Read Online CrossFire (Love & Lies #1) by Alex Strong - Free Book Online
Authors: Alex Strong
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across their chests. But one man was dressed in a tailored gray suit that matched his eyes, and if he had a gun on him, it was hidden. She was set on a hard chair and the gray suit moved towards her.
“ Otrymaty ïy̆ vody,” he snapped.
Someone brought him a glass of water and he kneeled in front of her. He lifted the glass to her lips, and Jillian drank from it with his help. She hadn’t realized how parched her mouth was and took the glasses with both hands, finishing it without assistance.
“Better, Miss Sandro?” the gray suit asked in a thick accent and she nodded.
“How do you know my name?” she asked. “What do you want with me?”
“All in due time. Come. We are going for a little ride.”
Someone helped Jillian to her feet. She was still unsteady, but could feel the strength slowly returning to her body.
A silver Mercedes was parked outside, and she and the gray suit climbed in the back with two of the armed men in front while the other two got into a dark SUV. A simple black cell phone lay on the back seat and Jillian looked at it questioningly.
“I am expecting a call from a mutual acquaintance of ours any minute now,” said her abductor.
Jillian couldn’t fathom who they possibly had in common.
“What do you mean she never came home last night?” Reid asked Jacob. “She left my place around ten last night.”
Jacob shook his head. “I stayed up until midnight, but she never came home. I’ve been trying to call her cell phone, but she’s not answering.”
This didn’t make sense to Reid. He saw her walk out the front door. She’d had no wallet, so it wasn’t likely she would have gone anywhere else but home. So then what happened in the fifty feet from his house to hers?
“I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation, Mr. Sandro. But I’ll see what I can find out and you let me know if you hear from her.”
Jacob nodded, but didn’t look convinced.
“Don’t worry,” said Reid. “I’m sure she’s safe.”
As Reid walked back to his house, he pulled out his phone and dialed Aaron.
“If you’re calling to apologize—” Aaron started, but Reid cut him off.
“She’s gone missing, Wells.”
“What do you mean missing? How do you misplace a whole woman?”
“She left my house last night and apparently never made it home.”
“Maybe you scared her off,” said Aaron, but Reid was only half listening. Something sitting on the front porch caught his attention.
“If you ask me,” continued Aaron, “it’s for the best.”
“Shut up, Wells. I’m going to have to call you back.” Reid hung up on his protests and collected the cell phone sitting on his mat. He looked around. This hadn’t been sitting here when he left the house just minutes ago.
Reid walked into the house, examining the phone. It was very basic, most likely a burner. He checked the contacts and found a single number saved. Reid dialed it. After the fourth ring it picked up, but there was only silence on the other end.
“Hello,” he said.
“Reid?” said a quiet voice.
“Jillian?”
“Reid! What’s going—” She was cut off.
“Jillian!”
“Hello, Agent Jackson.” The new voice was heavily accented. Reid recognized it as Russian. No. Ukrainian.
“Who the hell is this?” Reid asked.
“I still need those codes, Mr. Jackson.”
“Casimir?”
“Very good,” said Casimir.
“I don’t have those codes.”
“If you ever want to see your lovely friend again,” Casimir told him, “you will get them.”
Reid was as confused as ever. How the hell did Casimir even know to go after Jillian?
“Even if I could get them,” said Reid, “what makes you think I would hand them over for her? She’s just my neighbor.”
“We both know that she is more to you than just a neighbor. But, if that is how you feel… Shall I put a bullet in her brain now?” Reid heard a gasp from Jillian in the background and closed his eyes. “Or would you like to put her father on the
“ Otrymaty ïy̆ vody,” he snapped.
Someone brought him a glass of water and he kneeled in front of her. He lifted the glass to her lips, and Jillian drank from it with his help. She hadn’t realized how parched her mouth was and took the glasses with both hands, finishing it without assistance.
“Better, Miss Sandro?” the gray suit asked in a thick accent and she nodded.
“How do you know my name?” she asked. “What do you want with me?”
“All in due time. Come. We are going for a little ride.”
Someone helped Jillian to her feet. She was still unsteady, but could feel the strength slowly returning to her body.
A silver Mercedes was parked outside, and she and the gray suit climbed in the back with two of the armed men in front while the other two got into a dark SUV. A simple black cell phone lay on the back seat and Jillian looked at it questioningly.
“I am expecting a call from a mutual acquaintance of ours any minute now,” said her abductor.
Jillian couldn’t fathom who they possibly had in common.
“What do you mean she never came home last night?” Reid asked Jacob. “She left my place around ten last night.”
Jacob shook his head. “I stayed up until midnight, but she never came home. I’ve been trying to call her cell phone, but she’s not answering.”
This didn’t make sense to Reid. He saw her walk out the front door. She’d had no wallet, so it wasn’t likely she would have gone anywhere else but home. So then what happened in the fifty feet from his house to hers?
“I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation, Mr. Sandro. But I’ll see what I can find out and you let me know if you hear from her.”
Jacob nodded, but didn’t look convinced.
“Don’t worry,” said Reid. “I’m sure she’s safe.”
As Reid walked back to his house, he pulled out his phone and dialed Aaron.
“If you’re calling to apologize—” Aaron started, but Reid cut him off.
“She’s gone missing, Wells.”
“What do you mean missing? How do you misplace a whole woman?”
“She left my house last night and apparently never made it home.”
“Maybe you scared her off,” said Aaron, but Reid was only half listening. Something sitting on the front porch caught his attention.
“If you ask me,” continued Aaron, “it’s for the best.”
“Shut up, Wells. I’m going to have to call you back.” Reid hung up on his protests and collected the cell phone sitting on his mat. He looked around. This hadn’t been sitting here when he left the house just minutes ago.
Reid walked into the house, examining the phone. It was very basic, most likely a burner. He checked the contacts and found a single number saved. Reid dialed it. After the fourth ring it picked up, but there was only silence on the other end.
“Hello,” he said.
“Reid?” said a quiet voice.
“Jillian?”
“Reid! What’s going—” She was cut off.
“Jillian!”
“Hello, Agent Jackson.” The new voice was heavily accented. Reid recognized it as Russian. No. Ukrainian.
“Who the hell is this?” Reid asked.
“I still need those codes, Mr. Jackson.”
“Casimir?”
“Very good,” said Casimir.
“I don’t have those codes.”
“If you ever want to see your lovely friend again,” Casimir told him, “you will get them.”
Reid was as confused as ever. How the hell did Casimir even know to go after Jillian?
“Even if I could get them,” said Reid, “what makes you think I would hand them over for her? She’s just my neighbor.”
“We both know that she is more to you than just a neighbor. But, if that is how you feel… Shall I put a bullet in her brain now?” Reid heard a gasp from Jillian in the background and closed his eyes. “Or would you like to put her father on the
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