Read Online Classified by Debra Webb - Free Book Online Page B

those annoying half laughs. “Not that anyone knows, I assure you. However, you must trust me when I say that you will have no trouble finding her. Everyone knows Alayna.”
    “You could be lying as easily as telling the truth,” Stark countered, the weapon creasing Fernandez’s forehead once more. “Give me one good reason I should trust you after you tried to kill us.”
    Oddly, Fernandez smiled but it lacked his usual confidence. “That is always the case in this sort of business, Señor Stark. Surely you have encountered this tedious detail before.”
    Out of patience, Casey drew the weapon from her waistband and poked Fernandez in the head just for the fun of it. “So you don’t have a problem with our coming back here to settle the score if you’re lying, right?”
    Fernandez shook his head again. “Ah, chiquita, but I will not be here if you return.”
    Uncertainty trickled into her veins. There was something way off with this guy. Besides the fact that he was a lying, cheating, thieving piece of subhuman slime.
    “You see,” Fernandez explained, staring directly into Casey’s eyes, “when she learns what I have done, she will kill me. As for your one good reason to trust me after recent events—” he shrugged one shoulder “—what other choice do you have?”
    He was right about that. “I wouldn’t worry about her if I were you,” Casey pointed out. “Your problem is me.” She remembered Stark a second too late. “And him.” So much for being a team player. Chancing a glance in his direction was out of the question. “If you’re lying, we will hunt you down and make you wish you’d chosen more wisely.”
    “No matter where you hide,” Stark added with a smile that was anything but pleasant.
    Fernandez laughed long and loudly, dragging Casey’s full attention back to him. “I will have no reason to fear the two of you if you find her.” He shook his head, his eyes wild with something like hysteria.
    “You underestimate us, sir,” Stark said, the same fury smoldering in his voice that was currently coming to a hard boil inside Casey. “You should be very afraid.”
    “What is there to fear from the dead?” Fernandez proposed. “If you find her, you will not live to share her secrets with anyone.”

Chapter Seven
     
    October 12, 2:45 a.m.
     
    “We’ll take the truck.” Levi strode in that direction as he spoke. He’d checked and the gas gauge was close to full, unlike the other vehicle which had less than half a tank. The sooner they were out of here, the better he would feel. No matter that they had taken all three of the men’s cell phones and there was no house phone, he couldn’t count on Fernandez’s word that a call wouldn’t be made as soon as one or all were loose.
    “I’ll get the truck,” Casey said, rushing ahead of him. “Disable the Jeep. Fernandez may have another set of keys we don’t know about.”
    Changing directions, Levi agreed, “Good idea.” The lady continued to impress him. Good thing the Jeep was an older model because he was no mechanic. Since most of his college buddies had driven older vehicles and pranks were often a rite of passage, Levi knew exactly how to do this and no tools were needed. He ripped out the plug wires and the coil wire to the distributor cap, just to make it a little more complicated. Either one would have done the trick. Getting parts at this hour wouldn’t be easy, particularly out here.
    He tossed the wires into the bed of the truck and started to climb into the driver’s seat. Casey had already taken that position.
    “I’ll drive.”
    He gave her a nod and hustled around to the other side. “Where we headed?”
    “Back to the hotel.” She shoved the gearshift into Drive and roared down the dirt road. “I’ll grab my stuff.” She pointed to the bench seat where her purse sat between them. “They went through my bag but everything seems to be there, including my credit cards.”
    Levi was about to suggest