Chapter 6 #3
I nod, feeling a shift inside me. "He's been doing this for years. Charlie's mother, if she looked like this too…"
"Techy's already on it," Greyson confirms. "We're pulling everything we can on Harris's ex-wife."
I stare at the faces on the screen, these women who share my fate but never escaped it. The guilt that had been building since this morning begins to dissolve, replaced by a cold, hard anger.
"Find him," I say, my voice low and steady. "Find him before he takes another one."
The clubhouse erupts into action. Phones are pulled out, calls are made, strategies are formed. I watch as these dangerous men I've known since childhood mobilize with deadly efficiency.
"I need to see my dad," I tell Trenton. "He should be here soon."
We move to the entrance, where my father's truck is just pulling into the lot. He climbs out, his face drawn with worry. Beside him is a man I recognize, Ethan, his friend from the police department.
"Morgan," Dad says, pulling me into a hug. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," I assure him, though the words feel hollow. "We found something you should see."
Inside, Ethan studies Techy's findings with professional interest. "This is good work," he admits. "Better than our system could do in twice the time."
"Can you use it?" I ask, needing to know that this information will help.
Ethan nods. "I'll make sure it gets to the right people. The department is taking this seriously now."
"What about his daughter, Charlie?" The question hangs in the air.
Ethan's expression tightens. "We have an Amber alert out. Every officer in the state is looking for her."
But I hear what he doesn't say, that they're looking for a body as much as a living child.
"I want to help," I tell them. "I know what he's looking for. I know the type."
"No." Trenton's voice is firm. "It's too dangerous."
"Morgan—" Matthew begins.
I hold up my hand, silencing them both. "This isn't just about me anymore. There are twelve women out there who never came home. There's a little girl who might still be alive."
I turn to Ethan. "I can help. Please, let me help." I feel absolutely useless at the moment.
Ethan considers me for a long moment. "She might be right," he admits. "Having someone who understands his type could help."
"Absolutely not," Dad says. "I won't put my daughter in danger."
"Dad—"
"Morgan's right," Greyson interjects, surprising everyone. "But she stays with us. The club protects its own."
I look at Trenton and Matthew, seeing the conflict in their eyes. They want to protect me, but they also understand the need to find Evan before he hurts anyone else.
"Morgan stays with us," Trenton finally agrees. "She helps from a distance."
It's not perfect, but it's a compromise I can live with. I nod, already thinking about what I know of Evan and his behavior, his patterns, his obsession.
"The missing women," I say, moving back to Techy's computer. "Can you show me where they were last seen?"
Techy pulls up a new map, the red dots representing the last known locations of each victim. I study it, looking for patterns.
"He's methodical," I observe. "The distances between the dots? They're consistent."
Matthew leans over my shoulder. "You think he's hunting in a specific area?"
"I think he has a comfort zone," I say, tracing a circle on the screen. "These five women disappeared within this radius. The others are outliers."
"Or practice," Trenton suggests, his voice hard.
The thought makes me shiver, but I push it aside. "We need to find where he's taking them. Where he's keeping them."
"The bodies were found in the state forest," Ethan reminds us. "But that could be a dumping ground, not his primary location."
I think about Charlie, about the shoes that were too small, and the way she'd clung to me. "He has a place. Somewhere he feels safe. Somewhere he can take them without being seen."
Greyson moves to stand beside us. "The club can cover the state forest while the police search the urban areas."
"We need to move now," I say, feeling time slipping away. "Every minute we waste, Charlie could be…"
I can't finish the sentence. Can't voice the fear that claws at my throat.
"We'll find her," Trenton promises, his hand finding mine. "We'll find them both."
As the club moves into action, I watch these men, these dangerous, loyal men, prepare to hunt down a monster. I should be terrified, should be hiding somewhere safe.
But as I look at the faces of the women on Techy's screen, I know I can't. They deserve justice. Charlie deserves a chance.
And I, with my dark hair and blue eyes, understand the monster better than anyone.
"We'll start with the forest," I tell Greyson. "I want to see where he left them."
My father starts to protest, but I cut him off with a look. "I need to do this, Dad. I need to understand him if we're going to find Charlie."
After a long moment, he nods, his face tight with worry. "I'm coming with you."
"All of us," Trenton says, his arm slipping around my waist. "We stick together."
As we move toward the door, Matthew falls into step beside us. "I've got a contact at the coroner's office. I might be able to get us more information about the victims."
"Do it," I say. "We need everything we can get."
Outside, the morning sun is bright, mocking the darkness we're facing. I pause at the edge of the clubhouse parking lot, looking back at the building that has been my second home for so long.
"Morgan?" Trenton's voice is gentle.
I turn to face him, to face Matthew and my father. "I need you to understand," I say, my voice steady despite the fear that still lingers. "I'm not the same girl you left behind. I can handle this."
"We know," Matthew assures me.
"Do you?" I ask, looking between them. "Because I'm not going to hide while Evan is out there. I'm going to help find him. I'm going to help find Charlie."
Trenton's hand finds mine. "We wouldn't expect anything less."
The trust in his eyes gives me strength. Six years of waiting, of building a life together, has forged something between us that can't be broken, not even by this.
"Let's go," I say, squaring my shoulders. "Let's find them."
The drive to the state forest takes forty minutes, each mile stretching like taffy in my mind.
I sit between Trenton and Matthew in Greyson's truck, Dad following in his own vehicle.
The trees thicken as we leave the city behind, the road narrowing to a two-lane blacktop that winds through increasingly dense wilderness.
Ethan meets us at a small pull-off, police tape already cordoning off the area. His face is grim as we approach.
"Bodies were found about a half mile in," he says, gesturing toward a narrow trail. "Medical examiner's still working, but preliminary reports suggest the most recent victim was killed within the last week."
My stomach turns. A week ago, I was still teaching Charlie, still thinking Evan was just an overly attentive father.
"Can we see?" I ask, my voice steadier than I feel.
Ethan hesitates, then nods. "Keep it brief. And don't touch anything."
The trail is rough, barely visible between the trees. I follow Trenton, Matthew close behind me. The forest is unnaturally quiet, as if holding its breath.
The scene opens before us. A small clearing, the ground disturbed in several places. Police officers move with care, their voices low. A woman in a medical examiner's jacket kneels beside what appears to be a shallow grave.
"There," Matthew murmurs, his hand finding my back.
I take a steadying breath. The bodies have been removed, but the evidence of their presence remains. Discolored earth, the lingering scent of death. I force myself to look, to absorb what I'm seeing.
"He didn't bury them deep," I observe, noticing the shallow depressions. "He wanted them to be found."
Trenton's eyes narrow. "Or he was in a hurry."
I move closer, careful to stay behind the police tape. The medical examiner looks up, her expression guarded.
"These women," I say, needing to know. "Were they… Did he…"
The woman shakes her head. "No sexual assault. At least, not that we can tell. This wasn't about that."
The relief is small but real. "What was it about, then?"
"Power," she says simply. "Control."
I look around the clearing, trying to see it through Evan's eyes. This place is remote but accessible. He could bring someone here without being seen, but he could also leave quickly if needed.
"He's comfortable here," I realize aloud. "He's been here before."
Matthew turns to me. "What do you mean?"
"The way he chose this spot. The familiarity of the trail." I gesture at the path we followed. "He knew exactly where he was going."
Ethan joins us, his face grave. "We're widening the search. If he's using this forest regularly, there might be more victims."
"Or Charlie," I add, the name catching in my throat.
The police radio crackles to life, a voice I don't recognize reporting in. Ethan steps away to listen, his posture changing as the message continues.
"What is it?" Trenton asks when Ethan returns.
"Possible sighting," Ethan says, his voice tight. "A man matching Harris's description was seen at a gas station twenty miles east. With a little girl."
My heart hammers against my ribs. "When?"
"Thirty minutes ago." Ethan is already moving back toward the road. "They're heading south."
"Charlie," I whisper, her name a prayer.
Trenton's hand finds mine. "Let's go."
We race back to the vehicles, the forest blurring around us. I climb back into Greyson's truck, my mind racing with possibilities and fears.
"East, then south," I say, picturing the map in my mind. "Where would he go? What's down there?"
"Small towns," Greyson answers, pulling onto the highway. "Some farmland. A few state parks."
"State parks," I repeat, the connection clicking into place. "Like the forest."
Matthew pulls out his phone. "I'll call Techy, have him check if any missing women were last seen near state parks."