The Hunted Girls by Jenna Kernan (best book club books for discussion txt) 📕

“Hey, there you are,” he said to Nadine.

Nadine leapt to her feet, the tears streaming down her face, and threw herself into his arms. Her knees gave way and he wrapped her tight, holding her against the wonderful solid wall of his body. She inhaled the sweet scent of sandalwood and sweat. Thank God.

She buried her face in his neck and sobbed. He lowered her into the chair in the bedroom. Then he sank to one knee at her feet. She held tighter, locking her arms around his neck like an inexperienced wrestler, refusing to let go.

“Hey, there. What’s wrong?” He rubbed her back and gradually she released her grip and allowed him to ease away. He held her upper arms and stared at her wet face as she cupped his jaw in both hands and gulped air.

“Where have you been?” she said, her words a croak.

“Running leads at outdoor adventure outfits operating in the forest.” He pulled back and looked from Tina, also weeping, to his escort agent and back to Nadine.

“Why didn’t you call? I left messages! You didn’t—”

He interrupted. “My battery died. What happened?”

Tina explained about the phone call while Nadine tried to pull herself together.

Demko lifted her chin with the pad of his index finger. “You thought it was me.”

She nodded. The relief over his miraculous return set off a shudder and another round of tears. And now she trembled and sobbed, face planted in her hands.

“I’m here. Hey. Easy now. Breathe.” He stroked her head and then moved his broad hand in a circular pattern in the center of her back. “It’s all right.”

“It isn’t. This means he has Skogen,” she whispered.

Clint snatched up her phone. “I’m calling Coleman.”

Nadine stopped him and then caught him up, telling him about Axel, the meth lab, Skogen being missing and that Skogen’s supervisor, Gabriella Carter, was en route from DC.

She had just finished her explanation when Juliette burst into the bedroom. The two women hugged, triggering Nadine’s tears again.

“He’s safe,” said Nadine.

Juliette lifted an arm to hug Demko. Tina hugged them both and the four of them held each other until Demko broke away.

“We look like a rugby scrum,” he muttered.

Her team was all here. All safe.

But she felt a chasm open in her stomach as she remembered that Skogen was in horrific danger.

“Call Coleman. Tell her it’s Skogen,” she said to Tina.

“Or he’s bluffing,” said Demko.

Nadine wished that were true, but every instinct told her that the Huntsman did not bluff or make threats. He had Agent Jack Skogen and they needed to find him fast.

Supervisory Special Agent Gabriella Carter appeared on the conference screen before them as they all took their seats. The woman had a cap of short black hair, brown skin and a military bearing. Her lips were stained a burgundy color and her mouth was drawn into a tight line.

“Dr. Finch. Agent Wynns has briefed me.” She turned her head. “Wynns just heard from Florida Highway Patrol. They’ve located Agent Skogen’s vehicle at a marina south of DeLand and have secured the scene. His protective detail is dead and Skogen is missing.”

Nadine swallowed. This confirmed it. The Huntsman had Jack.

Carter turned her head again. “Coleman, how is Agent Vea?”

“Stable. Bullet passed through muscle at the base of his neck. Blood loss was significant.”

“I’m sure.” Carter scanned the room. “We have an abducted agent and one dead. We need to mobilize every law enforcement agency in the state and find Skogen. Get Skogen’s photo and description to media outlets, and I mean now. I want alerts to every cell phone in three counties.”

Nadine raised her hand as if she were back in elementary school. Something about this woman intimidated the heck out of her.

“We have a leak. Someone released my name to the media. I don’t want that leak to jeopardize this operation.”

The supervisory special agent cocked her head and gave Nadine a disappointed look.

“Special Agent Jack Skogen was the leak. He released information on you to the media when the investigation stalled, hoping to engage the unsub.”

Nadine’s jaw dropped open and she gaped, turning to Demko.

“Well, it worked,” said Demko, his tone relaying banked fury. “We got his attention. And he got our lead investigator.”

Twenty-Five

Jack returned to his senses, trying to remember why he was on the ground. His head throbbed. Had he fallen? He raised his hands to check for injury and saw silver duct tape secured his wrists before him.

A shiver of apprehension trickled down his spine as he thought of Jo Summerville strung to a tree like a rotting carcass. He remained motionless, moving only his eyes. He was lying on his side along the roots of a large tree. Blood dripped across his forehead and pooled against his cheek.

He heard only the wind—and then the sound of footsteps. Jack closed his eyes and forced his body to relax. Through veiled lashes he watched a person squat beside him.

“Wakey, wakey.” The voice was male, and the words punctuated with a tapping at his cheek.

Jack lunged, taking his opponent to his back. The man’s eyes startled wide with astonishment. Jack used his bound wrists to strike the man’s jaw.

Blood sprayed across the ground.

The downed man lifted a hand in surrender. “Hey, relax. I was trying to help. Thought you were drunk.”

Jack had both fists raised above his head. He hesitated.

“I’m a federal officer,” he said and felt something brush his leg.

An instant later, his muscles spasmed and he toppled to his side. The man beneath him scrambled up and the cramping abated. Jack pushed himself up to sitting and this time saw the electric baton wielded by his opponent as it contacted his leg. Instant pain and cramping followed. His body seized, no longer able to follow his brain’s command. A moment later, the world went dark.

He came to, on his back, staring up at an opening between a web of tree branches. The gray-green Spanish moss hung limp over them against a cloudy sky.