Faceless (Sinister Secrets Book 2) by Candle Sutton (best motivational novels txt) 📕

to watch for the person Divers had met.

“I really thought she’d snap a few pics, maybe see what he was driving and get a plate.” Sid shook his head. “I probably should have known better, huh?”

Maybe, maybe not. “That might be what she planned to do.”

Things didn’t always go according to plan. Especially where Kevyn was concerned.

“I left her right here.” Sid gestured to some crates stacked by a building.

No sign of her there now.

Not that he was surprised. If she’d still been there, waiting, she would have responded to his text. “What building were you watching?”

Sid pointed at one on the other side of the drive. “That one.”

Dak walked to stand in front the building and looked both directions.

The area was strangely deserted. Sure, it was now after seven, but he would have expected some truckers or dock workers to still be working. Didn’t shipments come and go at all hours?

A few witnesses would sure come in handy right about now.

Well, he would work with what he had. Which was a picture and cryptic text.

Pulling up the picture she’d sent, he tried to find landmarks.

The bulk of what he saw in the picture were shipping containers and warehouses, none of which had anything that made them stand out.

Wait, was that a flag?

He zoomed in on the picture.

A large American flag was visible in the background.

He glanced above the building line.

There! On the right, a flag waved in the breeze as if beckoning him. “I think she went that way.”

Sid looked at the picture. “Looks possible.”

They headed down the drive, passing dozens of shipping containers, two trailers, and one semitruck cab.

A familiar landscape rose before him.

He stopped and pulled up the picture again. “This is it. This is where she took the picture.”

At least it confirmed they were headed the right direction.

The drive dead-ended at a large cul-de-sac. He turned in a circle. Nothing but more shipping containers and a handful of warehouses.

Several of them were run-down, probably abandoned.

No sign of Kevyn anywhere.

Still no response to his texts.

Forget it. He was going to try calling.

He brought up her number, but the call went straight to voicemail.

He didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Call for backup or run this with just the two of them?

If nothing was seriously wrong, he didn’t want to call a bunch of people in. They’d do a quick, cursory look, then he’d make the decision about backup.

“Fan out. Let’s check behind every container, under the trucks, in between buildings. Make sure she’s not unconscious somewhere.” If they found her, it wouldn’t be good.

If they didn’t find her, it’d be even worse.

₪   ₪   ₪

Mitch sipped his bourbon and stared out the window. The lights of the city glowed far below him, stretching for miles. In the distance, the tree-adorned mountains surrounding the city were tinged with the first hints of twilight.

That had gone better than expected.

He’d been waiting for the FBI to beat down his door for days now. It had only been a matter of time before they found his alternate identity and tracked him here.

Somehow, he’d expected more fireworks. Maybe even handcuffs and a trip downtown.

Part of him had expected Kevyn to be with them. Had kind of hoped for it, although it’d been a whole lot easier talking his way out of it without her there. If he’d had to look at her while implying that she wasn’t worth the trouble… well, that would’ve been rough.

He would’ve done it anyway. Had to, if he wanted to keep Tio happy and stay alive. But it would’ve made him feel like even more of a heel.

Any hope of having a relationship with his daughter was now a thing of the past.

He was alone. And he deserved to be.

₪   ₪   ₪

Pain.

It was the first thing to radiate through Kevyn’s consciousness as the world around her started to take shape.

She hurt everywhere. Her head. Her neck. Back and shoulders. Hips. And why did her foot feel like it was on fire?

Something cut into her wrist.

She tried to lift her hands, tried to shift away, but her hands wouldn’t budge.

She should figure out what was going on, but her eyes refused her mind’s command to open. The lids felt heavy. So heavy.

Male voices murmured in the background.

Why were there men around while she was trying to sleep?

Men…

Images flashed through her mind. The dockyard. Following the guy from the coffeeshop. The two security guys. The Desert Eagle.

A knife in her foot.

A breath bubbled up and she jerked her eyes open, only to blink them closed at the bright light shining directly down at her.

She pulled at her hands, but neither moved.

Blinking against the light, she looked over at her right hand, then her left. Zip ties. Secured tightly enough that she could hardly move. Looked like she was on some kind of gurney.

She lifted her head and surveyed her surroundings.

A hospital?

A metal tray with some bloody gauze and a vial of liquid bandage sat on a rolling cart not far from her feet. One of her feet was wrapped tightly in gauze, with only her toes showing.

Medical equipment lined the walls. She wasn’t sure what all of it did, but it looked like something she’d expect to find in a hospital.

Although clearly this was no hospital. The restraints on her hands evidenced that much.

Where was she? And how did she get here?

The voices came from an open door to her left.

Beyond the door, she could see what looked like a hallway, although she saw nothing but white walls and vinyl floor.

She needed to get out of here. Before whoever was outside came back.

Twisting