Chapter Seventeen
“Try calling him. Depending on where the storm is, it might not work, but it’s the best place to start.” Quinn’s words snapped Eloise from her daze.
Her fingers punched one for speed dial. Nothing. The call went straight to voice mail. Whether it was the storm, or knowing she would try to call, he might have turned the phone off, she didn’t know. Disconnecting the call, she shook her head at Quinn.
“All right. We need to tell everyone what’s going on, starting with Declan.”
Of course. In Chicago a person would call 911, in West Texas, you called on the police chief. A plus when the police chief was part of the family. Clutching the letter in her hand, she followed Quinn out of the room and downstairs.
It took Quinn all of thirty seconds to explain the situation.
“I’ll call Declan.” Aunt Eileen used the land line. In dust storms, cell towers had a way of failing you.
Almost as quickly as Quinn had brought his aunt up to the moment, his aunt had explained everything to Declan. She nodded a few times, then just as quickly wished him Godspeed and hung up. “All right. Declan’s radioing Reed to search for Danny en route to Butler Springs. Then he’s putting out an APB or whatever it is the police do when searching for a missing person.”
The words missing person almost stole Eloise’s breath away.
“He’s also going to call Adam to check all the places in Tuckers Bluff Danny might go to, starting with the café and the pub.”
“Is driving around town safe for Adam?” Catherine frowned.
Aunt Eileen and Uncle Sean looked at each other, an entire conversation seemed to take place with only their eyes until Eileen nodded and Sean answered, “Safer than walking.”
This time Catherine blew out a sigh, bobbed her head and with Connor having come in the back door, she grabbed hold of his hand.
“What about the buses?” Quinn asked. “Any chance he thumbed it to Butler Springs and caught a bus out?”
“I’m sure Declan will reach out to all outlets for Danny to leave.”
“All right. I’ll start tracing his possible steps from here. If he’s still on foot, even in a few hours, he can’t get that far in cattle country.” Quinn squeezed Eloise’s hand before letting go and turning around.
“Hang on.” Uncle Sean pulled a map out of a nearby drawer and spread it out on the coffee table. “Once he’s off the property, he’s got a five-mile walk before he has to choose which direction to go in. Toward Butler Springs—the most likely choice to get to a bus station, the same road into Tuckers Bluff—”
Connor cut his father off, “That is the only route he knows.”
“It may be the only road he’s traveled since arriving,” Ryan faced his cousin, “but Mr. Google could be his travel guide.”
“Ryan’s right.” Uncle Sean tapped at the map. “The third choice is the southern route to the interstate. That’s the longest road so my guess is he won’t try that.”
“He’s very upset,” Eloise interrupted, her mind rushing back to the times she’d find Danny hiding in a closet or living on the streets. “He may not be thinking rationally.”
“In that case,” Uncle Sean folded the map, “we won’t discard any option.”
“Deputy Reed is heading out to Butler Springs, so that route is covered.” Before Uncle Sean could finish his sentence, the kitchen phone rang.
“Yes.” Aunt Eileen had to be upset to answer the phone so abruptly. “I see. Of course. No, we won’t. I know. Declan James Farraday, your father has been combing this land since before you were a twinkle in your mother’s eye… that’s better.” Heaving a deep sigh, she hung up the handset and turned to her family. “The Brady’s truck broke down on the other side of town. Storm’s coming from that direction so Reed needs to do an about-face.”
Everyone waited in silence for their aunt to divulge more.
When no one said a word, not even their uncle, she sucked in another deep breath. “He said no heroics. If the dust storm is as bad as folks are expecting, well, everyone be careful.”
Eloise’s heart tightened as if clamped in a vise. She didn’t have to be a rancher to realize that every person in this room was willing to risk their own safety to find her brother. A man they barely knew. “I can’t ask—”
“You’re not asking.” Quinn spoke at the same time his aunt and uncle opened their mouths, no doubt to say the same thing.
“Morgan and Ryan,” their uncle directed, “you two head for the interstate. If things start to look pretty bad, there are two line shacks that way. Like Declan said, don’t play hero, take refuge.”
The two siblings nodded and turned, seconds before their aunt stopped them.
Aunt Eileen ran into a room off the kitchen and came out with blankets, flashlights, large bottles of water, and what looked like a pair of walkie-talkies like in the movies. She handed everything off to Morgan, then while the two men stood there, cradling the items she’d given them. She grabbed something else, tying a colorful bandana around each nephew’s neck. “It’s no longer a matter of if the dust blows, but when. You’ll need these, and there are three more just in case.”
The two brothers nodded again. Ryan taking a second to kiss his aunt on the cheek before they turned and pretty much trotted out the front door.
The back door blew open. Dale, Hannah’s husband, came into the kitchen and with one shoulder, shoved the door closed behind him. “I heard from Declan.”
Hannah lifted her head, her eyes smiling warmly at her husband.
“The horses are pretty much going berserk despite all that Connor and I did to keep things as settled and as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. I’ve tossed several sandbags in the back of the SUV, including emergency and first aid. Which way do I need to go?”
Uncle Sean nodded. “Ryan and Morgan are heading to the interstate. Haven’t heard from Adam yet, he’s checking if there are any signs of Danny in town.”
“Then someone needs to check the road from here to town.”
On a heavy sigh, Uncle Sean nodded. “Probably.”
“I’m ready,” Dale answered quickly.
“Not alone,” Aunt Eileen snapped.
“I call shotgun.” Connor walked to where his hat and jacket were hung.
Eloise’s gaze darted from the head of the Farraday clan to Quinn and back. “What about me?”
“This is not a good night for a city girl to be outdoors.” Quinn’s uncle had never looked so serious.
Eloise’s voice dropped to almost a whisper. “Danny’s a city boy.”
All Quinn could do was to once again offer his hand to her. It wasn’t much, but it was the only way he knew to convey that she could count on him, no matter what.
“I’m going too.” Eloise tugged her hand away and turned toward the door.
Quickly, Quinn caught her arm. “No.” He hadn’t meant for that to come out so harshly. “You’re better off staying here in case he calls. I’ll go.”
“We still need to cover from here to Butler Springs.” Uncle Sean threw him a set of keys. “My Suburban has more balanced weight than your truck. A soft wind would blow yours right off the road.”
“I’ll weight it like Dale.”
Uncle Sean just shook his head. “This is no time to be Farraday stubborn. Use my vehicle.”
“Yes, sir.” Quinn nodded. His uncle was right. His truck wasn’t the best option.
Catherine stood up. “There are lots of sand bags next door.”
“That’s right,” Hannah chimed in. “We use them to create barriers for some of the training, but you’ll need help if you want to beat this nasty storm.”
“She’s right.” Uncle Sean reached for his jacket. “That wall of dust is moving fast. Could be on us anytime now. When it does arrive, you won’t be able to see three feet in front of you.”
“Has anyone looked out the window?” Finn lifted his chin toward the back of the house. “We’re already running out of time. I’ll go with Quinn.”
“You’ll need water, blankets, bandanas, and extra flashlights. Sean’s truck already has a first aid kit, hopefully you won’t need it, never mind more than one.” Aunt Eileen handed Finn two more walkie-talkies. “When the dust hits, as sure as my name is Eileen Callahan Farraday, those cell towers aren’t going to be worth spit. They’re on the same frequency as what Adam keeps in his truck and Declan too.”
Quinn nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ve got this.”
His aunt did her best to flash a confident smile, but at the moment, even she couldn’t quite pull it off.
“I’m coming.” Eloise glared at Quinn.
“Eloise.” Before he could say another word, she crossed her arms and tapped one toe.
Hannah actually had the nerve to giggle under her breath before muttering, “I wouldn’t waste my breath, dear Cousin.”
Grabbing his hat, Finn shook his head. “Looks like we’re all going.” He turned to Eloise. “You can ride shotgun if you want.”
She nodded, waiting for Aunt Eloise to tie a bandana around her neck.
Hand firmly gripping her elbow, Quinn led Eloise to his uncle’s SUV. The wind nearly knocked her off her feet. The lack of birds flying overhead drew home the seriousness of the impending storm. Smart animals had sought shelter long ago.
“We’ll find him,” Quinn promised, helping her into the cab.
“How far could he get?” Eloise checked her watch.
“Since we have no idea how long he’s been gone, could be anywhere from three to twenty miles on foot. If he caught a ride, he could be halfway to Dallas by now.”
After pulling into Connor’s ranch, Quinn looked to Eloise. “You stay in the cab. Finn and I will toss a few sandbags in the back and we’ll be on our way.”
“I’m not a delicate flower.”
The next thing he knew, she was out of the car and carrying sandbags over just as quickly as he and Finn were. Apparently, in more ways than one, he’d underestimated his chef.
Satisfied with the extra weight in the vehicle, they all climbed back inside and tearing out faster than he should have, Quinn turned the SUV onto the main road. From the rear-view window, he could see a massive brown wall chasing after them, eating up the horizon.
Ahead of him, the truck’s headlights caught swirling dust devils growing larger by the minute. They hadn’t gone but a few miles when static crackled over the radio.
“Adam here. No sign of him anywhere in town. Most folks are hunkering down, but the word is being spread to keep a lookout for him. I’m driving to the ranch. Out.”
Connor came over the radio next. “We’re on our way to town now. No sign of him yet. Out.”
“I’ll let you know if I find him first and you can turn around. Out.”
“Ten Four,” Connor replied.
A few more miles and another voice—Declan’s—cut through. “Got a report from Ned. On his way into town a few hours ago, he spotted someone matching Danny’s description walking toward Butler Springs.”
Eloise’s heart jumped. “That has to be him.”
Morgan came over the radio next. “We’ll keep driving toward the interstate, just in case it’s someone else Ned saw. The guy is pretty old. Out.”
Eloise turned to Quinn. “Who else could possibly be out on a night like this?”
“Unfortunately,” Finn leaned closer to the front seat to be heard over the howling wind, “most villages have more than one idiot.”
If the situation weren’t so serious, Quinn would have laughed at his cousin’s observation. He just hoped that wherever he was, someone found Danny safe and sound, and soon.