Thanks as always for the reviews :) And for those wondering on Emily's fate…..I already have a sequel outlined.:)
Title: Shattered Soul
Author: Cindy Ryan
Whistling Sam Ellis left his motel room without bothering to settle the bill. He walked across the street to a fast food hamburger restaurant. Once there, Sam popped the lock on an early nineties Jeep Cherokee. Sliding inside the vehicle Sam quickly hotwired it.
As the engine roared to life Sam took out the disposable cell phone from his pocket. When he had woke this morning Sam had realized that he had no need to stick around. With technology how it was everything could be dealt with electronically.
In six hours he'd be in Mexico. In another four he'd be on a chartered plane headed for freedom and paradise.
Sam quickly typed in a text message and hit send. He threw the jeep into gear and tossed the phone out the open passenger window.
Matt opened the door to his apartment to let Frank in. The older man closed the door behind him and followed Flannery into the living room.
"Why don't you catch a few hours?"Frank suggested noting his friend's exhausted appearance.
Matt sank down onto the sofa with a shake of his head. "Can't."
"Matt…."Frank began as he sat down in a chair opposite.
"What we need is caffine."Matt stated.
"What you need is food, if you're not going to rest."Frank replied. "When was the last time you ate?"
The beeping of Matt's cell phone interrupted whatever reply he was going to make. He picked it up from the coffee table and glanced at the display. Matt's face paled slightly as he saw the familiar message icon.
"What is it?"Frank prompted as he leaned forward.
Matt flipped the phone open and quickly accessed the message. "Text message."
"Ellis?"Frank asked though he already knew.
Matt nodded as he read the short text. "Yeah, he's getting impatient. He sent an account number to wire the money to."
"What's the clock?"
Matt's haunted gaze was riveted to the picture of Emily that was attached to the text message.
Her body was still, her eyes were closed and Matt could only pray that she was still alive. There was a nasty gash coupled with a developing bruise across the center of Emily's forehead.
Seeing his friend's body language Frank stood and walked so he was behind the sofa so he could look at the phone. There had to be a picture with the text message. Ellis was good at mind games, Frank would give him that much.
"Let me see, Matt."Frank prompted gently.
Matt angled the phone with a trembling hand so Frank could see the picture. As he did so Matt answered his friend's earlier question.
"He's given us twenty four hours to get the money."Matt replied quietly. "Then and only then will he tell us where she is."
"We'll just have to find her before then, won't we?"Frank stated with grim determination. "Come on, get your laptop. I want to work a timeline. He couldn't have taken her very far."
Matt nodded as he stood and grabbed his laptop case from the dining room table. He set it on the coffee table, unzipped it and booted the computer.
"Frank?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"Thank me when we bring her home."
Cheryl was just about to head for a meeting when one of the agents from Washington came around the corner into her view.
He was tall, thin with short red hair and about Matt's age.
"Agent Carrera?"Seth Grafton greeted as he came to a stop. "I was afraid I'd missed you. Your secretary said you were in a meeting."
"Was just heading there. Do you have news on Emily?"
Grafton nodded as he held up a computer printout. "We found the stolen pickup. Security found it at the parking garage of the MGM grand in Vegas. I have forensics enroute now from the local office and we're about to board a plane. Techs are still working on those pictures Ellis sent. Hopefully we'll have some good news in a few hours."
"Good work."Cheryl replied quietly. "I just hope we're not too late."