“They have her,” Karina whispers. “Alexander and Crouch.”

There’s a screeching sound inside of my skull. Blood rushes so quickly to the backs of my eyes, my head becomes one giant throb. Never in my life have I lost the ability to speak, but that’s what happens. I physically can’t force out a single syllable. We were only being cautious by keeping her at Gabe’s. I never really believed someone would try and physically hurt her. Another mistake. I’ve made two mistakes today and one of them could set my world on fire.

She could be in pain. Right now.

Worse.

Oh my God.

I turn to look at Tobias and Gabe. They’re in the same condition as me—being driven into the ground by denial. Gabe rakes shaking fingers through his hair. Tobias looks like he’s staring into the mouth of hell.

“Where did they take her?” Tobias asks through his teeth.

Karina is already shaking her head. “I don’t know.” Moisture spills down onto her cheeks. “You have to believe me, I didn’t realize I was making a deal with the devil. This is standard shit in journalism. Moral gray areas when it comes to collecting information. Having the mayor in my pocket would have been a windfall. I told Alexander and Crouch that I would keep a lid on Elise, dissuade her from pursuing the mole story about them teaming up to take down the current mayor. It shouldn’t have been hard—she’s not even employed by the Times. When they overheard her on our phone call, it was out of my hands. They thought I’d been playing them. I don’t…I don’t know what they’re going to do. What they’re capable of.”

“If something happens to her…” I manage, right before my voice deserts me again.

“We need to call the police,” Tobias rasps. “Now.”

“That’s who I was speaking with when you arrived,” Karina says. “They’re on the way.”

I don’t feel an ounce of relief over that news. Zero.

“Jesus. By the time we explain to them what’s happening…” For once in my life, I can’t think of a logical solution and I’m reeling. I’m losing my shit. “By the time we find a way to track them down, what if it’s…they might have already…”

“Enough of that,” Tobias growls. “We’ll find her. We have to.”

Gabe steps in front of us, ushering me and Tobias away from Karina. In a low, uneven tone he says, “Is this a good time to admit I stole Elise’s phone last night and turned on the location tracking?”

* * *

Elise

I’m shoved forcefully into a chair.

The man who drove me, Crouch, and Alexander to this construction site in Morningside Heights stoops down behind me and ties my wrists together with his own shoelace. He looks nervous the whole time he completes the task, too, sweat pouring down the sides of his face.

“First kidnapping?” I ask, as casually as possible when I really want to cry. It’s taking everything inside of me not to let out the sobs building inside of my chest. But some untapped source of self-preservation tells me I need to keep a level head. If I can just make these men see reason, I can get out of this, right? I’m not going to die today. Right? “I’m just a sandwich girl.”