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Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe

27 February

Tuesday, 8:15 am local time

Vance paced around his hotel rooht before Aidan had left last night, he’d suggested that Vance take his ti

Gut instinct and experience h time had passed The kidnappers wouldn’t wait another twenty-four hours They’d contact Vance first thing today with their next set of demands Aidan had assured Vance that he could still follow his routine of heading into the office for a half day But sleeping in an extra hour—even for a VP—wasn’t unusual during a family vacation

Vance had argued that he shouldn’t alter his routine even an iota, that he had his red phone at work for any inco texts Aidan had countered with the fact that, at this point, the kidnappers ible one like a package, and that the uber-secure NanoUSA would preclude any form of delivery Vance had to be physically as well as electronically accessible

Ultireed To keep up the i himself available to contact fro anyone else—he’d followed Aidan’s advice and sent Susan out with Jessica and Andrew to have breakfast and hit the ski slopes

Noas losing his mind

He was half-tempted to toss Aidan’s advice to the wind and head out to the airport when a short, loud knock sounded at the hotel room door

Vance strode over and yanked open the door

The hall was deserted But lying on the carpeted floor was a padded envelope with Vance’s name typed on it

Reflexively, he started down the hall to apprehend whomever had left it Just as abruptly, he stopped He asting tie was a pro He would have gotten in quickly and anonymously and left the same way More importantly, if Vance stepped out of line and inci

ted the kidnappers, the results could be fatal

Amateurish reactions were bullshit Lauren’s life was all that mattered

After retracing his steps, Vance shut his hotel rooe