Lonnie, concerned for their safety, dispatched a small team of soldiers along with five armored vehicles to accompany them, prepared for any potential danger.
As heavy rain lashed down, a convoy of armored vehicles sped down the highway.
Nathan gripped his phone tighter, his efforts to contact Lucinda thwarted repeatedly by the out-of-service notification.
Lonnie displayed a screenshot of the GPS locator online.
Nathanâs gaze fixed on a small red dot on the map, clinging to the slim hope of finding his wife there.
âMr.
Payne.
â Lonnie, behind the wheel, looked at Nathan via the rearview mirror, hesitant to speak further.
A N G E L A âs L I B R A R Y
âGo ahead.
â Nathanâs response was clipped.
âIn the early part of the night, we only managed to track down Mrs.
Payneâs location once.
I suspect thereâs a snag.
By the time we arrive at the highway near Cliffhigh, itâs likely all crucial clues will have vanished.
â
Nathanâs lips were a firm line, his jaw clenched as he grappled with his anxiety.
âNo need for small talk.
Get in touch with the border police near Cliffhigh right away.
They are less than ten minutes away from the location.
Lock down the Cliffhigh highway.
Ensure not even a bird can escape,â Nathan instructed sternly.
âYes, sir.
â
While driving with one hand, Lonnie adeptly managed his Bluetooth earpiece with his free hand to pass on Nathanâs commands to the local officer.
The relentless rain continued to pour.
Approaching Cliffhigh highway, Nathan peered through the rain-drenched window, subtly checking for any scent of smoke on himself.
âLonnie, can you tell if I smell like smoke?â
Lonnie shook his head.
âSir, this is tricky for me.
Iâm a smoker myself, so itâs hard to tell.
But I donât think it smells much different from usual.
â
There seemed no point in further questions.
The armored vehicle was roomy, filled with not only weapons but also emergency gear.
Nathan lifted a set of dark green military clothes from a wooden crate, switched off the vehicleâs overhead lights, and swiftly changed into the uniform.
Every so often, Lonnieâs eyes wandered in the rearview mirror, catching sight of Nathanâs well-defined chest and abs in the subdued Lighting.
No wonder Lucinda loved his boss so much; Nathan had such a sexy figure.
âStop staring, or do you want a day blindfolded as a target at the training grounds?â Nathanâs quiet, controlled voice interrupted the silence.
This was no time for jokes.
With his wife missing, Nathanâs thoughts were consumed with urgency.
Lonnie, feeling a shiver run down his spine, quickly focused back on the road.
Within minutes, Nathan adeptly switched his attire, buttoning up with ease in the dim car light, his eyes red and puffy from distress.