Flashback (Kendra Michaels #11)

Lynch took advantage of the break in smoke to quickly rappel down the next several feet, then he dropped the last few yards to the ravine floor. He scrambled toward the car and looked through the windows. The broken glass obscured his view from almost every angle, but as he peered through the passenger side window, he spotted a figure slumped on the floor.

Todd Williams.

And he was breathing. Just barely.

Lynch threw open the door and leaned inside. Williams was covered in blood and bruises. Many of his wounds looked as if they came from beatings and instruments of torture rather than an automobile accident.

Flames erupted over the car hood. No time to properly assess Williams’ injuries before moving him. Lynch gripped him under each arm and pulled him from the burning car, hoping the man hadn’t suffered a spinal cord injury. Williams moaned.

Lynch pulled him another few yards away and knelt beside him. “What happened? Tell me.”

Williams coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“I need you to talk to me,” Lynch said. “Who did this to you?”

Williams struggled to form words. The only sounds came from the back of his throat. “Don’t… know. Wanted Chloe… and Slo…” His voice trailed off.

“Chloe and Sloane?” Lynch asked.

Williams managed a faint nod.

“Whoever did this… thought you knew where to find them?”

Williams became even more glassy-eyed. “Chloe… Sloane… In danger.”

“They’re alive?”

“Chloe and Sloane… know.”

Williams wore a vacant expression. For all Lynch knew, the man could have been reliving a memory from years before.

“What do they know? Tell me.”

Williams’ eyes fluttered.

“Stay with me.” Lynch leaned close. “Is this about the Dayton Group?”

This snapped Williams back into focus. He looked at Lynch with a surprised expression. “You know?”

“Not enough. Help us. What is that?”

A thin line of blood ran from Williams’ left nostril. His breath grew labored and raspy. “I tried… to get away. They found me, tried to make me tell… I wouldn’t. No way, no how. Lynch… talk to your old boss. Griffin. I think he can tell you more. More than he ever told me…”

Lynch could see that Williams was drifting again, losing focus. He’d seen enough dying men to know the end was near. “We’re trying to help Chloe and Sloane. If they’re alive, you need to help us find them.”

Williams managed a smile. “They’re safe. Very safe… They’re in Neptune’s eye.”

“What?”

Williams mumbled something unintelligible.

“Neptune’s eye? What is that?” Lynch tried to quash his growing impatience. “Give me more. Please. It’s important.”

But Williams was gone.

The fire crackled over and around the car behind them, almost completely burned out. Lynch stood. He’d been bracing for an explosion, but as with most car fires he’d seen, it just ended with a whimper, leaving behind a smoldering heap of ash and metal.

He heard a chopping sound up above. A red-and-white fire rescue helicopter roared overhead, and he could see that the crew had already started deploying the harness and tether rig.