Chapter 41
Max and Sheriff Sutherland stood at the dining room table.
It had been cleared, and a large map was now spread flat across its surface. Roads, backroads, forest lines, and—most important right now—railroad tracks crisscrossed the area in thin, dark lines.
Max stepped closer, his gaze locking onto the map.
Sheriff Sutherland tapped one section. “I’ve got a call in to the regional Rail Operations Center. I’m trying to see where a train just passed through. If we can narrow down the timing, we can narrow down a location.”
Max leaned over the table, both hands pressing into the wood as he stared at the map.
He could still hear the sound in his head—that low, distant rumble through the phone. The sound hadn’t been loud enough to be right beside Kendra, but it had been close.
He followed one line with his finger. Then another.
His thoughts moved fast, jumping from one possibility to the next, discarding each one just as quickly.
Kendra wouldn’t go somewhere obvious.
She’d go somewhere she felt comfortable.
Somewhere she knew.
Somewhere—
Max sucked in a breath.
His finger stilled. No . . .
Sheriff Sutherland glanced at him. “What?”
Max’s gaze sharpened as the pieces began to fall into place. He pointed to a spot on the map, his hand tightening. “This is where my aunt and uncle live.”
The sheriff stepped closer, studying the map. “You think Kendra knows about it?”
“She does.” He tapped the area again, more firmly this time. “I brought her out there a couple of times. She liked my aunt and uncle. Said she wanted to be adopted into their family.”
Sheriff Sutherland’s expression darkened. “And the tracks?”
Max traced the route with his finger. “They run right through here. If you’re coming from the west side, you’d pass close enough to hear a train just like I did on the phone.”
Sheriff Sutherland met his gaze. “You think that’s where Kendra took Hadley?”
“It’s my best guess.” Max straightened and reached for his phone, already pulling up the contact. “They should be home. They don’t go out much at night.”
He hit Call and put the phone on Speaker.
It rang.
Once. Twice. Three times.
Max’s grip tightened.
Come on . . .
Four rings. Five.
There was no answer.
Max lowered the phone slowly, a cold weight settling in his gut.
Aunt Billie and Uncle Herb were almost always home.
And they always answered their phone. Always.
Something wasn’t right.
The door creaked open under Kendra’s push, and Hadley stumbled into the house.
“Keep moving.” Kendra pressed the gun into her back, commanding every step.
Hadley obeyed, her heart pounding as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. A single lamp glowed in the corner of the room, casting long shadows across worn furniture and faded walls.
Then she saw them.
A couple, probably in their early seventies, sat at the kitchen table just beyond the living area, their hands bound to the chairs. A strip of cloth had been tied loosely around each of their mouths, though it had slipped low enough now that Hadley could see their expressions clearly.
She saw their fear and exhaustion.
But at least they were alive.
Relief hit her.
They weren’t hurt. Not that she could see. Just terrified. She could work with that.
Her gaze lingered on them half a second longer before something else caught her attention—a framed photo on the wall nearby. The image showed the same couple, younger and smiling as they stood beside a man Hadley instantly recognized.
Max.
Her breath caught.
This couple must be his aunt and uncle. Herb and Billie.
Understanding snapped into place. This house wasn’t random. It was personal.
Kendra shoved her harder, breaking her focus. “Go on. Don’t stop.”
Hadley stumbled forward and caught herself just before she fell. But Kendra didn’t give her time to recover.
She shoved her again and sent her tumbling toward the couch. “Sit.”
Hadley dropped onto the worn cushions, her body tense and her mind racing. Kendra remained standing, her posture rigid but controlled as she held the gun.
“Now we wait,” Kendra said.
Hadley swallowed, her throat dry. “For what?”
Kendra’s lips curved into a small, unsettling smile. “For Max to find us.”
The words sent a chill down Hadley’s spine. Just what was she planning to do when Max got there?
Before she could respond, a mustard-colored phone mounted on the kitchen wall rang.
The jarring sound cut through the quiet. Kendra’s smile widened as she stared at the phone. “Right on time.”
“You think that by doing this, Max is going to run back into your arms?” Hadley didn’t bother to keep the disbelief from her voice.
Kendra glanced at her, her expression almost amused. “If he’s smart, he will.”
Hadley shook her head slowly, forcing her voice to soften. “Kendra . . . that’s not what you want.”
Kendra’s gaze flicked back to her. “No?”
“You need to be with someone who appreciates you as you are.” Hadley chose each word with care. “Not because you’re forcing their hand.”
“Shut up!” Kendra snapped. “You don’t know anything. Max and I were perfect together. We understood each other.”
Hadley held her gaze, refusing to look away.
“But I knew,” Kendra continued, her expression hardening, “from the moment he first saw you that you’d be trouble. I saw how he looked at you.”
“Kendra.” Hadley lowered her voice. “You don’t have to do this. You deserve to be with someone who truly loves you.”
For a second, something flickered in Kendra’s eyes. Uncertainty, maybe—or something close to it.
Then the emotion vanished, and her gaze turned cold. “Don’t try to talk me out of it. It’s too late anyway. It’s already done.”