Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
J asmine looked like she was about to collapse. Huge, frantic eyes locked onto his, filled with terror. “What if they find out? Oh, God, Patrick. They’ll kill him.”
“They won’t risk killing him until the attack is in motion,” Pat said firmly. What he didn’t add was that they’d have no use for him after that.
She swallowed hard, her breath coming in shallow gasps. He wanted—needed—to pull her into his arms, to steady her, to kiss the fear from her trembling lips. But he couldn’t. Not here. Not in front of everyone.
Blade came over. “You got something?”
He nodded. “A text message with proof of life.”
Jasmine showed him her phone.
“What should I do?” she whispered.
Pat nodded to the device in her hand. “Reply. Tell them you’re in hiding and you promise not to go to the police. That you just want your son back. That you’ll do whatever it takes.”
Jasmine’s entire body tensed. “What if they want to do an exchange. Me for Ryan?”
“No.” His tone left no room for argument. “They’d kill you.”
She sucked in a shuddering breath.
“Unless,” Blade interjected, “we use it to our advantage.”
Pat’s jaw clenched. “Using her as bait would be risky. If they suspect a trap, they could call off the attack. We’d lose our one shot at taking them down. And I’m not handing Jasmine over to them. Not when they already have Ryan.”
He didn’t need to elaborate. If they had no intention of letting the boy go, why the hell would they spare his mother?
Blade exhaled sharply. “So, how do you want to play it?”
“She texts them, plays the terrified mother in hiding. If they push for an exchange, she refuses. She says she’ll only show up once they release Ryan.”
Blade frowned. “They won’t fall for that.”
“They won’t release him anyway,” Pat said flatly.
Jasmine inhaled sharply, her body stiffening.
He turned to her, his tone softer. “The goal here is to convince them you’re scared, alone, and nowhere near law enforcement. That’s all we need right now. It’ll buy us time.”
She gave a small nod. “Okay. I’ll do it now.”
They watched as she typed the message.
Please don’t hurt Ryan. I promise I won’t go to the police. I just want my boy back. Amir, please don’t hurt him.
Pat nodded.
Jasmine hit SEND.
Pat sat at his desk, scanning his laptop, while she flipped through a magazine on the sofa, her fingers trembling as she turned the pages.
The minutes crawled by.
“When do you think he’ll reply?” Jasmine asked, her voice tight with uncertainty.
“I can’t say,” he said. “But we’ve already started running the number. If the phone is still active, we might get something.”
She sighed and set the magazine down.
Pat studied her. Struggling to keep it together, despite the nightmare she was living. It only solidified his respect for her. “Jasmine, you’re doing great. Stay strong.”
She gave a weak nod. “I’ll try.”
Giving in to the pull, he crossed the office in a few strides, then reached for her, gently pulling her to her feet.
“It’s going to be okay,” he murmured. It was the kind of promise he wouldn’t dare make unless he meant to damn well keep it.
Her lips parted, her breath hitching, but before she could say a word, he cupped the back of her head and kissed her. It wasn’t rushed, wasn’t desperate, just a slow, steady press of his lips against hers. A silent vow.
She melted into him, arms winding around his neck, her body molding against his like she belonged there.
When she pulled back, he tasted salt on her lips.
His heart clenched.
“Thank you, Patrick.” Her voice was thick with emotion. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Fuck. That look in her eyes—trust, hope, need—shook him to his core.
She wasn’t just leaning on him. She believed in him. And for the first time in years, he felt something shift inside him.
Something he hadn’t let himself feel in a long, long time.
“You won’t have to find out,” he said roughly. His hand cupped her cheek, thumb brushing away the tear that was sliding down her cheek. “I swear to you, Jasmine, Ryan is coming home.”
His voice dropped to a lethal growl.
“And as for Al-Jabiri, one way or another, I’m taking that son of a bitch down.”
“Boss?” Anna poked her head into the room.
Pat released Jasmine, as she hurriedly swiped at her eyes.
“The phone number’s a burner. We couldn’t get anything else off it. There were no call records.”
Fuck.
He’d been hoping it would lead to the other bombers, but that would have been too easy. Al-Jabiri knew what his was doing.
“We’re still trying to get a trace on the phone’s last location.”
He nodded. “Thanks, Anna.”
She left, closing the door discreetly behind her.
It didn’t stay shut for long. Blade came in with an update from the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division.
“They found the Toyota Corolla abandoned near L'Enfant Plaza Station. Agents are combing through platform and security footage for any sign of Ryan or his captors.”
Pat frowned. That didn’t make sense. “They wouldn’t risk taking him on a train. There are too many cameras and it’s too exposed.”
Blade agreed. “They’re holed up somewhere, waiting for new transport or orders from Al-Jabiri. He won’t risk bringing Ryan to his house. Not now he knows he’s under surveillance.”
Pat turned to Jasmine. “Don’t worry. He’s safe for now.”
She let out a shaky breath, her hands clenching in her lap.
“Boss, I’ve got an update from Phoenix,” came Anna’s voice from the main office. Pat and Blade, followed by Jasmine, assembled around her desk.
“Both Al-Jabiri and Riad haven’t left the property all day. Same with the Waheed brothers. But they’ve been on the phone constantly.”
“Getting ready for Saturday,” Blade muttered. “We still have four unidentified bombers.”
Pat turned to Jasmine. “Think back. Are you sure Al-Jabiri never met with anyone else?”
She shook her head. “No one ever came to the house. They went out every morning, but I never knew where.”
“Columbia Heights,” Blade said. “We tracked him there once. He met the Waheed brothers in the park, but no one else.”
Jasmine frowned, her brows knitting together.
“Actually…” She trailed off, biting her lip.
Pat’s eyes sharpened. “What?”
She hesitated, then flushed. “I completely forgot. Amir and Rian did meet with someone else. At the station.”
“Who?” Pat and Blade demanded in unison.
“A woman.”
Pat’s pulse ticked up a notch as the adrenaline kicked in.
“I’ve never seen her before. It was only once, but… I think I could remember her face.”
Pat turned to Anna. “Pull up the watchlist database. Show Jasmine every female suspect with terror network ties. If she’s a major player, we might already have her on file.”
Jasmine gave a quick nod.
Anna led her away while Blade exhaled. “This woman could be the key to identifying the other four bombers.”
Pat nodded. “Let’s just hope she can pick her out.”
Blade’s expression darkened. “It’s a long shot.”
Pat gritted his teeth.
Right now, a long shot was all they had.