Chapter 28
Savvy
“Do not try to go in there until we know what’s going on.”
I’m flying down the streets toward New Horizons, with at least one more vehicle following behind. I just hope Phil was able to hold back my dad, since he came running out of the bathroom after Nate, who was sprinting for the door.
I was able to stop my father before he could get out, and bolted after Nate myself.
He’s now sitting beside me, coiled tighter than a spring, and I just know he’s not even going to let me come to a full stop before he’s out of the vehicle, hurling himself into an unknown and potentially dangerous situation.
“I mean it, Nate,” I emphasize in my most authoritative voice while trying to keep from hitting a cat crossing the road. “I won’t hesitate to slap cuffs on you if I have to.”
I’ve been going at full speed through town, but slow down to turn into the church lot. A State Patrol vehicle pulls in behind me and I recognize Auden behind the wheel, good. I feel a little better going in with backup.
We find Nate’s truck parked around the back of the church when we arrive, but there’s no sign of Roy. I’d tried getting a hold of him en route after Nate told me about the call, but he didn’t answer. I don’t even want to think about the possibility something might have happened to him as well.
“Please, sit tight,” I plead with Nate, who already has a hand on the door handle. “We don’t know if the kids are in there, or under what circumstances, but you barging in could put them at more risk. We don’t know until we get a lay of the land. Please…”
I put a hand on his knee. It’s on my lips to tell him I love him and can’t handle the thought of him getting hurt, or worse, but this isn’t the time and I’m not sure it would make much of a difference at the moment anyway.
His eyes stay fixed on the church, a muscle ticking in his jaw, but he finally relents with a quick nod.
“Hurry,” he grinds out through clenched teeth.
Auden is already out of his vehicle, eyeing Nate’s truck.
“What’s going on? I was just on my way home when I heard the call come in about a disturbance at the church. You blew by me with lights flashing a few seconds later, so I followed you.”
“Yelling was heard coming from the basement. The kids may be inside.”
I notice there is no yelling now. No sound at all, aside from the sudden squeal of brakes announcing the arrival of another cruiser, this one driven by Hugo Alexander, my stubborn father riding shotgun. The driver’s side door flies open.
“No,” I bark at Hugo, who doesn’t even acknowledge us as he starts moving toward the church.
I run to intercept him with Auden at my back. Together we manage to block his way.
“You can’t go in there. You’re too close and you know that,” I enforce, poking a finger in his chest. “Dad, get over here and fucking sit on him if you have to,” I snap at my father.
Then I turn to Auden. “Let’s go, before this shitshow gets any worse. And be careful, keep your eyes open, because there’s no way whoever is in there could’ve missed our arrival.”
As we start moving yet another cruiser pulls into the parking lot. Yeah, a stealth approach, trying to catch any potential perp unaware is no longer an option. We have to go in prepared for anything.
I notice an open basement window when we approach the church hall’s side door but I choose to ignore it; I could probably get through, but there’s no way Auden would. Door it is. I’m prepared to kick it in, but am surprised to find it unlocked.
I slip my sidearm from its holster and fit it securely in my hand, aiming the barrel at the ground in front of me. The soft snick of a snap being undone behind me suggests Auden has done the same.
We step into a small foyer with the hall to the left and the church straight ahead. A stairway to the right leads up to the choir loft and down to the basement.
Footsteps sound behind us as Lloyd and Warren catch up.
“You guys clear the choir loft and the church; we’ve got the basement.”
I don’t wait for their acknowledgement and head toward the stairwell going down. At the bottom of the stairs, we find the basement door locked from the outside. It’s a simple keyed door knob, but we don’t have a key.
“Kick it down?” I whisper, looking over my shoulder at Auden.
He shakes his head. “Let me try something first.”
He reaches into the chest pocket of his uniform shirt and fishes out what looks like a credit card or hotel key or something.
Slipping it between the door and the post right above the latch, he jiggles it slightly as he works it down the crack.
I can hear the soft click of the latch releasing as he eases the door open.
I flash him a tight smile and a thumbs-up, before I support my gun hand with the other, and slowly move ahead into the dark basement.
Nate
It goes against everything I value to stand here and watch Savvy disappear inside that church.
Especially with Auden covering her back. Sure, he’s come a long way from the scrawny kid I remember, but I still don’t trust him. The guy rubs me the wrong way, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like me any better. I don’t even know the two other deputies following them inside.
“My kid’s in there,” I hear Hugo protest as Savvy’s dad is doing his best to contain him.
The rational part of me knows Savvy is right to sideline both of us, but I’m not feeling very rational right now. Apparently, neither is Hugo.
“I hear you,” I mumble, taking a step toward the church.
But when Brant Colter calmly states, “My kid is in there too, but I trust Savvy. I know she can look after herself, and she’s the best person to look after your kids as well. Have a little faith,” I stop in my tracks.
“I fucking hate it when you’re being sensible,” Hugo grumbles.
I’m about to agree with him when I hear my name called. I turn my head and find Roy waving me toward him from the edge of the parking lot.
I hurry toward him, hearing the footfalls of someone else behind me. My bet would be on Hugo.
“What the hell happened? We fucking tried calling you.”
“Left my phone in the truck. Look, I’ve got Tate.”
My eyes immediately scan the woods beyond him.
“What? Where is she? Is she okay?”
“I was able to pull her out of the basement window. She was scared, rambling, and as soon as you guys pulled in, she took off running. She fucking climbed up a tree like a monkey, man. I can’t get her to come down.”
“Did you see my boy?”
Roy looks at Hugo. “No, I’m sorry. Tate was mentioning him, but she was shaking so hard, I could barely make out what she was saying. I think he’s in there. I think he’s in the church.”
Hugo immediately turns back to the parking lot where Brant is waiting. His eyes haven’t left the door through which Savvy disappeared. My heart is torn but I take guidance from the old man’s words: Savvy can take care of herself, but my daughter needs me.
“Show me,” I snap at Roy.
I see the bottom of the pink Chucks with daisies she found online and begged me to buy her. Like the sap I am, I spent way too fucking much money on those bitty scraps of fabric and rubber. But Tate had been elated when they arrived a few days ago and has worn them ever since.
Seeing those pink sneakers dangling from a branch a good twenty-five to thirty feet up off the ground makes my heart constrict in my chest.
“Jesus,” I mumble.
“Yeah,” Roy confirms. “Couldn’t believe it. She was so fast, I couldn’t catch her, and when I tried to get up there after her, she started shaking so hard I was afraid she’d lose her grip.”
I can see her shaking from way down here. She’s hugging the tree hard, her face pressed into the bark as her wide eyes stare down. But I’m not too sure she even sees us.
“I’m gonna try and get up there, see if I can get her down.”
My work keeps me in decent shape, but I’m well past the age where climbing trees is a daily occurrence.
Good thing my calluses are thick with the rough bark biting into my palms. I go as fast as I dare without startling her, mumbling soothing nonsense all the way up.
Last thing I want is for her to slip or let go completely before I can get to her.
“You’re okay, Sweetpea. I’m here. I’ve got you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise.”
I work my way around the other side of the thick trunk and ease my way closer to where I’m shoulder to shoulder with her.
“Tate, honey, can you look at me? Please, baby, look at me, I’m right here. You’ve been so brave, but let me take care of you now, okay? Tatum?”
Slowly, she turns her head. The imprint of the bark mars her cheek with angry red slashes, and her eyes are wide and terrified.
“Good girl. Now, I’m going to get you down from here. I need you to put your arms around my neck and your legs around my waist. I won’t let you go. I swear.”
She shakes her head.
“He’s down there,” she whispers, her teeth chattering from shock.
I immediately glance down, but Roy is the only one at the bottom of the tree.
“That’s just Roy, honey.”
“No…not him. It’s the man who stole KC’s boots. I saw him get out of the car.”
I can’t make heads or tails of what she is talking about.
“Who, baby? Who are you talking about?” I push, but she’s not saying any more. “Come on, Tate, I’m not going to let anyone near you, but we need to get out of this tree before we both fall out. Please, Sweetpea. Let me help you.”
The branch under my feet is pretty sturdy, and I keep a firm grip on the trunk with my left as I reach out my right hand to close over her slim wrist.
“Trust me, I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” I promise.
Her concession is no more than a slight shift in her eyes before she releases her left hand, allowing me to wrap that arm around my neck.
I would prefer to have her at my front, but that would only make climbing down that much more dangerous.
It takes a little maneuvering, but we get it done.
When she is clinging to my neck, her colt-like legs wrapped around me, I can feel the tremors shaking her small body.
It’s not until we’re halfway down she says by my ear.
“It’s the tall guy wearing the hat. He went inside with Savvy.”
A cold fist closes around my heart.
“Roy!” I yell down. “Tell Brant Savvy needs help! It’s Maynard, hurry!”