Chapter 86
EIGHTY-SIX
Midnight Ridge
Cord and the search team combed the trail surrounding Midnight Ridge but found no signs of Lou Lou. He kept worrying about Ellie but doubted the madman who’d left those crow feathers at her house wouldn’t attack her during the day.
The bastard was most likely hiding out at the moment, avoiding the ridge for fear of being caught.
Cord hacked away more weeds as he searched the ravine, following Benji, who kept his nose to the ground.
They’d found bodies all over the trail before, both on rescue and recovery missions, but with every section he searched, his anxiety mounted.
The wind was ripping through the trees, tearing off twigs and limbs, the thinner trees bowing in the wind.
A few snowflakes started to fall, fluttering from the sky and collecting on the tree branches.
There was no way a small child could survive these elements alone, especially without food, water or shelter.
He used his radio to contact Milo. “Weather’s about to take a nasty turn.
Have someone check every AT shelter in the area along with the old mines.
” If Lou Lou’s abductor had been in a hurry, he could be hiding out in one of them or he might have left Lou Lou there while he took care of her mother. ”
He shuddered at the thought of what the monster would do to Dana Jo, anger churning in his gut at the image of the man hurting a young girl or an innocent little child. He hadn’t always been on the right side of the law, but he lived by a code: protect women and children.
On their last case, Ellie learned that he’d helped cover up a crime when the Bramble girls were abused, and he’d helped them bury their father’s body. The girls had also been teenagers and old man Bramble had deserved to die. He had no remorse for what he’d done.
Although he hadn’t been up front with Ellie about his part in burying the man, she’d uncovered the truth. He’d expected to lose her over it, but she hadn’t abandoned him.
Would she leave him if she knew he had more blood on his hands?