At long last, all his plans had fallen into place and he had exactly what he needed to gain the cooperation of his target. His eyes slid to the man standing beside him. "Did you have any issues bringing them in?"

The man's smirk was slightly sly as if he was harboring a joke only he knew. "Hell no, it went down exactly as you predicted it would. The second I told them their precious daughter was in trouble they were very cooperative and came along quietly." He removed the state trooper's hat from his head. "This damn thing makes my head sweat, no idea how these guys manage it. Why couldn't I have used a spell to disguise myself?"

"I explained it to you, the woman has True Sight, she can see through magic, you idiot."

The guy shrugged and tossed the hat into the corner of the room. "What did these people do to piss you off anyway?"

"Nothing that concerns you." He glanced at the small monitor on the table beside him that showed the room where his prisoners were being held. "Risleigh can be difficult, you're certain he suspected nothing?"

"He's here ain't he? Don't get those expensive knickers of yours in a bind, everything worked out fine."

He straightened and sent the man a disgusted look. Paid help could become very annoying very quickly. If he could have accomplished the job himself he would have but Risleigh was clever, and he would have seen through any disguise he used no matter how good it seemed. And he wouldn't need his wife's True Sight to do it either." He pulled open the door and directed the man to exit. "I think it's time we took care of your compensation."

"Perfect then I can get the hell out of this uniform, it's damn uncomfortable.

He fell a step or two behind the man as he exited the room. "I'm quite certain that won't be an issue much longer," he replied, grabbed a fistful of the man's hair, yanked his head back, and slit his throat. It was a quick, practiced movement and accomplished in seconds. He released the man's body and let it slip to the floor. "Perhaps you should think about complaining less," he told the man as he stepped over the body. He had a phone call to make, the cleanup could wait.

He dialed as he walked to the door and waited for an answer. He grinned when her voice came on the line. "Brandissa Caulfield, I have your parents, and if you don't do as I say then I will kill them. There is something I need you to acquire for me. I'll email you the blueprints for the target's home, instructions on where the item is, and what it is you need to fetch for me. If you don't bring it to me within the allotted time then your parents will die."

"I'm not doing a damn thing for you unless I'm allowed to speak to them. I want proof that they're all right!"

There was a frantic edge to her voice, exactly what he'd expected. Her desire to see her parents released safely would motivate her to do as he asked. He held the phone out to the man guarding the door to the room. "She wants to speak to them. Make it quick and make sure they behave."

The man took the phone with a nod and entered the room. He held the phone out. "Speak to your daughter. If you try anything funny you'll regret it."

Risleigh snatched the phone from the guard. "Brandi?"

"Dad, are you all right?"

"We're fine, sweetheart, don't worry about us, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, what's going on, where are you? What's happening?"

"We're both fine. I don't know where we are, this guy showed up and told us you were in trouble—" Before he could finish, the guard snatched the phone from him and left the room. He went down the hallway to where his boss had gone to wait in the room with the monitor and handed him the phone.

"You've spoken to them, are you satisfied that they're all right?"

"Yes," she replied.

"You'll receive the email soon. You have until ten tomorrow evening to fetch my prize. Fail and they will die, I suggest you don't be tardy, my dear." He disconnected the call with a satisfied grin. She would jump through any hoop he dangled before her to make certain her parents were kept safe.

As for Treavor Davis, an evil little smile crossed his lips, the man would be beside himself when one of his precious little creations went missing.

He would get themboth and he would win. It was about damn time he had a win.