They headed inside. There was a comfy couch set up in front of a TV and gaming console. A desk and a computer that was currently turned off.

A large refrigerator stood in one corner and there was also a small chemical toilet. The place was equipped with enough supplies to last for a month, easily.

A sweatshirt hung off the back of the chair but apart from that, the room didn’t give anything away about the person who owned it. No photographs or artwork. No books or magazines. It wasn’t much cozier than a prison cell which held a high degree of irony.

Alex went over to the desk and carefully opened the drawers. “Bingo.”

Shane took some photographs on his phone. Alex slipped something that looked remarkably like a couple of data sticks and key fobs inside an evidence bag that Shane handed him.

Shane checked the rest of the room and found two more wallets beside a small surveillance unit placed near the door.

“Here.”

Alex took photos and scooped them up into the bag also.

“Why does he have so many? I thought you could store billions on a single wallet?”

“Probably in case he loses one—doesn’t want all his eggs in one basket. I expect he’s carrying plenty with him in case he needs to run, but this is his retirement plan.”

“Looks like he planned to hide out here if the cops ever tracked him down. Might have worked too.”

“FBI will put a watch on this place in case he decides to come back here, but once he realizes we cleared him out, I doubt he’ll be back unless he thinks we missed something.”

They headed out of the panic room and closed the door. Alex reassembled the keypad before removing the gizmo off the alarm panel. Silently they headed out the door, into the trees, leaving no trace they’d ever been there. Alex sent a text to Yael and a few seconds later distant streetlights and houses once more started to glow.

Shane checked his watch. Time was ticking for Laura Bay. “Think he’ll go for it?”

Alex remained silent.

It was pretty much the only hope they had right now.

“Where are they?” Bile burned the back of Yael’s throat every time she thought about Laura being at that monster’s mercy. She glanced at the time. 2:03 a.m. They only had a few hours until the auction went live and every psychopath in the world got to bid on the worst way to torture and humiliate her friend.

Ashley checked a text on her cell. “They’re back.”

She went over to the door of the jet and opened it. Shane and Alex came inside and Ashley quickly secured the door behind them.