Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Dylan’s heart pounded so hard it nearly drowned out the sound of his feet on the gravel. Dear God, please let her be alive.
Josh had been stalking her for weeks. He wouldn’t kill her just like that. He wanted to spend time with her. He’d been planning something. She must be still alive, but he needed to find her pronto.
Dylan stalked around a curve on the overgrown path and froze.
There was a cabin further down on his left.
A lot of scrub and bushes were on the far side of the path.
He’d have to use it for cover. He pushed his way through the scrub to the other side and ducked down.
He pulled out the gun from his waistband.
He moved forward and peeked over the top of the hedge. He scanned the cabin for movement. Nothing.
He slid farther along the side of the slope. There were more cabins. Ones that appeared to be in rougher shape. Faded green paint peeled in strips off the wooden shingles. Shredded curtains hung over filthy windows. A smattering of tools were on the small porch of the first one.
It was the second one that caught his attention. The door was hanging on a funny angle. The wood frame had a spot of light-colored wood exposed. The door had been forced recently. This had to be it.
After watching for a few minutes, Dylan moved silently through the scrub to the side of the first cabin. He crouched low and ran toward the back. Peering around the corner, he checked out the back of the cabin where he was certain Raleigh was being held. Nothing.
The air was still and hazy in the hot afternoon sun. The ground was dry. No sound reached his ears. Was she okay? Was she still alive?
No sirens yet. Out here, it could take a long while for the cops to come. Matt and the rest of Dylan’s old crew were at least twenty minutes away in the middle of a wedding. He glanced down at his phone. He had service. He hit redial.
“Gabe,” he said in a hushed voice. “I’m ninety percent sure I found the cabin where Josh is holding Raleigh. Trace my phone and send it out to the local LEOs.”
“On it. We’re five minutes out. Hang tight if you can.”
He ground his teeth, but he knew Gabe was right. Backup would be a big plus. He had no idea what was going on with Josh. “Wait. How can you be five minutes away?” Then he heard it. A faint sound at first but growing louder. “You’re in a chopper.”
“We got permission to set it down on the golf course. I have you on GPS. We’ll be there in four.”
“I’m going in if I have to.” Dylan clicked off the line. He went back to the front corner of the cabin. Nothing moving in the next cabin over. The chopper set down on the golf course below. Because of the angle the chopper was at, he couldn’t tell how many people got out or anything about them.
“Smart.” Just in case Josh was watching. He would think they were guests that were late for the wedding or arriving just for the reception. Gabriel Risk left nothing to chance. Dylan was impressed.
He went back to watching the front porch of Raleigh’s cabin. He thought he saw a flicker by the windows but he couldn’t be sure.