Riptide

Why
    waste time tying you up?"
    Sherlock said, as she hunkered down next to Chuck and untied
    both his wrists and ankles, "He doesn't want the police here yet.
    He realized that if he killed one of us, that's what would happen. It
    would force his hand. He would lose control. We're really glad
    you're okay, Chuck."
    Adam said, "He must have knocked you out before he shot tear
    gas into the house. We came roaring out, everyone trying to find
    him, and we didn't miss you. There was too much confusion.
    Damnation."
    Sherlock gave Chuck a drink of cold water and a couple of aspirin
    once they got him into the kitchen. "If you won't have a headache,
    you should," she told him, then hugged him. "Thank God you're all
    right. Since you weren't at the back of the house watching for him,
    he must have just slipped out with Becca over his shoulder."
    "We didn't miss you," Adam said slowly. "I can't believe we
    didn't have the brains to get everyone together and count heads before
    we settled back into the house for the night. Hell, we didn't
    even think to search the damned house."
    Everyone was rattled as what happened sank in. There was nothing
    to say, no excuses to make. He'd made fools of them all.
    An hour later, Sherlock and Savich found Adam in the kitchen,
    his head in his hands. Savich lightly laid his hand on his shoulder.
    "It happened. We've all flagellated ourselves. No thanks to us,
    Chuck is all right. Now we've got to fix it. Adam, we'll find her."
    "I was supposed to keep her safe," Adam said, staring at his clasped

hands. "I've got to be the biggest fuckup in this damned world. He's
    got her, Savich. He's got her and we have no idea where."
    "Yes, he's got her," Savich said, "and he's probably going to take
    her to Washington. That's it, isn't it? He wants her with him when
    he confronts Thomas? She's his leverage. Thomas would do anything
    to save her, including giving himself up to this maniac."
    "We're talking like Krimakov is alive, like we don't have any
    doubts about it at all," Sherlock said.
    Adam said slowly, "Forget the reports, forget what the operatives
    said. The body was cremated. That's all I need to know. It's Krimakov.
    Now, he must not have found out where Thomas is. Thomas
    owns a house in Chevy Chase, but it's a well-kept secret. The location
    of his condo in Georgetown is also a secret, but anyone could
    discover its location if they really wanted to. MAX could probably
    ferret it out in ten minutes flat. But not the Chevy Chase house.
    He's very careful. I kid you not, I don't even think the president
    knows where his house is. So then Krimakov wouldn't know, either.
    That's why he got Becca. She's his leverage. He'll take her to Washington,
    to the condo."Adam stopped cold. "We've got to leave now."
    Savich said, "I think you should call Thomas first, tell him what's
    happened. We've put it off long enough, don't you think? He's got
    to know."
    Adam cursed under his breath at the sound of Tyler McBride's
    angry voice. Tyler came into the kitchen, three agents right behind
    him, one holding his arm, and yelled, "What the hell is going on
    here? Every light in the place is on? Who are these guys? Let me
    go, dammit. Where's Becca?"
    Let him go, Tommy," Savich said, nodding to one of Thomas's
    men who was guarding the front of the house. "He's a neighbor
    and a friend of Becca's."

"What the hell is going on here, Adam?"
    "He took her," Adam said." We think he's heading to Washington,
    D.C., with her. We're going to have to clear out soon."
    Tyler paled, then yelled, "You were supposed to protect her, you
    bastard! You really screwed up big-time, didn't you? I wanted to
    help but you just kissed me off, I was a civilian, of no use at all.
    What about you? All these big Fed cops, none of you could protect
    her. None of you were of any help at all!"
    Savich said as he closed his fingers around Tyler's arm, "I understand
    your anger. But all these accusations aren't going to help anyone,
    particularly Becca. Believe me, we all know what's at stake
    here."
    "You're damned incompetent bastards," Tyler yelled even
    louder, "all of you." He jerked away from Savich.
    "Tyler," Adam said quietly, "don't go to Sheriff Gaffney. That
    would be the worst thing you could do."
    "Why? How much more could things be fucked up?"
    "He might kill her," Adam said. "Don't tell anyone anything."
    After Tyler McBride was escorted from the house by three
    agents, Sherlock said, "Why not tell everyone now?"
    Adam