, while Sully approached Viktor.

“You trust them?” Grant nodded to the two men while helping his dad transfer Jake to the couch. The AGS guys were standing at the edge of the living room by the picture window, presumably to stay out of earshot.

“They’re the best, son,” the senator confirmed. “If anyone could get Val and Blaire back it’s AGS. If they think it’s hopeless, we’re screwed.” His father searched his face. “How are you holding up?”

“Hanging on,” Grant admitted. “I can’t afford to lose my shit now.” He looked at Viktor and Sully again. “I want to be in on every opportunity to find Blaire and Val. I’m not letting anyone tell me I can’t.”

“You and I are too close to this,” the senator said. “We need to let them take the lead.”

“And they will,” he agreed. “But I’m not going to be idly standing by waiting for news.”

“What happened in Miami, Grant?” his father asked suddenly. He never told the senator that he’d shot and killed someone to save Blaire, but he admitted his and his crew’s part in the Orlov takedown to the feds assigned by the DOJ to handle the ROC case.

“The good guys won, Dad,” Grant stated simply.

And they were going to win again.

* * *

Viktor’s EMTs arrived. Grant learned that the AGS top man had contacts in most of the major cities when certain services were required. Much like what happened to Drew, his men had suffered mild concussions from their falls and needed to be given an intravenous solution to counteract the effects of the tranquilizer.

Grant went to his office and started loading cartridges into the magazines of his Sigs. Sully walked in and surveyed the arsenal on his desk.

“Looks like you’re preparing for war.”

“I want to be ready,” he muttered.

“You can’t come with us when the time comes.”

He looked up and fixed the other man with a raptor stare. “You think you can stop me?”

“You don’t want to get in the way. When we get a lock on Blaire’s position, it’ll be a quick surgical mission. In and out. That’s what we do.”

A muscle ticked at his jaw. Grant lowered the bullets and the magazine. His hands were shaking from cold rage. “They took her from me, Sully. I want to kill every last one of them.”

Sully sighed and perched at the edge of his desk. “Believe me, man. I know exactly how you feel.”

Grant’s brows furrowed and he lifted his gaze to see a haunted look cross Sully’s face. The man wasn’t lying; he’d been through this before.

“My wife, Beatrice … she was taken by our enemies to send her father and me a message,” Sully swallowed hard. “They tortured her, cut her up, and then dumped her in front of my house.”

“Jesus,” Grant whispered.

“The waiting was agony, but that moment when they dropped her off, when I didn’t know whether she was alive or dead … it was the worst fucking feeling in my life,” Sully said. “I got her back, but it changed me. We’ll get Blaire back, Grant, but that’s not gonna be the end of the fight.”

Grant already understood what Sully meant, but he let the man speak.

“You’ve lost her once when she was captured by Orlov,” the other man continued. “The fear of losing her made you put a tracker on her? Am I right?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ll be a basket case for a while. You’ll be afraid to let her out of your sight. Not for a single moment if you have a choice.”

“I’m fucking fine with that.”

Sully grinned. “I know you are. I see men like you all the time. We’re fiercely protective of our women.” He paused. “Welcome to the club.”

Grant didn’t know if Sully made him feel better or worse, but it was of some comfort that the other man understood what was at stake. Grant didn’t give a damn about the twenty-six billion dollars, he’d give up everything he owned if he could get Blaire and Val back. Money could be made. Blaire and his sister were irreplaceable.

Before Grant could respond, Tyler walked in. “We have a lock on Blaire.” His man was confused. “Several locks.”

Sully swore viciously and called for Viktor. He came into Grant’s office with the senator.

“Just what we feared would happen.”

Viktor swallowed a curse. “I’ll get Tim and MDI on it.”

“What’s going on?” the senator asked.

“Why is the tracker showing twenty-five locations for Blaire?” Grant asked.

The AGS boss looked grim. “What I think … Yashkin has developed an anti-serum that would momentarily mask the signal. Spencer would have injected it into Blaire, then he’d have extracted enough blood to float three carrier devices.”

“Carrier devices?” the senator repeated.

Viktor nodded. “Recent technology. Just discovered two months ago. It mimics the host’s blood frequency. Equipped with a booster and redirectors, it can keep the blood viable for three days relaying signals.”

“That’s some serious crazy shit, Baran,” Grant muttered. “So one of those signals is Blaire and the others are decoys? Can you crack it?”

“That’s why we need my analyst, Tim. MDI is the manufacturer of the BloodTrak serum.”

“You think they’ll give you access to proprietary information?” Grant asked, knowing the importance of intellectual property.

“Oh, they will,” Viktor said arrogantly. “It’s a blow to their ego to have their technology hacked, besides the CEO of MDI is sort of my brother-in-law.”

Despite the gravity of the situation, Grant lips tipped up in a faint smile. The way these two men seemed unfazed by the obstacles coming at them inspired confidence in their ability and that went a long way in stabilizing his emotions enough for him to function and see reason.

“Seems like a good idea to invest in military contractors,” Grant murmured. His father shot him a disapproving look. Being the Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee would put them in a clear conflict of interest.

Viktor chuckled briefly. “That’ll put you at the top of your game if protecting your woman is your priority. Although, I warn you, our types don’t play nice with men in suits of non-military background.”

“I’m a fast learner,” Grant replied.