Chapter 3
THREE
“I’m coming with you.”
Cole froze at the statement and turned to Kianna, who had her arms crossed. “The police have it covered. Mackey’s too dangerous.”
Kianna’s jaw flexed.
Cole frowned. Kianna wasn’t an officer, and he didn’t want a civilian slowing down the search. Plus, “I don’t want you in danger. We’ve had one too many close calls.” The father’s statement was a prime example.
He admired her tenacity, but from what they knew of him, Mackey wasn’t the kind of person you messed around with. He didn’t care who got hurt. His only mission right now was to save his own skin—whatever the cost.
Cole understood the risks of his job.
But it wasn’t fair for others to step in the line of fire as civilians. If something happened to Kianna, her family would be distraught. Life would never be the same.
“Then I’ll search on my own.” She pulled her hair up and took a ponytail holder from her wrist to secure the updo. “In my line of work, I’ve learned two are better than one.” She shrugged.
Oh, she was good. Cole wasn’t sure whether he should laugh or reprimand her for her persuasive tactic.
He could spend time arguing, but precious seconds were ticking by. “Don’t you have a job to do? Trace shouldn’t have to do everything by himself. After all, two are better than one.” Cole winked.
“Touché.” Kianna smirked. “My shift’s over, so I’m on my own time now. And it looks like I no longer have a ride.” She held out her hand to the ambulance pulling away from the shoulder.
“Daylight won’t last forever.” He nodded, then tugged on Titan’s leash. “Let’s get searching.”
The dog let out a short bark and wagged his tail.
Kianna fell into step next to him, and they climbed over the guardrail and trudged through the wet, slush-covered grass.
Cole lifted his radio. “Titan, EMT Kianna Russell, and I are headed east, into the woods, past the Mountainview Ridge Overlook.”
“Copy.” Tazwell’s voice sounded in his ear. “We’ve got the copter scouring the area too.”
“Witnesses at the scene of the crash said Mackey headed this way.” Cole rattled off the coordinates of the location and picked up his speed.
He burrowed his chin against his chest. The cold air began to seep into his face and penetrate his jacket.
“He couldn’t have gotten far. Let’s hope he’s cornered soon.”
Cole agreed with Tazwell. Their task force for this search was fifteen people. And with the rest of the town on the lookout as well, the guy couldn’t hide forever. At least, Cole hoped not.
They stepped into the woods, and Kianna brushed pine branches away from their path. Their feet crunched on twigs under the slush. Thanks to the tree cover, there was less ice and snow in this area.
“How long have you and the dog been working together?” Kianna never took her focus off the path.
“Two years. I got to be part of his training process, and we bonded quickly. I’d say Titan is one of the best in the field. Isn’t that right, boy?”
Titan’s ears perked and he barked.
“I’d say he agrees.” Kianna smiled. “Although, don’t you think you’re a little biased? What made you decide to join the force and work with this guy?”
Cole laughed. “And you don’t beat around the bush. I help out at Tiny Paws, the local animal shelter, on occasion. Titan and I train some of the rougher strays to have better behavior so they find homes faster.”
“That’s noble of you.” Her blue eyes met his gaze, and the look there made him shift his focus. The curiosity and warmth in her expression was dangerous. Like she was trying to get to know him.
He couldn’t succumb to the pull. Not when getting to know someone came with added weight. If he let himself get invested, there was no telling what would happen.
Circumstances changed in the blink of an eye.
And a friendship now meant the grief of loss later.
He groaned.
“You okay?” Kianna raised her eyebrows.
“Yeah.” He swallowed. What was he supposed to tell her? That he didn’t want to answer her question because he was too afraid of vulnerability? Of being known, then losing someone?
He shook his head. Even in his own mind it sounded ridiculous, never mind spoken out loud.
“My dad was in law enforcement.” Cole veered to the left and continued to follow the path, but he scanned the perimeter, squinting in search of any movement among the trees.
“He let me tag along to the office every year on ‘take your child to work’ day, and I loved it. The adrenaline of hunting down the bad guys and keeping people safe was exhilarating. Even if I only heard about it from the office conversations. My dad garnered a lot of respect. The way he cared for the community and his own family each day made me want to do the same.”
“I can’t imagine how hard he worked. And the courage it took to protect people.” Kianna smiled. “Is he still working?”
“He retired almost two years ago,” he said matter-of-factly. Rather, he’d been forced to retire. Cole’s throat tightened. No, he wouldn’t dwell on what had happened. It wouldn’t change the outcome.
He had a mission to focus on right now. By doing his job, Cole could honor his dad. Walk in his footsteps and leave a similar legacy.
He’d find Mackey no matter how long it took.
Kianna pulled up her hood and tugged the zipper of her jacket higher.
“Why were you so”—how did he say it nicely?—“adamant about searching for Mackey?” Especially when it was frigid out and she could be safe and warm at home.
“He killed someone I was close to.” She pressed her lips together.
Cole froze in his tracks, and air whooshed from his lungs. “I’m so sorry.” He wanted to ask who, but he already had an indirect answer.
Mackey targeted foster kids. Those who didn’t have steady families looking out for them. Who were vulnerable and easy to prey on because the promise of love and acceptance was enticing, regardless of who was offering those basic human needs.
“What happened?” Cole stopped moving for a minute and pulled out two water bottles. “Here.” He handed one to Kianna, then took a swig. He didn’t want them to be lured into a false perception of being hydrated just because it wasn’t hot.
“Thanks.” She capped the bottle and gave it back to him to put in his backpack. “When I’m not on the clock as a medic, I tutor kids in math and science. Each semester, a few of the teachers at Last Chance Middle School give me a list of kids who are falling behind and need extra help.”
Cole started walking again, and Kianna followed suit.
The whir of helicopter blades buzzed nearby. He lifted his head but couldn’t make out the aircraft through the tree cover. Which meant the crew would be having a challenging time too. People were searching, but so far, no more reports had come through his headset on sightings of Mackey.
Cole focused back on the area around them. “What does that have to do with Mackey?”
“One of the kids referred to me was Jaxon. He was in foster care.” She grimaced.
A knot formed in Cole’s stomach.
“He had ambitions. Dreams of going to law school. But math wasn’t his strong suit, and his foster parents didn’t have time to help him.”
“So you took it upon yourself to help him pass his class.”
“I grew a soft spot for the kid. And when he mentioned having another guy in his life who’d started playing basketball with him at the park courts, I was thrilled. Everyone should have a mentor who can help them through life. Especially young men.”
“It was Mackey. Grooming instead of investing.” Bile rose in Cole’s throat, and he coughed.
Kianna nodded. “Jaxon started running late for our tutoring sessions. When I asked him about his tardiness, he said he and his friend had been finding treasures around town and were selling them online. The profit they made was being set aside for a college fund for Jaxon. Until Jaxon discovered the truth that the money was really going to Mackey. He told me, then went to the police, but Mackey got to him first.” Kianna sniffled. “His body was found a few days later.”
Cole gripped Titan’s leash harder. He recalled the last part of the story all too well.
The endless hours of search and rescue that had turned into search and recovery.
“The manipulation of that man. Lording his power over those kids.” Preying on their innocence.
“He looked to the least of these and stripped away their dignity.”
“The exact opposite of what Jesus did.” Kianna’s voice quivered. “It breaks my heart to see anyone treated as such when we’ve all been made in Imago Dei.”
A verse from Matthew 20 came to Cole’s mind. “Christ came to serve and not to be served.” The Lord cared for the outcasts. The lowly. The vulnerable.
“Indeed.” Tears gathered in Kianna’s eyes. “All I wanted to do was show those kids they mattered. And I missed the signs with Jaxon that could have kept him safe.” She rubbed her hands together and blew on them.
“You had the right intentions, so don’t beat yourself up over the outcome.
It won’t change anything. All we can do is move forward.
” Cole bit down on his tongue. He didn’t have the right to tell her that.
Not when he wasn’t following his own advice.
Sure, he spoke from experience, but he hadn’t taken steps to move forward when the circumstances with his dad had rocked his world.
“I want to see Mackey caught and locked away for good. So he can’t take advantage of one more child.” Kianna shoved her hands in her pockets.
Leaves swayed on a branch in his peripheral vision, and Cole paused, waiting for any more movement that would signal another person in the area.
“What’s that?” Kianna whispered.
Titan cocked his head. A low growl escaped through his bared teeth.
They all stood still.
Seconds later, a bird flew out of the tree.
Cole bit back a groan.
“He’s got to be here somewhere.” Kianna huffed. “It’s freezing. Certainly that would slow down his pace.”
Cole and Kianna started walking again.
“Any sightings?” Cole radioed in. “It’s bleak down here.” The sky itself was dark, and Cole had to remind himself not to give up.
“Negative. We’re going to have to land the copter soon, given the wind and snow picking up again.” This time, the voice of one of the helicopter pilots, Alexia, came through Cole’s earpiece.
“This is Thomas. The family from the car accident has been dropped off. Cole, I’m headed your direction now.”
“Copy,” Cole said. “We’re still searching the east side of the woods. I can’t imagine Mackey would try to hunker down here.” Not when the land stretched for several miles.
“There’s a gas station we’re keeping an eye on about five miles out on the south side,” Tazwell radioed in. “So far, no activity.”
The wind whipped around them, and leftover leaves from the fall foliage blew.
Cole focused on taking one step at a time. They couldn’t stop moving. Not if they wanted to avoid the chance of hypothermia setting in.
Several minutes later, Kianna pointed straight ahead to pine trees that parted into a wide opening. “It looks like there’s a clearing.”
Cole powered up his map of the area on his phone.
Titan let out a bark and tugged on his leash.
Cole unhooked his partner’s restraint, then pulled out the piece of fabric from Mackey’s outfit. The dog sniffed. “Go.” He gave the command.
Titan bounded in front of them.
“According to the map, the trail leads to an open area before winding down to an embankment and curving out again to a main road.”
Could this be the section Mackey was hiking? If they caught him now before he got down to the road, Mackey wouldn’t have the advantage.
Cole and Kianna jogged over to Titan, whose nose was snug to the ground.
“There’s more footprints,” Kianna shouted.
Titan let out another bark.
They were closing in.
“There are fresh prints on the east side at coordinates ninety-five and forty.” Cole spoke to the team over the radio.
He closed the distance to Titan and moved to the right to get a better angle of the imprints to take a picture. He shifted weight to his left leg and bent down. His foot overturned on uneven ground, and he stumbled sideways.
“Cole, watch out!” Kianna screamed.
He tried to regain his footing, but his other shoe slid on the slush.
Kianna reached for his hand, except it was too late.
Cole tumbled down the embankment.