Private Royals

Chapter 27

In the lab of Private HQ, Hooligan turned in his chair to watch Knight pacing the room like a caged animal. ‘You want to be out there, mate,’ he stated to his friend and superior.

Knight shrugged. Of course he did, but he also knew that the Duke was their only tangible link to Abbie and her kidnapper, and Morgan had wanted him to be on hand to handle the next and final ransom call that was expected in nineteen minutes’ time. Knight was also the head of Private London, and sometimes — as much as he hated to admit it to himself — that meant delegating the tasks on the ground to others.

He told Hooligan as much.

‘Bollocks.’ The Londoner laughed, his tone quickly becoming serious as he saw the incoming call from Jack Morgan. ‘Go ahead, boss,’ Hooligan told him, patching Morgan through the lab’s speakers. ‘Peter’s with me.’

‘Peter,’ Morgan said, the Range Rover’s revving engine audible in the background, ‘he’s been holding Abbie in a flat-panel truck. The company is Jones Brothers, but he’s probably pulled off the decals or painted over them. I think he’s moving Abbie closer to Horse Guards before he makes the last call.’

‘Where are you?’ Knight asked.

Hooligan pulled up a GPS tracking screen to show him as Morgan answered.

‘Heading for Westminster Bridge,’ said Morgan, ‘but the traffic is packed. We need the police’s help on this now, Peter. But low-key. Can you make the call to Elaine?’

‘I can.’

‘Put out a description of the van. See if we can get a location, but no intervention.’

‘You’ve got it,’ said Knight.

‘Check back in with me after you talk to her,’ Morgan told him and hung up.

‘I’ve got an idea,’ Hooligan said over his shoulder before realising he was talking to an empty space.

‘I’ve got my own plan,’ Knight said, running through the door.