A soft squeak in the hall told Brent Rowan had left the bunker and was approaching the kitchen. He didn’t want her too close to Shadow Man. In fact, it would be better all around if this clown didn’t see her face.
“Don’t come any closer, baby,” he said softly.
Shadow Man’s eyes shifted to the hall, excitement in their depths as he strained against the zip ties, trying to break free to get to Rowan.
That was not something Brent wanted to see. He’d been hoping this guy was after him. Seeing his reaction, Brent was forced to consider the unwelcome thought that Rowan was the target.
How did this clown find her? Had Brent missed a tail? His gut burned at the thought that he might have put Rowan in danger instead of protecting her as he’d promised.
He backed up so he could see Rowan without facing away from Shadow Man.
“Should I call Zane?” Rowan whispered.
He gave a slight nod. Brent wanted this guy away from Rowan. If Shadow Man knew where they were, chances were good someone else did as well. Brent needed to take Rowan to one of the Fortress safe houses.
Rowan retraced her steps to his bedroom and shut the door behind her.
Brent returned his attention to the unwanted visitor. “You’re not here for me, are you?”
A sly smile appeared on the man’s face. “What makes you say that?”
“You aren’t as afraid of me as you should be.” If Shadow Man had known anything about him, he wouldn’t have such a cavalier attitude.
Shadow Man’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not afraid of nobody.”
“Then you’re a fool.” And a scapegoat. “How did Invisible Man know she was here?”
A flicker of fear crept into his gaze.
Brent sighed. Confirmation this clown came after Rowan, not Brent. “How much did he offer to pay you?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything.”
A shrug. “You’ll wish you had. By the time I finish digging into your life, you won’t have any secrets.”
Shadow Man scoffed. “You’re just her boyfriend. You should walk away while you still have the chance. Nobody escapes us.”
Brent didn’t bother correcting the assumption Rowan belonged to him. In fact, he liked the idea. The more he thought about it, the more enamored he became. Would she be interested in more than an occasional date? Man, he hoped so. She fascinated him on every level.
His phone vibrated, signaling an incoming message. Brent glanced at the screen. Zane sent a message for Brent to call. He tapped in his friend’s number. “Talk to me,” he said when Z picked up.
“Can you talk freely?”
“No.”
“Is Rowan okay?”
Brent stilled. “Why?”
“She sounded shaken.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Somehow. The last thing he wanted was for Rowan to be afraid. Whatever he had to do to reassure her that she was safe with him would be his first priority once Shadow Man was secured. “What do you have?”
“Comm center got a hit on your man’s prints. He’s a low-level thug named Tom Silverman. Been arrested several times for disorderly conduct and inciting a riot. Silverman is also a member of a militia.”
“Which one?”
“Volunteer.”
His grip tightened around the phone. Volunteer militia. Not a coincidence that this group’s name popped up in connection to Rowan twice. Why did the militia want Rowan and was this a dead-or-alive scenario, like the message Salazar claimed to receive?
“Jon Smith and Eli Wolfe are en route,” Zane continued. “Thirty minutes and Silverman will be off your hands. What do you want done with him? Call the cops or stash him in one of the black holes?”
If he allowed the cops to take Silverman, he’d be out of jail in a matter of hours. No doubt in Brent’s mind, Silverman would disappear once he made bail. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t care about a bottom-rung thug. But this guy had seen Brent’s face. Not sure what they might be facing, he couldn’t afford to take the chance Brent would be identified. Rowan and Alexa’s lives might depend on his anonymity.
Gaze locked on Silverman, he murmured, “Black hole.”
“Copy that.” Satisfaction rang in Zane’s voice. “Does Silverman need medical attention?”
He scanned the thug, noting the black eye forming and his busted lip. Brent had likely knocked a tooth or two loose, but those should stabilize in a few days. The ribs, though, might need some attention. Even tied to Brent’s chair, Silverman was favoring one side and breathing shallow. “Yes.”
“We’ll be ready. How long do we hold him?”
“Undetermined at this point.”
“Orders for Jon?”
Jon Smith was one of the best trained interrogators in the business. If Tom Silverman knew anything worth knowing, Jon would find out without much difficulty. “Information, as much as possible.”
“I’ll pass on the message.” Zane ended the call.
When Rowan tiptoed into the hallway, Brent held up his hand to stop her from stepping into Silverman’s line of sight. The thug might already know what she looked like, but if not, there was no point in letting him see her face.
“Hey,” Silverman snapped. “When are the cops getting here?”
“Told you. No cops.”
A frown. “You can’t keep me here.”
“I have two friends coming for you.”
“What will they do with me?”
He smiled. “Make you disappear.”
Silverman’s swarthy complexion slowly lost all its color. “Hey, I didn’t do nothing to you or your girlfriend. You can’t just kill me.”
Rowan gasped softly.
“Want to bet?” Brent asked. “No one knows you’re here except Invisible Man. You’re one of many people at Keith Phillips’ disposal. He won’t think anything of your disappearance.”
Sweat beaded on the thug’s forehead. “What do you want?”
“Information. Start talking.”
“I don’t know nothing, man. I just followed orders.”
“Whose orders?”
“I don’t know.”
Brent’s eyebrows rose. He waited in silence.
Silverman perspired more, his gaze darting around the room, hunting for an escape. He wouldn’t find one. “I’m telling the truth,” he said. “I don’t
