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Authors: Tamara Hart Heiner
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necklace is worth two million. We only got a handful at the jewelry store before the girls created a distraction, but I think we pulled a quarter of a million there."
"It's in the safe?"
"As soon as we got here."
Truman nodded. "Good." He paused, letting his thoughts wander. "I have no idea how much I'll be able to get for the girls. I've never done anything like this." There were lines he’d told himself he'd never cross, yet here he was. "I want a million for each. Three million total."
"That's a bit high, Boss. Even the best markets usually only pay half a million for each girl."
That hardly seemed worth it. He could make that much in a few jewelry raids. But Sid rolled in the dough, with vacation homes across the world. How did he find his girls, and where did he sell them? Truman didn't want to know. "But one is the Carnicero ’s daughter, right? Two million for the three girls."
Claber leaned forward. "And where are we getting the other millions?"
Truman stiffened his jaw to keep from grimacing. If he had a year, he could bring that money in, easy. But a month? Less? He wasn't sure it was possible. "I don't know. McAllister's getting impatient. I’m not sure he'll give me the full time to find it."
"And if he doesn't?" Claber asked softly.
"I'm planning an escape route. If we leave here, we split up. You'll take a contingency and I'll take one. We'll liquidate everything we have as quickly as possible, then rendezvous somewhere far away." Somewhere unreachable. "I'll give you the full details when I have them."
Claber leaned back, his green eyes thoughtful. "We could kidnap more girls. It wasn't hard."
Truman stood up, angered by Claber’s crassness. "No. That's not what I do." I'm not one of them. "We're doing four raids this week. Get teams of three men each together. I want the raids done at the same time. No time for the stores to tip each other off."
"Where?"
"Stay away from Texas and Idaho. Do the Midwest. It's been awhile."
"Kentucky it is." Claber lifted out of his chair. "Did you want me to find a way to contact the Carnicero ?"
"Yes. Lure him out of hiding. In fact." Truman tapped his chin. Did he dare dangle a ransom in front of the Carnicero ? This man was notorious for finding and annihilating the most secretive of operations. A ransom might simply make Truman a bigger target.
Or it might get him the money he needed. "Let's wait to see what Sid offers me. And then we’ll triple it and ask for it as ransom. No, quadruple it. If the Carnicero wants his daughter, he'll pay for her."
"Assuming he wants her."
"Yes." Truman narrowed his eyes. "Assuming."
#
Truman opened his tablet, updating his file sheets with information about the raids and the money they'd brought in. This was a business, after all, and he kept organized records.
The girls must still be cleaning. He hadn't seen them since the night before, and he'd given Claber orders to manage them all day. But it was time to meet with them. He owed them an explanation.
He stepped out of his office and hesitated. What role should he take with them? The kind, sympathetic, accidental kidnapper? Or the harsh "tough-luck" kind of guy?
He wandered into the game room, where several men spread out on couches, sleeping. He had to expect that, since he kept them up in the night traveling or planning raids.
"Grey." Truman tapped Grey's foot with his own, waking the man.
"Hmm?" Grey sat up, rubbing his pale eyes. "Boss. What is it?"
"I need you to prepare a formal dinner for tonight."
Grey blinked several times, stretching his arms behind his shoulders. "Okay. How many guests?"
"Four." Truman paused, then said, "The girls you kidnapped, and me."
That got Grey's attention. He dropped his arms, jaw gaping open. "You're going to eat dinner with them?"
Truman held his gaze, keeping his eyes stern. "Yes. And a nice one."
Grey inhaled and shoved his fingers though his wavy brown hair. "I'm not trying to say you shouldn't. But it might be a
"It's in the safe?"
"As soon as we got here."
Truman nodded. "Good." He paused, letting his thoughts wander. "I have no idea how much I'll be able to get for the girls. I've never done anything like this." There were lines he’d told himself he'd never cross, yet here he was. "I want a million for each. Three million total."
"That's a bit high, Boss. Even the best markets usually only pay half a million for each girl."
That hardly seemed worth it. He could make that much in a few jewelry raids. But Sid rolled in the dough, with vacation homes across the world. How did he find his girls, and where did he sell them? Truman didn't want to know. "But one is the Carnicero ’s daughter, right? Two million for the three girls."
Claber leaned forward. "And where are we getting the other millions?"
Truman stiffened his jaw to keep from grimacing. If he had a year, he could bring that money in, easy. But a month? Less? He wasn't sure it was possible. "I don't know. McAllister's getting impatient. I’m not sure he'll give me the full time to find it."
"And if he doesn't?" Claber asked softly.
"I'm planning an escape route. If we leave here, we split up. You'll take a contingency and I'll take one. We'll liquidate everything we have as quickly as possible, then rendezvous somewhere far away." Somewhere unreachable. "I'll give you the full details when I have them."
Claber leaned back, his green eyes thoughtful. "We could kidnap more girls. It wasn't hard."
Truman stood up, angered by Claber’s crassness. "No. That's not what I do." I'm not one of them. "We're doing four raids this week. Get teams of three men each together. I want the raids done at the same time. No time for the stores to tip each other off."
"Where?"
"Stay away from Texas and Idaho. Do the Midwest. It's been awhile."
"Kentucky it is." Claber lifted out of his chair. "Did you want me to find a way to contact the Carnicero ?"
"Yes. Lure him out of hiding. In fact." Truman tapped his chin. Did he dare dangle a ransom in front of the Carnicero ? This man was notorious for finding and annihilating the most secretive of operations. A ransom might simply make Truman a bigger target.
Or it might get him the money he needed. "Let's wait to see what Sid offers me. And then we’ll triple it and ask for it as ransom. No, quadruple it. If the Carnicero wants his daughter, he'll pay for her."
"Assuming he wants her."
"Yes." Truman narrowed his eyes. "Assuming."
#
Truman opened his tablet, updating his file sheets with information about the raids and the money they'd brought in. This was a business, after all, and he kept organized records.
The girls must still be cleaning. He hadn't seen them since the night before, and he'd given Claber orders to manage them all day. But it was time to meet with them. He owed them an explanation.
He stepped out of his office and hesitated. What role should he take with them? The kind, sympathetic, accidental kidnapper? Or the harsh "tough-luck" kind of guy?
He wandered into the game room, where several men spread out on couches, sleeping. He had to expect that, since he kept them up in the night traveling or planning raids.
"Grey." Truman tapped Grey's foot with his own, waking the man.
"Hmm?" Grey sat up, rubbing his pale eyes. "Boss. What is it?"
"I need you to prepare a formal dinner for tonight."
Grey blinked several times, stretching his arms behind his shoulders. "Okay. How many guests?"
"Four." Truman paused, then said, "The girls you kidnapped, and me."
That got Grey's attention. He dropped his arms, jaw gaping open. "You're going to eat dinner with them?"
Truman held his gaze, keeping his eyes stern. "Yes. And a nice one."
Grey inhaled and shoved his fingers though his wavy brown hair. "I'm not trying to say you shouldn't. But it might be a
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