Justin POV:
The first man was already tied to a chair. Duct tape across his mouth, nose bloodied, face bruised.
I ripped the tape off.
He screamed.
"Who sent you?" I asked.
He shook his head, sputtering blood. "I don't know names—we were hired anonymously—we just got orders to grab the kid, that's all—"
"The kid?"
"The girl. The one in school. That's all we knew, I swear."
"You're lying."
"I'm not—"
I backhanded him so hard the chair tipped sideways.
He groaned on the floor, coughing up blood.
I stepped over him and moved to the second one. A younger guy. Maybe twenty-five. Shaking.
"Please—I didn't touch anyone—I just drove the van—I swear—"
"Who gave you the van?"
"I—I don't know. They leave it in a garage, cash in a duffel. GPS instructions. I don't know anything else."
My fist connected with his gut.
He wheezed, doubling over.
They didn't know.
They really didn't know.
They were pawns.
Disposable grunts hired to stir up panic, to kidnap Meg.
