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group, taking in details, searching for any weak spots. The giant stood in front of her and quietly assessed her with brown eyes. Jo forced her own emotions down and set her face into just a calm mask. He reached towards her and lifted her duffle bag off her shoulder. It was tossed to someone behind him as he continued to observe her.
    “Are you Jolene Benate?”
    The tone of his voice said he believed she was. Jolene didn’t feel like hiding behind silence. “That’s me.”
    “You will accompany me, ma’am.”
    His face remained set as he stretched out one huge hand and closed his grip about her biceps. Using his hold on her body, the giant pulled her forward and out of the room. Jo matched pace with him because he pulled on her wound, sending pain blazing though her. Sweat popped out on her forehead as she gritted her teeth.
    As the interior of the safe house passed in a blur, she noticed Kent’s team backed up against the far wall, their expressions as lethal as the guns leveled on them. The giant walked at a steady stride that had Jo scrambling to remain alongside him. As soon as they cleared the front door of the home, their destination became clear. In the center of the city street sat three Hummers. The sun had set, but despite the darkness Jo could clearly pick out the curious residents who had been drawn out of their homes by the military-looking vehicles. The green and brown paint on their Hummers wasn’t buffed and shiny. Instead it was rough, just like her escort. That sent an alarm bell ringing through her brain. These were real hunters, the sort that lived and breathed the dangerous lifestyle. Their concentration level was amazing, each set of eyes scanning, moving and never hesitating. As she was pulled to the back door of one of the Hummers, the soldier watching her held a small black box of some sort up. His eyes moved from it to her face and back again.
    “Package secured.”
    She stared at him, trying to absorb what he meant. He hooked the black box onto his belt before his fingers resumed a position over the trigger of his rifle. The giant escorting her let out a whistle as his grip reduced itself to nothing more than a hold designed to keep her in place. Still, the pain blazing through her threatened to buckle her knees. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip and forced herself to remain on her feet.
    The rear door of one of the Hummers was abruptly pulled open mere inches from her face.
    “Inside, ma’am.” The giant was caging her, using the open door of the Hummer to give her no option but the interior of the vehicle.
    Jo took in the set look on his face. “Or what?”
    A hint of an expression crossed his features. His fingers unlatched from her arm as he folded his arm over his rifle. Muscle bulged out, making him look even bigger.
    “Or I’ll be happy to lend you assistance with loading up, ma’am.”
    Climb aboard or be loaded. As much as she detested the idea of assisting with her own abduction, she was more reluctant to find herself hoisted into that vehicle like a piece of cargo. “Who are you?”
    One hand uncrossed and directed her towards the open door. “Now, ma’am.”
    She hissed at his ultrapolite request but lifted a foot to brace on the side step of the Hummer. The door was firmly closed seconds after she cleared it. The three other doors opened to admit the other men who had been in the company of the giant. The man who climbed into the seat next to Jo paid her little notice. His face was set into a firm expression of purpose. Her door opened once more as another man climbed right in. She scooted into the center seat to avoid being sat on. The man didn’t give her any attention, simply gripped the roof handrail and blocked the door with his body, sandwiching her.
    The Hummer made a sharp U-turn before the driver moved away from her safe house. Kent was standing on the driveway with a furious expression on his face. A little wave of pity stirred for the deputy, because