Whispers in the Dark - Maya Banks [122]
Indecision rolled through Nathan. The last thing he wanted to do was make her suffer more, but he also needed to find out where the hell she was. Resnick was working on it. He had every available resource allocated to finding Shea. But damn it, things were moving way too slow for Nathan’s liking.
“Let him try, man,” Swanny said in a low voice. “We have to find her before it’s too late. We have no idea what those bastards are doing to her, and if it’s like you already said and she’s hanging on by just a thread, how much more can she take?”
Nathan glanced again at his brothers. Then at Steele and his team. Even Resnick and his team headed by the young Marine, Phillips. Everyone was tense. Ready to move at a moment’s notice. They were just waiting. Waiting for word, information, Shea’s location, so they could go in and kick ass.
It had been hours. While Resnick had gone to work pulling out every stop in his search for information, Nathan, Swanny, Joe and Steele’s team had scoured the streets of Charleston. They’d questioned people endlessly, until finally they’d hit pay dirt when an elderly man getting off a bus had mentioned seeing a young woman in extreme distress. He’d pointed them in the direction she’d gone, and from there, they canvassed a four-block radius until they’d found one witness who’d seen her getting into a black Toyota Avalon.
Resnick had pulled metro surveillance for that location, and sure enough, hours before, they saw a man forcing Shea into a vehicle. They’d even gotten a license plate number, which so far had yielded them exactly nothing.
“I don’t know, Joe. It’s…hard. You’ll feel what she feels. I don’t know how to prepare you for that.”
“Maybe not,” Joe argued. “You love her, man. You’re emotionally involved. What you feel for her and through her is magnified ten times. I like her, yeah, but I’m not in love with her. I don’t have the emotional connection to her that you have. Let me try at least. If I sense I’m causing her too much pain, I’ll break away immediately. That’s even assuming I can reach her. I don’t know how to do this shit.”
Nathan closed his eyes and breathed deep. Joe was right about one thing. They had to at least try. Whatever pain she endured leading them to her would be worth if it they could bring her safely home.
He’d failed to do the one thing he’d promised her. Keep her safe. It was an easy thing to promise. Something to make her feel safe. But they were just words, and he hadn’t been able to make that happen, even with the backing of KGI and his family.
Resnick was partially right. He, and his brothers, had no idea what they were dealing with. They were only just starting to understand, and they still didn’t have the entire picture.
Nathan put his hand on Joe’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Just focus on her. Think about her and remember what that pathway felt like. Then open your mind and call for her.”
Joe took a deep breath. “Okay then. I’m going to do it.”
Resnick stopped his pacing and moved in close to where Joe and Nathan stood with Swanny. Nathan’s lip curled in distaste, but Resnick was focused on Joe, watching as Joe drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Around them, the others leaned forward, some taking steps to get closer to Joe. There was intense curiosity but also determination on everyone’s faces. Quiet descended until the only sound that could be heard was breathing.
Joe sucked in his breath and then exhaled long and slow. He purposely blanked his mind in preparation. He didn’t want any distractions. This was important. Nathan was suffering. Shea was suffering. If he could somehow get through to Shea, then he could help them both.
He closed his eyes, and the rest of the room fell away. His awareness of the others became dim as he focused solely on that pathway to Shea. When he was completely relaxed and felt the sensation