Chapter 50
Kori watched as something shifted in Wren’s expression. Her guardedness softened and was replaced with what might be compassion.
“They captured her.” Wren’s voice broke. “She’d discovered their location. I don’t know exactly what happened—I only know she put up a fight. They subdued her, told her they couldn’t let her go now, that she would ruin everything. Then they put her in one of the buildings.”
“When they said ‘ruin everything,’ what did that mean?” Wyatt asked.
Wren shook her head. “I don’t know really. But I feel like they want to make a statement. They want to prove that the government doesn’t rule over them. I heard something about Washington, DC.”
Kori’s heart pounded harder in her ears. Were these people planning some kind of domestic terrorist attack?
“Do you know when this has been planned for?” Wyatt asked.
“No . . . I’m sorry. I don’t. I was no one to them. They didn’t tell me anything. But I know they were determined.”
“Wren, what happened then?” Kori shifted. “To my sister?”
“I heard some of the men talking. They said she knew too much. That she’d been snooping, and they had to figure out what to do with her.”
The air in the room suddenly felt thinner.
Kori repressed a shiver. “Did they kill her?”
“No. But if she’s still with them . . . then she’s still in danger.”
Kori pressed her lips together and nodded. Tears threatened to fill her eyes, but she held them back. This wasn’t the time.
Wyatt stepped closer to the bed. “How many people are there? Could you give an estimate?”
“Probably fifty. Not everyone lives there, though. Some people just come in for meetings. Probably twenty-five people live there all the time.”
“Do they have any more people they’re holding? Besides Mackenzie?”
She sniffled. “Just Mackenzie and one other man . . . he was older.”
“Pete?”
Wren shrugged. “Maybe. I didn’t hear his name.”
“Wren, The Remnant has left their original location,” Wyatt continued. “Do you know where they might have gone?”
“They always talked about having a backup location in case something went wrong. There were some homesteaders out in that area. People who’d been there for generations.
They had a lot of land and several buildings.
” Her brow creased slightly. “The men talked about taking it over if they ever needed to move.”
Kori and Wyatt exchanged a look.
The same thought crossed between them without either of them saying a word.
Homesteaders. Remote property. Multiple buildings.
Were they talking about the land owned by Max’s aunt and uncle? It was the only thing that made sense.
Wyatt already had his phone in his hand. He pulled up Graham’s number and hit call.
It rang once. Then the call dropped.
He tried again. This time it didn’t even connect.
Wyatt exhaled sharply. No surprise there. Graham was deep in the forest—likely miles beyond any reliable signal.
Instead, he pulled up dispatch and hit call. “Dispatch, this is Wyatt.”
“Go ahead.”
“I need you to get a message to the search team working Lost Hollow—Graham’s unit. Priority.”
“Go ahead with your traffic.”
Wyatt turned away, lowering his voice as he relayed everything Wren had told him, each detail tightening the urgency in his chest.
There was a brief pause on the other end—long enough to make his pulse tick up.
“Copy,” dispatch finally said. “We’re reaching out now.”
“Tell them not to approach alone,” Wyatt added. “And I want confirmation the second they receive it.”
“Understood.”
Wyatt ended the call and looked back at Wren. “Thank you. You’ve helped more than you know. When it’s time for you to leave, we’ll find someplace safe for you then too.”
Wren nodded. “Thanks.”
Kori squeezed Wren’s hand. “You were so brave to share that. Thank you again. I’ll be back to visit you again.”
They said goodbye before stepping out.
In the hallway, he stopped at the deputy. “I need you to stay sharp. No one goes into that room who isn’t cleared medical staff. You see anything that feels wrong, you call it in immediately.”
The deputy straightened. “Understood.”
They hurried back outside to Wyatt’s truck.
“Where are we going?” Kori asked when they reached the truck.
“Max’s aunt and uncle’s place.” He pulled open the door for Thunder and reached for his phone. “I need to warn them.”
He found Max’s number and called.
It rang through to voicemail.
He tried again with the same result.
Frustration knotted between his shoulders.
He pulled out of the parking lot and dialed Caleb.
His brother answered on the second ring.
“Max lost his phone last night,” Caleb said. “He drove into town this morning to get a new one. Why?”
Wyatt cranked the engine. “I need you to get word to him as soon as you can. Tell him to contact his aunt and uncle and make sure they’re safe.”
“I’m on it,” Caleb said. “I’ll go into town and track him down in person if I have to.”
Wyatt ended the call and backed out of the spot.
“What’s going on?” Kori asked. “Is everything okay?”
“No, unfortunately, it’s not. And we don’t have any time to waste.”