[Noah's POV]

The big guy stepped forward and patted me down. He was rough, trying to prove a point. I let him.

He found my spare clip, my knife, and my primary handgun. He pulled my expensive watch off my wrist and checked for a wire.

He even unbuttoned my dress shirt to make sure I wasn't wearing a Kevlar vest.

I wasn't. I didn't need one tonight.

They shoved me toward a black van idling at the end of the alley. I climbed in.

A dirty burlap sack went over my head. The smell of cheap gasoline and sweat filled the tight space.

The drive took exactly twenty-two minutes....