Free Running on Empty by Christy Reece Page A

damaged young woman to a mature, finely tuned, lethal agent. There’s not a finer or more dedicated professional alive. Working for you, Mr. McCall, may have saved her sanity.”
    “I didn’t come here to be convinced of my operative’s professionalism or strength. I’m aware of that. I came here because you seemed to have a means to find her. If that’s not the case, then you’re no help to me or her.”
    A dry chuckle emerged. “Forgive me, son. I have a tendency to go down memory lane a little too often these days.” He nodded. “Yes, I do have the means to find Sabrina. In fact, I’m waiting on a call about her location any moment.”
    “You know who took her?”
    “There are numerous people who would like to get their hands on her, so the suspect list is quite long. However, I don’t know who has her or why.”
    “Then how can you pinpoint her location?”
    “She has a locating device in her arm.”
    “You tagged her?”
    “With her permission, of course. We tag all EDJE employees for their protection. When she left, I offered to remove it, as we always do for departing agents. However, Sabrina knew she would always be a high-value target. She trusted me enough to keep the locator device active. I’m the only person who knows that she still has hers. Official records indicate that it was removed.”
    “That’s why she gave me your phone number and code.”
    “Yes.” He smiled. “We’ve always had a good relationship. Most Agency employees called me Albert, but Sabrina always called me Uncle Al.
    “I retired last year, but Sabrina and I still chat from time to time. Even though it pained me to no end when she left us, I understood her reasoning. Taking lives can destroy a person’s soul, no matter how rotten that life might have been. Of course, Declan saw the damage long before I did.” He shook his head. “Never seen anything like those two. They could read each other better than most people can read books.”
    Albert’s gaze went unfocused as he reminisced. “Sabrina was twenty, but in many ways still just a child when she came to us. And though we have numerous female agents, Sabrina was like a daughter to me. And, of course, Declan was as dear to me as my own children. When they fell in love…it just seemed like it was a perfect match.
    “Did you ever meet Declan, Mr. McCall?”
    “No,” Noah said. “Never had the privilege.”
    “Finest man I knew. Losing him was like losing a part of my family. In fact, he—”
    Hoping to divert Albert’s journey down memory lane again, Noah opened his mouth to suggest that the man call his people again to see if they had a location on Sabrina. A cell phone chimed in Albert’s pocket, stopping him.
    The friendly, charming smile disappeared, and a cold, deadly look entered Albert’s eyes. As he answered the phone with a clipped “Yes,” the older man’s expression went rock hard. This was the man who had trained assassins and been in charge of deadly operations. 
    Albert listened for a full minute before speaking. Noah was transfixed by the incredible transformation in the man’s demeanor. No doubt about it, in his younger years, Albert Marks would have been a helluva an agent.
    The older man pocketed his phone. “We have her location. Now, let me ask you, Mr. McCall, do your people have what it takes to rescue Sabrina?”
    “Without a doubt.”
    “And the people who took her…can you capture them?”
    “Of course.”
    “Excellent. I’d like to have them brought to me. I’ll text you a location.” The affable, charming smile reappeared. “I’ll handle it from there.”
    Having seen both sides of Albert Marks, Noah realized every expression he had revealed and each word he had uttered had all been chosen for a reason. This man, whoever the hell he was, was both impressive as all get-out and scary as hell.
     
    Coley Spring, Idaho
    Strong, hard hands bit into her shoulders and shook her awake. Sabrina blinked her heavy eyelids