Before I could answer, Micah’s truck pulled into the drive too fast.
He got out holding his phone.
“Enrique just took Josie.”
### Part 10
Josie had left the police station against advice.
That was the part I could not forgive first.
Not the old failures. Not Darren. Not the bruises she explained away. Those were deep wounds, but this one was fresh stupidity. She had evidence, enemies, and a son recovering from terror, and still she thought she could go home for clothes.
Enrique took her in the driveway.
A neighbor saw a white van. No plates. Two men. Josie fought hard enough to leave a shoe behind.
Jacob heard Micah say it.
His face went white.
“Mom?”
I knelt in front of him. “I’m going to bring her back.”
“Promise?”
Promises are dangerous when other people have guns.
But he was nine.
“I promise.”
Bea took him inside. I heard him crying through the door and felt every sound like a hook under my ribs.
Micah and I drove back toward the city with Detective Ramos on speaker. For once, nobody wasted breath telling me to stay out of it.
“Enrique called,” Ramos said. “Asked for safe passage and cash. Says he’ll trade Josie and files he took from Maurice.”
“He took her for leverage.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Not set yet. He wants you there.”
Of course he did.
Men like Enrique believed every story had one central man. Kill that man, own the story. He did not understand that Jacob was the center. Always had been.
Liliana called next.
“Nathan, if you go to a ransom meet with police involved, you follow instructions.”
“If police had contained this, Josie wouldn’t be in a van.”
“That may be true. It does not make you bulletproof.”
I looked out at the wet highway.
“No. It just makes me motivated.”
The call came at sunset. Enrique’s voice was thin and fast.
“Bring the drive. Bring fifty grand. No cops. Riverside packing plant. One hour.”
