Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Dean, you’re on speaker,” I say, raising my phone so the men can hear.
“Good. I can see your location on the map,” Dean says. “The gas station’s cameras lost sight of the van just down that county road. I’m cross-referencing property deeds within a twenty-mile radius. We know Earl’s from around here, so I’m trying to find any property his family might’ve owned.”
Thor, a mountain of a man with a braided blond beard, taps the map with one thick finger. “We’ve got forest and farmland in every direction. If he turned off the road, there could be a hundred places to hide someone.”
Garrett, lean and wiry, nods. “He’s not going to risk a busy area. He’d want somewhere isolated.”
My jaw tightens as I stare at the lines on the map. My stomach churns with guilt and rage—Aubree could be anywhere in these backwoods. I call up every memory I have of the last time we had intel on Earl. We never pegged him as a threat, but now I realize how little we knew. “Dean,” I say, forcing calm into my voice, “any luck with those deeds?”
“Yeah—hang on.” There’s a flurry of keyboard clicks in the background. “I found something: an old cabin owned by an Earl Branson Sr. near Pine Hollow Road. Property records are outdated, but it’s only about six or seven miles west of your current location, up in the hills. It hasn’t been sold, so it might still belong to the family.”
Thor glances at the map, zeroing in on that area. “That’s rough terrain. Only a couple logging roads going up that way.”
“Perfect for someone who wants to hide,” Garrett murmurs.
Dean’s voice cuts in again. “I’m sending coordinates to Boone now. The place is about two miles off a main road, then you gotta take a dirt track. I’m scouring for any other possible leads, but this is our best bet.”
I check my phone, a dull beep letting me know the coordinates have arrived. My hands tremble with urgency. “We’ll head there right now. Dean, stay on standby. Keep scanning for any new intel—if the place has multiple buildings, if you see movement from overhead satellites, anything.”
“Understood,” Dean says. “Boone… bring her back safe.”
“I will.” My voice is tight, loaded with a promise I intend to keep. I end the call and look at my team. Adrenaline thrums in my veins, but I force my shoulders to relax. “We have a single target, Earl, plus Aubree as a hostage. We don’t know if he’s armed, but we have to assume he is. She’s top priority.”
Garrett nods, flipping his rifle’s safety off, then on again, a nervous habit. “We’ll approach quiet, set up perimeter coverage, and do a quick breach.”
The two other men, Daniels and Vega—both ex-military with solid track records—shift in closer, scanning the map. Daniels points to Rain Ridge Road. “That logging trail is pretty narrow. We might have to park and move on foot once it gets rough.”
“Better that way,” Thor says, voice low. “We don’t want him hearing engine noise from a mile off.”
I fold the map and tuck it under my arm. “All right,” I say, meeting each of their eyes in turn. “Let’s move.”
We depart the gas station in a small convoy—my truck in the lead, Garrett and Thor in an SUV behind. The drive takes us along a desolate county road, the moon slung low over thick pine forests. A sign for Rain Ridge Road appears, battered and half-hidden by tall weeds. I flick on my brights and turn onto the narrower pavement, which soon degrades into gravel.
Ahead, the path snakes uphill through dense trees, branches scraping the side of my truck. Finally, I spot a wide turnoff where we can stash our vehicles behind some brush. I park, cut the engine, and the men pull up behind me. The darkness here is thick, the air cool, and the only sounds are distant crickets and the soft rustle of pines.
We gather near the SUV’s open hatch, pulling out extra gear: night-vision goggles, suppressed pistols, short-barreled rifles for close quarters. Each man checks his weapon, loads mags, and tests his comm gear. My heart pounds, each beat echoing with the thought of Aubree—somewhere up that trail, alone with a psychopath.
Thor hands me a suppressed rifle. “We keep it quiet as long as possible,” he says. “No sense giving him time to hurt her if he hears us coming.”
“Agreed.” I sling the rifle over my shoulder and step in front of the group, the glow of a small tactical flashlight giving just enough light to see each face. “Here’s the plan: we move up this logging road on foot. Garrett, you take point. Keep an eye out for any sign of the cabin. Once we see it, we fan out. Thor, you and Daniels circle around the left side, find a vantage. Vega and I will move right, see if there’s a back entrance or side window. We go in together on my call. Everyone clear?”