9. Gage
9
Gage
I answered my phone, glancing at the clock. Who would call this late? “Hello?”
“Gage, it’s Brian. I need to tell you—Lori’s missing.”
“What?” I froze, the weight of his words sinking in. “What do you mean, missing?” My hands were already reaching for my clothes as I spoke, pulling them on with urgency.
“When Lori didn’t call her dad at the agreed time, he got worried. He called the California Highway Patrol, and... they found her van.” Brian’s voice cracked. “The windows were shattered, Gage. There’s blood everywhere.”
My chest tightened as my mind shifted into protection mode. “Where is her van?”
“Mendocino County,” Brian replied. “I called you because I remembered you’d asked her out. I thought you’d want to help. Do you think the Golden Team can get involved?”
“I’ll call the team right now,” I said firmly. “And I want the Highway Patrol to stay away from her van until we arrive. Don’t let anyone touch it. I’ll keep you updated on what we find.”
“I’m with Matthew and her dad.”
“Are the FBI there?”
“No, just us and two local officers.”
“Put one of the officers on the phone.”
There was a pause, and then another voice came on. “This is Officer Riley.”
“Officer Riley, this is Gage Sparrow,” I said, making my voice authoritative. “I don’t want anyone touching Lieutenant Daniels vehicle. I have a squad en route, and we’ll handle it from here.”
“Understood,” Riley replied quickly. “Honestly, I’m relieved. This situation is escalating. For two years, women have gone missing up and down the Pacific coast—none of them ever found. We’ve called the FBI, about it, but no one ever came.”
“I’ve already contacted my friends at the Bureau,” I said. “We’ll get this under control.”
I hung up and gathered my team. Raven and the others met me at my truck. “All I know so far,” I told them, “is that Lori’s van was found with shattered windows and blood everywhere—inside and out. The FBI’s heading to the scene to process it for fingerprints. Apparently, other women have gone missing in the area over the last two years, but no one ever followed up on those cases. We’re going to change that.”
“Do the police have any leads on the other women?” Gideon asked.
“None,” I said grimly.
We were still strategizing when our plane landed on a small airstrip in Mendocino County. A police car picked us up and drove us to the scene. When I saw Lori’s van for the first time, my gut clenched. The sight was worse than I’d imagined.
The shattered glass glinted under the floodlights, and dark stains inside the van painted a grim picture. How could she have survived this? But if they took her, she must have been alive when it happened. That meant we had a chance.
“Let’s get her picture out there,” I said. “We need to know if anyone saw her or noticed her walking along the road.”
“Send me her photo,” Officer Johnson said. “I’ll handle it.”
I glanced over at Brian, who was scrolling through his phone. “Where’s her father?” I asked.
Brian nodded toward two figures standing under a tree. “He’s over there with Matthew.”
I approached Lori’s dad and extended my hand. He surprised me by pulling me into a hug.
“Gage Sparrow,” he said. “It’s good to meet you. Lori talked about you—she was looking forward to your date. Once we find her, you two can set a new date for that dinner.” He paused, his tone steady despite the situation. “I don’t believe for a second that any of that blood is hers. Lori’s a fighter. She had her gun with her, and I’m sure she used it on whoever attacked her.”
His confidence was a relief, and I nodded. “If she took her gun, she probably injured whoever attacked her. If they took her alive, there was more than one of them,” I said.
Matthew stepped closer, joining the conversation. “If they had another vehicle, there might still be tire tracks near the scene. We should check.”
I turned to the officer nearby. “Did you document the tire marks from other vehicles?”
The officer shook his head, his face clouded with regret. “No, there were too many vehicles at the scene. The tracks were compromised before we arrived.”
“Damn it,” I muttered. “At least tell me you didn’t let anyone touch the van.”
“We didn’t,” he assured me.
I exhaled sharply. “Lori’s resourceful. She’ll find a way to escape if she's not tied down. She won’t go down without a fight,” I said, glancing at the others.