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ID, you idiot.”
    “I got the girl right here.” Blake’s smooth, deep voice had transformed into a thin drawl. “Where’s my money?”
    “You don’t get paid until she’s with me. You didn’t hurt her, did you?”
    “She don’t like the handcuffs, but she’s fine. Real fine and real pretty.”
    “Is she blindfolded? I told you to blindfold her.”
    “You bet she is,” Blake said. “You want to talk to her?”
    “Yes.” The response was terse, almost a reprimand.
    Blake held the phone toward her and said, “Go ahead, Emily.”
    Sarah tried to imagine how her friend would feel if she’d been captured. Emily wouldn’t be crying; she was tougher than that. But she would be frightened. Putting a quiver in her throat, Sarah said, “Please, please, help me. If it’s a ransom you want, my father will pay. He’ll pay anything.”
    “Are you injured?”
    “I’m scared,” Sarah said. That wasn’t a total lie. “You’ve got to help me.”
    Blake gave her a thumbs-up sign as he pulled the phone back. “Now you’ve heard her. Where do I bring her to get my payoff?”
    “Come to the parking lot behind the Laughing Dog Saloon on the Bridge Road outside Carbondale. And make it quick. I expected to hear from you an hour ago.”
    “Well, ain’t that too bad. Me and the guys had a little drink to celebrate.”
    “Don’t bring your crew. Just you and the girl. Keep her blindfolded.”
    Blake disconnected the call, opened his car door and signaled to Kovak, who came toward them. Then he turned back toward Sarah. “Come with me.”
    “There’s something I need to tell you first.”
    “What’s that?”
    In the overhead light from the car, she noticed his dark stubble, a smear of dirt across his forehead and the glittering intensity in his blue eyes. The sleeve of his parka was wet from his struggle with the armed man. “I’m sorry for getting in the way,” she said. “I didn’t take the threat seriously enough.”
    The corner of his mouth lifted in a half grin. “I appreciate that. You did a good job talking to that guy.”
    His compliment warmed her, and she had the irrational notion of doing whatever it took to please him. “I won’t cause any more trouble.”
    Blake left the SUV to join Kovak, and Sarah followed. Standing in the forest between these two tall men, she felt as small as a mouse.
    Blake filled Kovak in on the phone call and continued, “I was hoping Farley’s employer would give us a specific place, like a hotel room, where we could walk up to the door and arrest him. Instead, he’s treating this situation like a hostage exchange, probably because he doesn’t want to take a chance on Farley getting close enough to get a good look at him.”
    “What about Emily?” Sarah said. “If he took her hostage, she’d be able to identify him.”
    “Bad luck for her,” Kovak said.
    “Maybe not,” Blake said. “He seemed concerned about her well-being and wanted her blindfolded. It’s hard to believe he intends to hurt her.”
    “Kidnapping is a serious crime,” Kovak said. “Even if the kidnapper isn’t a pro, he won’t want to leave a witness.”
    Sarah shuddered to think what might have happened if she and Emily hadn’t gotten away at the clearing. They hadn’t been prepared for danger. As trusting as Hansel and Gretel—or Gretel and Gretel—they’d followed a text message into the forest. Though she’d told Blake she was sorry, she couldn’t help blaming him for not warning them.
    “We need a plan,” he said. “This might be our only chance to catch this guy.”
    “I can call for more backup,” Kovak said.
    “Not enough time. He expects Farley to show up soon.” Blake gave a decisive nod. “And that’s what we’ll do. I’ll take Farley’s van and wear a ski mask. Kovak, you follow at a distance in my SUV. We’ll keep in touch by phone. When I get close to the Laughing Dog, I’ll put in another call to this guy. I’ll distract him. You approach from