Page 14 of Illusive
Gideon felt it like a bullet. “How close are we?” he asked tightly.
“The team on foot is making better headway than Angus is with traffic. Two blocks.” Passing the tablet over to the commissioner, Victor continued, “If they cross into New Jersey, we’ll need to loop in the FBI. If we don’t find her within twenty-four hours, they’ll step in regardless.”
“We’re setting up checkpoints on the bridges,” the commissioner said. “We’ll inspect any vehicle matching the description."
There was no denying that Gideon’s prominence was a double-edged sword. It both made him a target and granted him the privilege of an escalated, elevated response.
Victor nodded with approval. “As you saw, there are at least three assailants. They were prepared, precise, and didn’t worry about witnesses. The grab was perfectly choreographed.”
“Like they do this sort of thing regularly,” Christopher offered quickly, straightening to his feet. “I was thinking ransom, but you’re thinking traffickers?”
“Like they anticipated her rounding to attack,” Victor corrected, “and were prepared to neutralize her.”
Another knock sounded at the door. The commissioner waved off Gideon to answer it herself, revealing two NYPD detectives in plain clothes waiting in the reception area. She exited the office to speak with them.
“There’s that viral video of her and Boudreaux,” Eva reminded her father, referring to a clip of the two sparring at Parker Smith’s Krav Maga studio presently making the rounds on social media. She swallowed hard, and her eyes darkened with self-reproach as she glanced at Gideon. “And the new body lotion campaign. She’s plastered on billboards across the nation.”
“What video?” Boudreaux asked brusquely, straightening away from the wall.
“That clip is only hours old,” Victor replied, “and she was filmed from behind. It’s unlikely it informed their approach. And the billboards are recent, too. While they’re provocative and Ireland is a beautiful woman, deciding to kidnap her based on that alone and then choosing to do so at a highly publicized, high-security event would be incompetent. These men are skilled.”
“What video?” Boudreaux demanded again.
Eva looked at him. “The one of Ireland kicking your ass.”
He stared blankly back at her, clearly unaware of his fifteen minutes of fame.
The commissioner rejoined them, no longer carrying the tablet. “Has your sister received any threats recently, Gideon? Do you know of anyone who might hold a grudge against her?”
“She had words with a man last Friday,” Boudreaux interjected. “His name was Graham. I didn’t catch the surname. He had a woman with him named Gail.”
Gideon glanced at him, startled. “She met with Graham Teller?”
Chris pivoted to face him. “She told you that?”
“I saw it.” Boudreaux’s face was impassive, but his eyes were hot with enmity as he looked at Chris. “He and I were in the same place when she confronted him and had him removed. It’s how we met.”
“You were with Graham Teller?” Chris snapped.
“That’s not what I said,” Boudreaux retorted.
“Removed?” Gideon asked sharply. “From one of my properties?”
Boudreaux simply inclined his head.
“And you are?” the mayor asked him.
“Involved with Ireland,” he prevaricated.
Chris made a low, aggressive sound in the back of his throat. “Don’t forget to mention thatyouare also a threat to her, McCaffrey. Boudreaux. Whatever your fucking name is today.”
Gideon was briefly shocked by Chris’s belligerence, then reflective.
“They’re both my name.” Boudreaux’s faint accent had deepened considerably as he continued speaking. “And I’m a threat toyou, Vidal. Ireland has been insulated from becoming collateral damage in any way.”
“No one can believe you,” Chris shot back. “Everything about you is suspect.”
“She believes me. And she’s the only one who matters.”
