The Senator's Choice (24 page)

“You don
’
t understand, Sarah. I
—”

“No, you don
’
t understand. Relationships are built on trust and you should
’
ve told me.”

“I couldn
’
t. I mean, I—”

She folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. “You what?”

Daniels looked down at the table and picked up his fork. “I couldn
’
t tell you.”

“What do you mean you couldn
’
t tell me? You can tell me anything.”

“They told me if I told anyone, they
’
d kill him.
”

She gasped loudly and put her hand over her mouth, aware of how much attention she
’
d attracted to herself. She looked around at the rest of the restaurant and caught a few luring glances. With her head cocked to the side, she slid her hands across the table and reached for Daniels.

“I
’
m sorry,” she said. “I didn
’
t know.”

“Of course you didn
’
t,” he said. “I understand how you could be upset if you don
’
t know everything. It
’
s just that I
’
ve wanted to tell you this whole time. I
’
ve needed to talk to somebody — anybody.”

“So nobody knows?” she asked.

He sighed.
“My brother-in-law knows. Former brother-in-law. Whatever. Seth Matthews knows.”

“Why
’
d you tell him?”

“Because he
’
s the only one who can do anything about it.”

She squeezed his hand. “And what
’
s he been able to do?”

“Nothing so far. I haven
’
t been able to reach him today. I
’
m afraid something might have happened to him.”

She leaned across the table and whispered, “Like what?”

“
I don’
t know. I
’
m trying not to think about it. It
’
s killing me to tell you right now — though it was killing me
not
to tell you.”

“Do you think something happened to him?”

He shook his head and squeezed her hands back. “
I don’
t know. These are very dangerous men we
’
re talking about.”

“What do they want?”

He managed a smile, albeit a half-hearted one. “Actually, they share something in common with you.”

She withdrew and furrowed her brow. “What are you talking about?”

“They don
’
t want the pipeline bill to pass.”

“
That
’
s
what this is about? The pipeline?”

He gestured for her to lower her voice. “Yes. All I have to do is vote against it and supposedly I
’
ll get Luke back safe and sound.”

“And you
’
re not willing to do that? With Luke
’
s life on the line?”

He leaned back and took a deep breath. “It should be a no-brainer, right?” He shook his head. “I
’
m leaning that way, but I don
’
t know. If I give in to them now, what
’
s going to happen next? Word about this tactic spreads across the underworld and the next thing you know they
’
re controlling every vote in the legislature.”

“As if it
’
s not happening already.”

He shook his head. “You might be right, but I
’
m reticent to cower to this tactic.”

“Even with Luke
’
s life on the line?” Her mouth hung agape.

“Maybe — but fortunately I don
’
t think it
’
s going to come to that. My brother-in-law is going to take care of things.”

“We can only hope.”

He nodded. “Yes. At this point, it
’
s all I can hold onto.”

***

AFTER DINNER, DANIELS CLIMBED into the back of his Lincoln Town car and used his burner phone to call Matthews again for an update. His stomach had been in knots all night — first for breaking his agreement with the kidnappers and telling Sarah and second for not hearing from Matthews. If something happened to him, he
’
d have to make a decision he didn
’
t want to make — at least, not without a guilty conscience.

The phone rang three times. Four. Five.

“Jeffrey?”

“Seth? Is that you?”

“Yes, it
’
s me.”

“Are you all right? I
’
ve been worried sick.”

“I
’
m fine for now — and we think Luke is too.”

“Did you find him?”

“Yeah. He
’
s located in a cabin connected to one of the members of Ophion.”

“Where are you?”

“Colorado. Arapaho National Forest, to be exact.”

“What
’
s he look like?”

Matthews bit his lip and lied. “It was hard to tell due to our limited technology capabilities, but we
’
ve put together an extraction plan for tomorrow. We
’
re going to get him out.”

“Are you confident it can work?”

“I
’
m betting Luke
’
s life — and my own — that it will.”

“Just let me know something by 1 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow. That
’
s when the vote is. I
’
d like to know something by then.”

“I
’
ll let you know as soon as we hear something, but I can
’
t make any guarantees. You know how these things go sometimes.”

“
Just do your best, Seth.
”

“You know I will.”

Daniels hung up and watched the D.C. city streetlights flicker by as the car drove him back toward his apartment.

One way or another, there was only one side he was going to vote tomorrow. And it made him sick.

“Pull over,” he instructed the driver.

The car lurched to a stop.

Daniels opened the door and stumbled out. He heaved and threw up all over the sidewalk. The episode lasted no more than twenty seconds before he climbed back inside. He daubed the edges of his mouth with his handkerchief and buckled himself back in.

“Go ahead,” he said to the driver.

The sensation of helplessness overwhelmed him. He punched the side of the car door in frustration and let out a guttural scream.

He was a passenger in more ways than one.

CHAPTER 35

“SAM! SAM!” LUKE SHOUTED from his room. His failed escape heaped more discomfort on him than he believed the kidnappers were willing to do. While Dave had treated him with contempt — with some mild abuse — Sam and Bill had been relatively benign toward him. Sam
’
s actions bordered on sympathetic at times, as if he was simply along for the ride. It made Sam the only logical target for his forthcoming request.

Sam opened the door and leaned into the room, a hint of annoyance in his tone. “What do you want?”

“Look, I know it
’
s getting late and I
’
m tired. I
’
d really like to go to sleep, but it
’
s not very easy with these ropes on my hands and feet. Can you untie me?”

Sam shook his head and sighed.

“Come on, Sam. Have a heart. You know I
’
m not going to run again.”

He cautiously eyed Luke. “How exactly do I
know
that?”

“I know you
’
re guarding my room — and I wouldn
’
t get you in trouble like that again.”

“You really care about what happens to me?”

Luke looked at him sympathetically. “You care about what happens to me, don
’
t you?”

Sam didn
’
t answer.

“You can drop the tough guy act with me.” Luke then whispered, “
I won
’
t tell them. It
’
s okay to have a heart.”

Sam rolled his eyes and sighed. He plodded across the room until he came to Luke
’
s bed and began to loosen his bindings. “Don
’
t tell them I did this for you, okay?”

Luke nodded. “I understand. I won
’
t tell a soul.”

“And you better not try to run off again —
or else I won
’
t be so nice next time. Got it?”

“I know you
’
re just doing what you
’
re told. I
’
ll make sure the cops know that after my uncle rescues me.”

Sam froze. “You
’re uncle isn’
t coming for you, kid. We made sure of that.”

Luke
’
s eyes widened and his pulse began racing. “What? What did you do to him?”

“We just made sure he wouldn
’
t find you — that
’
s all.”

Luke
’s lips quivered.
“Did you kill him?”

Sam continued to untie Luke in silence.

“Did you? Don
’
t ignore me. Answer my question. Did you kill my uncle?”

Sam stood up and walked toward the door.

Luke dug into his pocket and tapped the tip of the knife with his thumb. Blood began to rush to his head. He wanted to sneak up behind Sam and stab him. In the moment, he didn
’
t care that Sam was the only one who showed him any kindness. Then he stopped and took a deep breath.

Wait until the moment is right — that
’
s what Uncle Seth always said. And this isn
’
t the time.

Luke pulled his hand out of his pocket and said he had to go to the bathroom.

Sam gestured for him to go down the hall.

“Hey, Sam,” Dave called from downstairs. “When the kid
’
s finished with his potty break, bring him down here. His old man is due a phone call.”

Luke finished his business and followed Sam downstairs. He gingerly scraped his thumb on the edge of the blade in his pocket — and prayed for the right moment to come soon.

***

DAVE DUMAS EMPTIED his beer and slammed the bottle on the table. He pounded his chest and belched before turning his attention to Sam and their hostage descending the stairs.

Dave smirked as he studied the fear on Luke
’
s face. “Hey, kid, wanna talk to your old man?”

Luke nodded.

“Okay. Now, you know the rules, but let
’
s go over them again, just in case. I
’
d hate for you to have made it this far only to get killed for slipping up and breaking one of our rules.”

Luke took a deep breath and bobbed his head up and down.

“This is serious, kid. If you remember anything at all in that pea-sized brain of yours, remember these things. It
’
s what is going to keep you alive for the next few minutes. Got it?”

“I got it already. Tell me the rules.”

Dave wagged his finger at him. “
I don’
t like your tone. That
’
s not how you treat your elders. You understand me?”

“Abducting me isn
’
t how you treat
your
youth either.”

Dave slapped Luke in the face. He then grabbed Luke
’
s face with his right hand and squeezed before releasing him. “Don
’
t ever sass me again.”

He snapped his fingers. “Hand me the phone, Bill.” He took the phone and then called up the senator
’
s number on speed dial. With his other hand, he grabbed Luke by the scruff of the neck. “No funny business.”