“And why, exactly, did they not follow that order?”

Dante wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Never in his life had he felt so helpless. And incredibly guilty, even though he personally had done nothing wrong. These were his men, and Jackson counted on him to make sure they executed every stage of the mission perfectly. They’d failed him, so he’d failed Jackson. “They got lazy.”

“They got lazy!” Jackson roared, emphasizing each word. “This was the most important part of their mission. But they used the pay phone directly outside the bar?”

Dante said feebly, “They said there aren’t many pay phones anymore-”

“And they’re right!” Jackson jabbed a finger into Dante’s chest, and he winced. “You should have provided them with cell phones. Untraceable, disposable phones. Why didn’t you?”

“I figured that’s what they’d use.” Dante said in a small voice. “I told them how important it was-”

“So you trusted them to figure that out for themselves?”

Dante simply nodded.

“And that’s why I’m disappointed with you, Dante. A leader never leaves a single decision to the men beneath him. He dictates their every move, their every action. Success on the battlefield depends on it. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Mr. Burke,” Dante said, after a long pause indicated he was meant to respond.

“Good. About that other thing, is it in process?”

Dante nodded. “They should be in Houston by dawn.”

“Excellent.” Jackson waved a hand, dismissing him. Dante paused on the threshold.

“Sir, Sergeant Croll wants to know who their lawyers are.”

Jackson ’s eyes narrowed. “What lawyers?”

“It was something I’d promised them, sir. Since you told me they’d be covered…” Dante’s voice trailed off under the force of Jackson ’s gaze.

“That coverage was intended for active cells that accomplished their goals.”

“Yes sir, but considering, you know, what they did…” Dante focused on the floor. “It would keep them from shooting off their mouths. Not that they would,” he added hurriedly. “But if they knew you were looking out for them, they’d have even less reason…”

He raised his eyes to find Jackson regarding him coldly. One thing he’d learned in three years of working for the man, he did not like to lose, and this definitely fell into the loss column.

“Get them someone. But make sure it doesn’t lead back to me.”

“Yes sir.” Dante quickly left the room, barely breathing until he’d crossed the threshold.

Jake fought through the traffic idling curbside. He spotted Syd standing at the end of the platform, dressed entirely in black. It took another five minutes to get to her. He popped the trunk and she threw her bag in, slammed it shut, and practically dove into the front seat.

“So how was first class?” he asked, noting the flush in her cheeks. Clearly she was excited about something.

“Mediocre. They didn’t even have warm nuts.” She pulled off her sunglasses and leaned over to punch an address into the GPS. He caught a whiff of shampoo as a strand of her hair brushed his face.

“Hey, I already got that-” he protested, but she cut him off.

“Change of plans. We got a hit on the GPS signal from Madison ’s game console.”

“No shit?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I know. I didn’t think it would amount to anything, but had one of my guys tackle it anyway. And lo and behold, it pinged late last night. Got the message from him when I landed.”

“So we know where she is?”

“Well, we know where the DS Lite was. It stopped transmitting a few hours ago, so we need to hurry. Should be there in less than an hour unless you drive like a granny.”

“I drive just fine.” Jake snorted. To prove it, he veered across two lanes of traffic, darting onto the on-ramp for 880 North. “So are we calling in the cavalry?”

“No need. I’ve got a team ready.”

“Yeah? That was quick.”

“I put them on standby when Randall called. Figured since she was taken from SFO, she might still be in the Bay Area.”

“Not bad, partner,” Jake said grudgingly.

“They’ll have vests and sidearms for us.”

“You sure about this? If things go south, there could be a lot of fallout…”

“Believe me, I trust this team a hell of a lot more than some Feds who’ve never been outside Hogan’s Alley. If she’s still alive, we’ll get her.”

“All right,” Jake said, despite a twinge of unease. He’d never been a stickler for the rules either, but like most former operatives Syd followed a completely different code. For them, rules didn’t exist. And he was more than a little concerned about what she considered a crack team. “So where am I headed?”

“ Benicia. I’ve got to make some calls to find out if everything is ready, so shut up and drive. I’ll tell you more when we get closer.”

Madison pressed her ear to the door. She’d been up most of the night waiting for it to fling open again, terrified of what that asshole was going to do. She was pretty certain they were going to kill her.

In both hands, Madison clutched the metal tray they brought her meals on. It was old, rusty around the edges, with Olympia Brewing Company in fancy scrawl above a painting of a lady in a hat. It had always struck her as incongruous, especially now. Usually Lurch came to take it away, but last night he’d never rematerialized. She wondered if he couldn’t face her, knowing what was about to happen.

The tray was a flimsy weapon, but better than nothing. She planned on waiting in the shadows beside the door. When it swung open she’d launch herself forward, try to catch him square across the face. Hopefully startle him enough to make a break for it. It was a long shot, and she knew it. It didn’t matter how many push-ups she did, he’d still easily overpower her. But maybe she’d buy herself enough time to get above deck. She had to try. And if it turned out they were in the middle of the ocean, she would jump overboard and drown. That was still preferable to whatever sick torture he had planned.

After the man stormed off she’d heard arguing. It sounded like just the two of them, but it was hard to tell with the echoes and distortion. She pictured Lurch standing with his head down, getting yelled at. For some reason that hadn’t made her feel better.

Nothing but silence for hours now. Usually they brought breakfast right around dawn, but based on the fragments of light seeping into the room it was already late morning. Madison wondered what the hell was going on.

Footsteps. She inhaled sharply, pressing harder against the door. Someone was coming. It was impossible to tell who, since each step resonated against the metal floor. Madison realized she was hyperventilating, the tray shaking in her hands, and she fought to calm down. This was it. She had one shot at getting out of here.

She stepped back into the shadows, listening to the sound of the latch being unbolted, metal grinding against metal. Her knuckles were white, blood pounded in her ears. She braced herself as the door slowly swung open.

It felt like an eternity passed before a silhouette crossed the threshold. Madison leaped forward with a slight cry, swinging the tray with the full force of her weight behind it.

A grunt: she’d miscalculated. It wasn’t the other man, but Lurch standing there. Instead of the face she had caught him in the chest. He caved backward. Her eyes widened as they met his. He looked confused. Regaining her senses Madison lunged past him, tripping over her feet. She caught herself from falling and raced down the corridor. Lurch yelled something but she didn’t pay attention, didn’t focus on anything but running as hard and fast as she could.

After a second Madison ’s brain caught up to her feet and she realized the corridor was ending. A narrow hallway branched left and she took it. She sped past small doors molting gray paint; no time to check them, she’d have to hope that the way up was obvious, a ladder or a staircase. She was suddenly overwhelmed by a desperate desire to see the sun. Tears flooded her eyes and she shook her head to clear them.