Page 85 of No More Lies

“I know. I just missed you.”

“Are you coming to get me?”

“Soon, Pumpkin.”

“Ok. I’m making you and Mommy a picture.”

“Yeah? I can’t wait to see it. I’ll see you in a little while OK?”

“OK, Daddy. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Megan.” He ended the call and dropped his head as relief swept through him.

Dale called back moments later and Steve listened as Sam filled him in. Dex and Donnie remained beside him, their silent support appreciated. For two terrifying minutes his worst nightmare had come true. Hell, he knew there were risks with his job, not just to him but to his family, too. But Diane’s job? He’d never seen this coming, and while his daughter might be safe, his wife wasn’t. She was out there alone, facing that son of a bitch, thinking he’d failed her by not keeping their daughter safe.

The thought of her being anywhere near Volkov was enough to pull himself out of his pity party flat spin. Knowing what he knew now, he understood why Diane had gone. She was a mother and would do anything to protect their daughter, even risking her own life. But she hadn't shut him out completely. She’d left the note. It wasn’t much, but it was something. They’d worked with less. It was time to do what he did best and rescue his wife. Channeling his fear into determination, Steve raised his head and met Sam’s eyes.

“What now? Diane thinks he has Megan, believes we lied about keeping her safe. How the hell did he know Megan wasn't here?”

“He must have had eyes on this house,” Sam said, “or the school. We will step up security on her just in case.”

He shook his head. “Fuck, he might be cleaning up loose ends. Diane knows too much about his business, was asking questions. He will kill her and the lawyer, maybe even Natasha too. Then disappear with Anya.”

“If he wanted them dead,” Sam said firmly, “they’d already be dead. He obviously has a plan.”

“We’ll do whatever it takes to get all the hostages out alive,” Dex said, facing Steve. “He lured Diane there for a reason. We need to work out why.”

Steve took a deep breath and nodded. Dex was right, this is what they did. There was no one better than them.

“Nyx are checking on Diane’s car,” Sam said. “Then they will take over securing the sarin. Raven will take Volkov and get Diane and the hostages back. Let’s start with the pictures he sent. See if there are any clues as to where they are.” He turned into his phone. “Dale, let us know if you get any hits on the Escalade.”

Steve braced against the table. His wife was in danger, had gone there believing he’d let her down, and failed her by not protecting Megan. It made him sick to his stomach she would think that, but hell, the picture. Fuck, even he had believed it.

“It makes no sense,” Tyler said, addressing no one in particular. “He took Natasha and her lawyer. He has hostages. Why take Diane now?” He asked, “Taking all of them, seems a little extreme, doesn’t it?

Steve listened as the team debated Volkov's actions. He was a father. While he did not condone what Volkov was doing, he did understand the love a father has for their child, and that there was nothing a loving father wouldn't do for them. Steve didn’t doubt Volkov loved his daughter very much. Desperate people did desperate things, and while he might not understand why he’d taken Diane, Steve suspected she was a part of some desperate new plan.

Volkov thought his money, his connections, and his Russian citizenship gave him all the power he needed to do whatever was required to be with his daughter and get away with it. His ego was out of control, though, and far too many innocent people’s lives were at stake.

“Steve?” Sam’s voice brought him back to the conversation. “We have his planes under surveillance. He is on the no-fly list.”

Steve nodded, not trusting his voice.

When they got Diane back, because they had to get her back, he was going to tell her every damn day how much he loved her and do whatever she wanted to make her happy. Whatever that entailed, he was on board. Nothing else mattered anymore. His family were more important than his job, or even his life.

“Dex, a quick word before we roll out,” Sam said.

The two of them walked out onto Steve’s deck. He would knock down every fucking door in this city to find Diane, if that’s what it took. Volkov was about to find out just what lengths Steve would go to, to protect his family.

Dex was back in a couple of minutes, while Sam was still outside on the phone. Steve looked at his boss, recognizing a look he’d seen too many times before.

“Please don’t tell me I’m staying here.”

“You’re not,” Dex said, then faced the team. “Washington wants Volkov alive. They are very concerned about the extent of his involvement with Reborn, with his company having military contracts around the world. They need him alive to find out if he really is just a transporter. Or, if this is deeper, with Reborn supporters embedded in the military, and how deep Russia’s involvement is with Reborn. The hostages come first, but we work this with the intent of bringing Volkov in alive. Understood?”

All the team voiced their acknowledgment, except Steve.

“There are no guarantees, boss.”