Chapter 12
12
E li was alive and relatively unharmed! When Wyn’s knees threatened to buckle, she kept herself upright with an effort. This wasn’t the time to fall apart. They hadn’t found him yet, but the relief at knowing Eli was recently identified in the back seat of a truck and had been provided something to eat kept a large chunk of her panic at bay.
“He wasn’t crying? Or looked hurt?” she asked.
“Not at all,” Mary assured her. “Like I said, I might not have noticed if not for the fact that he wasn’t in a booster seat. I remember thinking the boy’s father should know better.”
“He’s not Eli’s father.” Wyn lightly grasped Mary’s arm. “Can you describe the man? And his vehicle?”
Mary scrunched up her forehead. “I don’t remember the truck, other than to notice it was a pickup truck with one of those narrow back seats.” At her frown, Mary added, “You know, not a full cab but a half of one.”
“What color was the truck?” Wyn was desperate for more. “Did you notice anything else inside? Or outside? Stickers?”
“I think the truck was white,” Mary said. “Maybe silver? Light for sure, not dark. And I’m sorry, I don’t remember anything else about it. Or the guy driving. He looked average as far as his weight. His age?” She looked thoughtful. “I’d guess his mid-twenties.”
George Twofeathers. She turned toward Chase who was texting on his phone. “We need a picture to show her.”
“Working on that,” he said. “Griff is on his way.” He lifted his head to smile at Mary. “We really appreciate your help on this.”
“Of course.” Mary looked concerned. “If I had known the child was in danger, I’d have done more.”
“You couldn’t have known.” Wyn tried to come up with more questions. “Did you happen to notice what the driver wore? The color of his coat?”
“Dark, maybe black or blue.” Mary lifted her hands, palms upward. “I only took his money and handed him his food. The entire interaction didn’t take long.”
“I know, and I’m sorry to keep pestering you.” Wyn tried to smile. “It’s just that you’re the only person who has seen my son since he was taken.” Tears pricked her eyes. “I’m so relieved he’s doing okay.”
“I can’t imagine what you’re going through.” Mary’s tone was sympathetic.
“Does this restaurant have any security cameras?” Chase asked.
“I don’t think so.” Mary looked around as if the thought of cameras had never occurred to her.
“It’s okay, I just thought I’d ask.” Chase glanced at her. “I’m heading outside to get Rocky. Looks like we may be here a while.”
“Okay.” She knew they’d have to wait for the FBI agent to get there and maybe answer a few more questions, but she didn’t want to stick around for long. She wanted to head out on another lead to find Eli.
“I really need to get back to work,” Mary said as Chase left.
“Okay, but we’ll need you to speak with the authorities once they get here.” She was careful not to mention the FBI. Not that she thought Mary would refuse to cooperate, but in general, her people didn’t trust the federal government. And with good reason.
“Sure.” Mary hustled off, leaving Wyn standing there alone. She gazed at the drive-through window, trying to imagine how Mary had noticed Eli in the back seat of the pickup truck.
Alive and unhurt. At least physically. Inwardly? She had no idea.
Eli didn’t interact with people the same way other kids did. Half of the time, Wyn didn’t know what went through Eli’s mind. Even when she constantly reminded him to use his words, he didn’t often go into detail about his thoughts or feelings.
Maybe because he was only four and a half, but she wasn’t sure he’d ever have full conversations the way she secretly hoped.
None of that mattered now. She needed her son home safe. His absence left a gaping hole in her heart that would never be filled if they didn’t find him.
“Where’s Mary?” Chase crossed over to join her with Rocky at his side. The dog sniffed the air with interest, and she imagined Rocky would love nothing more than a burger with the works.
“Back at the drive-through.” She sighed. “How long until Griff gets here?”
“Five minutes or less.” Chase glanced around the restaurant. “I took a walk outside but didn’t see any cameras. That’s rather unusual. Most places have them, especially near the drive-through window.”
“I’m not surprised.” She shrugged. “Things on the rez are different. Nobody likes the idea that big brother might be watching.”
“I guess so. I did see a gas station a block or two down the road. I am sure they have cameras. I’m hoping Griff can get the owner to turn the video over. They may have gotten a glimpse of the white truck driving by.”
That possibility cheered her up. “Really? It would be great if there were cameras that captured the truck. We really need a license plate.”
“Yeah, that would help.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “We’re getting close, Wyn. I can feel it.”
She desperately wanted to believe him.
When Griff arrived, he looked annoyed. “You should have called the minute Rocky alerted on the napkin.”
“Here, you can take it as evidence.” Chase pulled it from his pocket.
“You don’t get it,” Griff said irritably. “The evidence has been moved, which makes it unusable in court. I can run the DNA, but I’m not sure those results will us do any good in the long run if we can’t use it.”
“I don’t care about the trial. Right now, I’m more concerned with finding my son.” She glared at Griff. “Once we have Eli safe, then we can worry about building your case.”
The agent sighed. “I understand, I do. But we need to preserve the evidence as we go. If something happens, and Eli isn’t able to testify...”
She blanched, realizing what he meant. If Eli was killed and they needed to press charges against these guys for kidnapping and murder.
Murder!
No, she couldn’t bear to think about that. She shook her head and strove to keep her voice calm. “Mary saw Eli alive and well a half hour ago. The kidnapper bought him a breakfast sandwich. I don’t know why they took him, but we’re going to find him.”
“Yes, we will,” Griff quickly agreed. He averted his gaze, scanning the restaurant. “Okay, which of these is our witness, Mary? I have a six-pack of photos for her to look at to see if she can identify our suspect.”
“Back at work.” Wyn gestured to the window. “I’ll ask Rose the manager to cover for her again.”
Thankfully, Rose didn’t balk at freeing Mary up for the second time in a few minutes. She led Mary back to the empty table Griff and Chase had found. Mary eyed Rocky warily as she approached.
“Don’t worry, he’s harmless.” Chase smiled. “He’s a search and rescue dog.”
“Really?” Mary’s eyes widened with interest. “That’s amazing.”
“I’m Special Agent Griffin Flannery.” Griff rose as he introduced himself. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. As you know, we have a missing child, and time is of the essence. I understand you noticed Eli Blackhorse in the back of a white pickup truck?”
“Yes.” If Mary was reluctant to talk to the FBI, she didn’t show it. “And I only noticed because he wasn’t in a booster seat.”
“I understand, please sit down.” When Mary glanced back at the busy restaurant, Griff added, “This won’t take long.”
“Okay.” Mary sat next to Griff and gestured to her and Chase. “But I’ve told them everything I know.”
Griff looked slightly frustrated, but simply nodded. “I understand, and we are grateful for your cooperation. If you could please tell your story again for my sake, I would appreciate it.”
Mary complied. As she spoke, Wyn didn’t notice any discrepancy in her story, which was a good sign. Griff asked questions similar to what she had.
“I just didn’t pay that much attention.” Mary’s tone was apologetic. “As I said earlier, if I had known there was a missing child, I would have done more.”
“I issued an Amber Alert.” Griff grimaced. “I know that doesn’t necessarily mean the tribe has been notified.”
Wyn knew that several national emergency systems like the Amber Alert had not been fully expanded throughout the Native American reservations. Now, she silently vowed that once they had Eli back safe, she would personally make sure her father championed that change here within the Wind River rez.
“I have a group of photographs to show you,” Griff said, breaking the silence. “I’d like you to tell me if any of these men look familiar.”
He spread the photo array out on the table. Mary leaned forward to examine them. The six pictures were lined up three per line. Wyn noticed they were all Native American men who were thin and in their mid-twenties.
Mary took so long to say anything Wyn wondered if George Twofeathers wasn’t the man who had Eli. That maybe his accomplice had taken over.
“Yes, this man.” Mary tapped the last photo on the upper line. “This man was driving the truck with the little boy in the back seat.”
“Thank you.” Griff’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction, and Wyn knew Mary had nailed the ID. “His name is George Twofeathers. Does that ring a bell? Do you know him? Or his mother, Regina?”
“No, I’ve never heard of him or his mother.” Mary shot another guilty glance over her shoulder. “If that’s all, I really need to get back to work.”
“Yes, that’s fine. You’ve been very helpful.” Griff rose and offered his hand. After a moment, Mary took it. “Here is my card. If you see this man again, or think of anything else, please call.”
“Sure.” Mary tucked the card into her uniform pocket. “I hope you find him.”
“We will,” Griff spoke with confidence, sounding much like Chase. And while she was glad to know that George Twofeathers was the man who had Eli, the sad truth was they were still no closer to finding their son.
* * *
“You need to ask the gas station for their security video to see if you can pick out the white truck,” Chase said to Griff after Mary returned to work. “Other local cameras may have video of the truck too.”
“Yeah, I’m aware of how to run an investigation.” Griff’s tone was testy. “It would be easier if the rez would operate like the rest of the world.”
“I received the Amber Alert,” Chase frowned. “I didn’t realize the notice wouldn’t go out to everyone on the rez.”
“I should have mentioned it.” Wyn sighed. “To be honest, it didn’t occur to me either. Things here are still a bit medieval when it comes to technology.”
Medieval was putting it mildly, but he let it go. “What else can we do?”
“Nothing.” Griff stood. “I’ll see what we can find on the truck. The tribal police have already put out a BOLO on George Twofeathers.”
Chase stood too. His abrupt movement startled Rocky who scrambled to his feet. “There must be something we can do to help.”
“I should come with you to ask for the camera video,” Wyn said. “I believe the locals will cooperate with me more so than you.”
Griff looked frustrated. “I can handle it. We have a missing kid, it’s all hands on deck. I’ve asked the tribal police to assist me in getting the videos. Until we have a line on the white truck, there’s nothing more you can do.”
Wyn looked as if she wanted to argue, so he put a hand on her arm. “It’s okay. We can drive around looking for the truck.”
Griff didn’t look happy to hear his plan, but didn’t protest. “All I ask is that you call me if you find a lead before you go gallivanting around the rez.”
Chase had no intention of making any rash promises. If they found Eli, he wouldn’t sit back and wait for the feds to show up. Or the tribal police for that matter. He was still upset to have learned the Amber Alert hadn’t gone out to everyone as he’d anticipated. “I called you about this lead, didn’t I?”
Griff scowled. “Only after you’d done the investigation for yourself and ruined the evidence collection. Don’t push me, Sullivan. Stay in touch.”
“Of course.” He waited for Griff to leave, then gestured to the front counter of the restaurant. “Don’t judge me, but I’m hungry. Let’s grab something for the road.”
Wyn hesitated only for a moment. “As odd as it sounds, I’d like that. Seems fitting to have a meal from the same place Eli did.”
He walked over to stand in line. In his stubborn way, Rocky eventually followed. Chase paid for their food, then gladly took the sandwiches.
Outside, he discovered the sun was beginning to warm the air to a tolerable level. Not that it still wasn’t below freezing, but something about bright sunshine gave the illusion of warmth.
Rocky was too well trained to beg for table food, but the K9 did nose the bag as they covered the distance to the street where he’d parked his SUV and trailer. Seeing the gouge along the upper edge of the trailer cover, it occurred to him that the kidnappers hadn’t tried to shoot at them again.
Hopefully because they were too busy moving from one location to the next. In his opinion, it was important to keep these guys off balance.
Maybe having the Sullivan K9 logo on the car was helping rather than hindering the investigation.
After putting Rocky in the back, he slid into the driver’s seat and handed Wyn the food. “Let’s eat while we drive. I need to fill up the gas tank, though, before we head out of town. I’m hoping George may not have taken Eli very far.”
“I like that idea.” She rummaged in the bag and pulled out their meals. He’d noticed she’d gone with a breakfast sandwich, but Chase had gotten a large double cheeseburger.
He reached for her hand. “Let’s take a moment to say grace. Lord Jesus, we thank You for this food and for letting us know our son, Eli, has not been physically harmed. We humbly ask that You continue to guide us so that we may bring him home. Amen.”
“Amen,” Wyn whispered.
The home he was referring to was the Sullivan ranch, but he kept that thought to himself. One step at a time. First, they had to find Eli.
Then the little boy would need to get to know him. How long that would take with his autism diagnosis, Chase had no clue.
But he wasn’t going anywhere. If he had to temporarily move in with Wynona, he would.
He ate as they cruised the streets around the fast-food restaurant. He noticed a tribal squad parked outside at the gas station and wished he could be there to see the video footage for himself. He pulled in to fill his gas tank.
Then he had an idea.
“I have a pair of two-way radios in the snowmobile trailer.” He jumped out to get the gas pump started, then reached up to open the trailer covering the snowmobiles. He kicked himself for not thinking about that sooner. He really should have asked Doug and Maya to join him. They had both been cops and probably would have thought of this right away. He hopped up onto the trailer and rummaged in the closest bag. Moving the helmet and extra warm weather gear aside, he found them.
The radios were nothing fancy, they used them to communicate while riding the sleds. Talking over the engine noise was nearly impossible. They often had to relay pertinent information regarding a search, especially if they were covering a wide area.
After leaping down from the trailer, he closed and secured the cover. Then he opened the passenger side door to hand her the radios. “We can use these to hear what the cops are saying.”
“We can?” Wyn looked surprised. “Are you sure?”
He wasn’t sure of anything, but it was worth a try.
He finished pumping gas, then returned to the front seat. With deft movements, he connected the cable to the adapter he used for his phone and turned on the radio. He searched the radio waves for the channel law enforcement might be using.
After long minutes of hearing nothing but static, he’d wondered if this wouldn’t work after all. Then he heard voices. Not as clear as he’d have hoped, but voices.
“Looks—head—west.” The statement was broken up by static.
“Did they say the truck was heading west?” Wyn asked.
“I think so.” He tried to tune the radio in, but he wasn’t successful. More static filled the air, then another comment.
“We’ll—the BOLO,” a voice said.
Wyn’s hand shot out to grab his arm. “Update the BOLO? Is that what he said? Do you think they got a license plate?”
“Maybe.” He considered calling Griff to find out but doubted the fed would tell him anything. He pulled back out into traffic. He couldn’t fiddle with the radio while driving, so he gave it to Wyn. “I’m going to head west. See if you can get this to work better.”
As she fiddled with the controls, he tried to think like George. He doubted the guy would stay on the main roads, so he brought up the map app on his phone so it would display on his dashboard computer screen. He noticed there was a side road that meandered northwest and turned to take it.
“This is the best I can do.” Wyn sighed. “It’s more static than not.”
“Okay.” The comments between the tribal police officers were few and far between, which didn’t help. Within ten minutes, they had driven all the way through town and were heading deeper into the reservation. Well outside the city limits.
He began to second-guess his decision. Until now, the locations where the kidnappers had kept Eli had been in town, not outside. But maybe that had changed.
He decided they should keep going for a while. There was no sign of a white truck, which was disappointing.
If they had something belonging to George, he could ask Rocky to track him. He’d given the crumpled napkin to Griff and wished now that he hadn’t.
The napkin had been in his pocket, but he wasn’t sure there would be enough of a scent to use for tracking. Especially since Rocky had already alerted on the napkin while searching for Eli. There wasn’t an easy way to explain to Rocky that he wanted him to follow the other scent on the napkin. Not Eli’s scent.
The last thing he wanted to do was confuse his dog. Not when he’d done such a great job in searching for his son.
When they reached a fork in the road, he slowed and glanced questioningly at Wyn. “Which way?”
“I say go right. That way is still slightly northwest.” She frowned. “Although I don’t see much by the way of housing in either direction.”
He didn’t either. Fighting doubt, he turned to head northwest. There were more hills in this direction. Every so often, gusts of wind blew snow across the open areas between them. In the distance, the Tetons spiked the blue sky.
“I don’t think we’re going to find them way out here,” Wyn said, after they’d gone several miles. “You should probably turn around.”
“Okay.” He had noticed the roads had gotten narrower, especially as they were well off the main highway. They’d passed the small Central Wyoming airport several miles back, and he’d wondered if it was possible the kidnappers had planned to take Eli away via a charter plane. But he hadn’t wanted to worry Wyn by saying anything. “I’ll have to wait for the next intersection. I need plenty of room to make the turn with the trailer.”
She nodded and stared down at the radio. “If they really do have his license plate, I hope they find him soon.”
Looking at the wide-open spaces around them, he wasn’t sure that having a plate number would help. He hated to admit his plan to search for the white truck had been a stupid idea. George could have taken Eli anywhere in the time they’d been seen at the drive-through.
All the way to the casino or even farther.
Consulting the map, he made a note of the next intersection. “Two miles ahead, there’s another fork in the road. I’ll turn around there.”
There were still no houses of any sort. Maybe they were wrong about George keeping off the main highway. From what he could tell via the map, some of these small roads just dead-ended in the middle of nowhere.
He slowed his speed and turned to the left at the intersection. Then he had to back up with the trailer so he could head back toward Riverton.
“Wait a minute, is there something out there?” Wyn was peering out her passenger side window.
He leaned forward to see better. At first, he didn’t understand, then he realized the light from the sun was reflecting off something. “I can’t tell what it is.”
“Let’s take a look.” Wyn gestured. “We’ve come this far. Maybe it’s a car.”
“Okay.” He backed up the trailer again so he could turn around. As they headed north, it soon became clear the object in the distance was a car.
A white truck.
He hit the brake. “Stay here. I’ll check it out with Rocky.”
“I’m coming too!” Wyn pushed on her door.
“I’m armed; you’re not.” He sighed, knowing he was wasting his breath. “Fine, but you stay behind me, understand? This guy could have a gun.”
“I know that. I was there when they fired at us.” Her expression was a mixture of hope and dread. “I can’t help but think they dumped the truck to throw us off track.”
He released the back hatch. Rocky eagerly jumped down. The dog had been cooped up for a while now and appeared anxious to go.
“Are you ready?” He injected excitement in his tone and decided against offering water since the dog didn’t drink most of the time. Rocky still wore his vest, and his tail wagged back and forth, his dark-brown eyes on his. He offered the scent bag with Eli’s clothes. “Are you ready to search? Search for Eli.”
Rocky whirled and began to take in the scents. While there were no people in the area, the wildlife provided plenty of distractions. Rocky began to trot across the field in the general direction of the truck.
Chase removed the glove from his right hand and reached for his weapon. Then he quickened his pace to follow Rocky. Thankfully, Wyn stayed behind him as promised.
Rocky didn’t take a straight path to the truck; he followed the scents wafting on the breeze. Chase approached cautiously, eyeing the vehicle, trying to determine whether it was empty.
When it was clear Rocky was about to alert near the truck, he called the dog back. “Rocky, heel.”
Rocky stared at him. The dog wasn’t used to being stopped in the middle of a search.
Chase rushed forward, holding his weapon up with two hands. “Get out of the car with your hands up!”
No answer.
He stepped closer, peering inside. He didn’t see anyone in the front seat. Frowning, he moved up to the window to see into the back.
And found him. George Twofeathers’s body had been shoved down on the floor between the seats.
A bullet hole marred the center of his forehead.