Chapter 32 Blake
BLAKE
We were right back in the same location where Dakota went missing. That couldn’t be a coincidence, and Parker knew it. His eyes kept flicking to mine, and I could tell he was thinking the same thing as me.
The difference was that he couldn’t act on it. He had procedures to follow. I was just a civilian. There was nothing holding me back from searching wherever the hell I wanted.
And right now, the only thing on my mind was following my instincts and going in the opposite direction as everyone else.
My eyes flicked further down the road to the house that was now situated where only woods used to be.
Beyond that was the dirt road that led all the way back to the Callahan property.
Even after all this time, it was still just a maintenance road.
I doubted it was even used that often, considering the fact that the Callahan ranch was doing just as poorly as Murky Falls.
As Maverick finished announcing how they would break up the search party, I started making my way toward the woods.
“Where are you going?” Wes asked, jogging to catch up to me.
“To check something out. Stay here.”
“But—”
“Wes, you’re needed with the search party,” I said, giving him a pointed look to which he immediately rolled his eyes at me. “I won’t be gone long.”
The truth was, I didn’t think I’d be returning anytime soon, and since I was playing a hunch, I needed to leave Wes where he was most likely to be helpful. Besides, I was going to be tracking footprints in the dark. I didn’t need to worry about losing a second kid while I was at it.
I sent a quick text to Parker, letting him know my plan. I wasn’t stupid enough to wander off without letting anyone know where I was. I’d already been in that situation once, though I hadn’t wandered into that makeshift prison. I’d been taken there to be interrogated.
After stopping at the house and asking if they’d seen anything suspicious, I moved on, walking into their backyard. There were footprints everywhere in the mud from kids playing outside, none of which led in any single direction.
As I entered the woods, I took a moment to shine the flashlight in every direction, searching for any sign someone was hiding in the woods. I wouldn’t be that lucky, though. If someone did kidnap that little girl, they would be long gone with her by now.
The ground was frozen solid out here, with little light to soften the ground. With branches and leaves coating the forest floor, it made it nearly impossible to find anything that would lead me in the right direction.
Nearly impossible.
Though there were no definitive footprints, twigs were broken on the forest floor, and leaves were scattered, and they all led in one direction. I shone my flashlight up ahead, then took off at a quick pace. I knew I was onto something.
I ran about a mile through the woods before I finally came out on the maintenance road.
Breathing hard, I looked at the ground in all directions.
There were distinct tire tracks leading in the direction of the ranch, but no other signs of the girl.
If I called Parker now, he would tell me it wasn’t enough to go on, and he’d be right.
Just as I was kicking myself for not having a vehicle, headlights flashed behind me. Spinning around, I stepped off the road, waiting for the vehicle to come to a stop in front of me.
Anger ripped through me as Wes stared at me behind the wheel of the farm truck. “What are you doing?” I asked, yanking the door open. “You’re not old enough to drive!”
“Did you want me to take the truck back?”
No, I didn’t want him to do that. But I also didn’t want him to come along with me. That was the epitome of stupid. And yet, he had the foresight to meet me out here.
But there was still one thing I needed to know.
“How did you know about this road?”
“It was in your paperwork.”
“My paperwork that you’re not supposed to be looking at?”
He rolled his eyes and scooted over to the passenger seat. “You left it out and I was bored.”
Climbing it, I slammed the door. “We’ll talk about this later.”
I hit the gas and took off toward the ranch. In the dark, it was impossible to see all the potholes. I felt like I was bouncing over a cornfield in the middle of harvest season.
“Where are we going?” Wes asked.
“There’s an old cabin on the Callahan property. It used to belong to Jim and his wife, but after they died, it fell into ruins.”
“Then why are we going there?”
My grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Because I think Jim killed Dakota, the little girl from twenty-five years ago,” I said, glancing over at him. “And if I’m right, I think there may be evidence of it at his cabin.”
“But we’re supposed to be looking for the missing girl.”
My eyes drifted to the rearview mirror. There wasn’t a soul in sight out here, which was what I needed. But it also lent an eerie feeling as I drove through the darkness.
“I think they’re related.”
“How? You said Jim died.”
“Yes, but he has a psycho nephew. Maybe Austin picked up his killer ways and decided to continue what his uncle started.”
“That’s insane.”
“That family is insane,” I muttered.
“But how can you be sure one of them took this little girl?”
“I’m not sure. It’s just a feeling. Two little girls go missing from the same area? That’s too much of a coincidence.”
“Yeah, but the other one was twenty-five years ago. That sounds like a stretch to me.”
It did, and I knew it, but something was telling me that I needed to look into this now, or I would regret it forever.
I gasped, turning the wheel hard to the right as the road veered toward the mountains. The terrain was insane out here, and for the first time since I started this crazy search, I wondered if I had just dug my own grave.
And Wes’s.
No, I would be fine. A little girl’s life was at stake. I couldn’t afford to fail.
“Look, there’s no harm in checking this out. We’ll swing by the cabin, see if there’s anyone there, or any evidence. If there’s not, we’ll know for sure one way or the other.”
He huffed out a disbelieving sigh, but said nothing else.
We drove for another five miles before we got to the outskirts of the property. I could see the old cabin from where we were idling on the side of the road, but I didn’t dare drive any closer, knowing that the lights could tip someone off.
Shifting into park, I grabbed the gun under my seat, along with the holster, and attached it to my hip.
“Wait, we can’t walk from here,” Wes said, getting out of the truck and racing after me.
“Why not?” I called over my shoulder, keeping my voice low. We might be in the middle of nowhere, but noise traveled in the open air.
“Because we’re too far away from the truck. If they catch us, we’ll have nowhere to go,” he hissed, running to catch up.
“Then we don’t get caught. That’s sort of the point.”
“But you’re pregnant!”
Spinning on my heel, I faced him. “Look, if you don’t want to come, then don’t. Honestly, it’s probably better if you don’t. I’m pretty sure this crosses some kind of guardian/kid boundary line that I’m just completely ignoring at the moment.”
“I’m not letting you go in there alone. Parker would kill me.”
“Yeah? He’d kill me if anything happened to you. Stay here. If I’m not back in an hour, call Parker and tell him I need help.”
“But—”
I ran up the hill, cursing every time my ankle turned in a low spot.
I stayed low as I watched for any sign of movement.
Though I wasn’t that far along, I noticed this was a helluva lot easier when I wasn’t pregnant.
My jeans were pressing into my stomach with every move, and the lack of food for dinner was depleting my energy.
Or maybe that was the kid inside taking all my resources.
By the time I made it across the field, I was seriously nauseous. Note to self, eat before sprinting so damn much. I pushed on, knowing time was not on my side. I only had another half mile to go, and then I’d know once and for all if I was right about my suspicions.
I stopped shy of the cabin, butting up against a tree. Pulling out my phone, I checked my messages, but had nothing from Parker. No signal either, so I didn’t know if he even got my previous message.
For just a moment, I thought about turning back. Parker would be pissed at me for coming out here with Wes, no cell service, and in my condition, as he called it.
But then I heard it.
It was faint, but out here, the sounds of the little girl crying for help were unmistakable. She was here, and if I waited—if I got help first—she could end up just like Dakota.
Rushing forward, I ducked low just as I got to the cabin, peeking up into the window. There, on the far side of the cabin, was a little girl tied up. The gag from her mouth had come loose, which was how she was able to call out.
My eyes scanned every visible inch of the cabin, but I couldn’t see anyone else inside. Whoever it was, they’d left her alone.
Creeping to the door, I slowly opened it, wincing when it creaked loudly. Years of neglect of the cabin hadn’t done me any favors tonight. But I peeked my head in, making eye contact with the little girl. Tears streamed down her face as I pressed a single finger to my lips.
She sat there shaking as I made my way over to her, carefully avoiding the holes in the floor and dried leaves that were scattered across the rotted wood planks.
When I was only a few feet away, I hurried the rest of the way to her, keeping my voice low as I started on her bonds.
“Cassie?”
She nodded, a whimper slipping free from her lips. “It’s okay. My name is Blake. I’m gonna get you out of here, okay?”
She whimpered again, and as soon as her arms were free, she flung them around my neck. “I want my mommy.”
“I know, sweetie,” I whispered, taking the time to comfort her, rubbing a hand up and down her back. The girl trembled in my arms, and tears from her face slid against mine.
“I wanna go home.”