Page 9 of Bait and Switch (Subtle Deceptions #2)

SEVEN

Casey

Tuesday in The Valley

Ten or so workers were huddled under the protection of a massive six-armed cedar tree that was working hard to beat out the Douglas firs that surrounded it. The group watched Casey park behind a beat-up silver extended cab truck and a red van that Casey was surprised could still make the trip.

“That thing’s held together with duct tape and bailing wire,” Greta commented as she unbuckled her seat belt.

Casey mentally thanked Rowan for giving them the exact GPS address of Carlos’s last known location since there were miles of fire roads and trails leading off in all directions.

Today, the search would focus on the trails that headed down The Valley, based on the assumption that the missing Carlos would try to get to civilization if he was able.

Hopefully, with skill and luck, they would find him today. Alive.

Of course, when folks were lost, it could be hard to know which direction was up and which was down, especially if they were disoriented or injured.

As he set the parking brake, another van pulled up, an Olympic Rescue logo on its side.

Casey recognized the driver, Tor Torkelson, another experienced search and rescuer.

There were three other people with Tor that he didn’t know.

Everyone got out of their vehicles and gathered at the front of the van. Tor introduced his team and Casey shared what Rowan had told him over the phone call.

“Would be nice to have a little more information,” Casey said at the end.

“We’ll work with what we’ve got.” Tor slapped his gloved hands together. “Let’s talk to these folks first and then do our best to find Carlos. Fingers crossed it doesn’t take long.”

The six of them walked over to where the group waited for them. Some looked concerned, but most were obviously impatient and ready to get on with their day.

“Thanks for waiting,” Greta said. “Please fill us in on Carlos Garcia so you can get to work. Did anything seem off yesterday? Was he nervous or twitchy? Maybe ill?”

“He was okay yesterday.” The speaker had long dark hair, most of it tucked up into a knit cap, but stray strands were doing their best to escape. Everyone wore practical clothing, heavy gloves, and hiking boots. “We took a break at the usual time. I think Carlos was there.”

He glanced around for confirmation, but no one seemed willing to provide it. There were a few shrugs and maybe s.

“I didn’t talk to him,” added another. “Not after we all got started.”

“Did any of you see him wander off or go in a different direction?” Greta asked. They all shook their heads.

Most of the brush harvesters were migrant workers and all were paid in cash for what they cut.

Possibly, they were nervous about sharing information or felt like they were ratting on a friend.

Or they could even be worried about having to talk to authorities themselves.

Casey sighed; he didn’t give a crap what their status was.

He didn’t want anyone dying on the unforgiving terrain.

The harvest leases were generally divided into grids so the shrubs and evergreens weren’t overharvested during the season. Crews were instructed precisely where to go, and each team was supposed to have an experienced lead, but Casey wasn’t impressed with Cap Guy.

“So,” Casey said, drawing out the word. “Carlos could have gone missing at almost any time over the day?”

Looking around at each other, the workers nodded, some hesitantly, some more vigorously.

Dammit. Not having a time frame for when he disappeared made things more complicated.

Carlos could have been missing for almost twenty-four hours instead of just the twelve they’d calculated.

The likelihood of his being okay was plummeting with every word spoken and minute lost. They all had training and first aid supplies, but if they found him, would it be enough until they could get him to safety?

Was he close by, or had he wandered miles away?

“Yeah, I guess he could’ve.” The only woman on the crew pointed at the earbud dangling from one ear. “I’m usually listening to something. It’s not easy to talk when we’re working, and I get bored. I might not have noticed Carlos going somewhere.”

Everyone nodded at her words.

Cap Guy directed them to the general area Carlos had been assigned to and then the rescue team let the crew get to work.

Greta glanced around, taking in the deeply forested area with its steep hills and hidden inclines. “Needle in a damn haystack.”

At least there were signs that someone had been there. There was a stack of cut boughs and boot prints in the mud. A red and yellow knit cap lay at the base of a tree.

“We might need more people,” Casey agreed.

“Fuck this, I’m radioing in and asking for all hands.” Greta unhooked the sat phone from her belt and punched in a number she knew by heart.

“Jim? Yeah, it’s Greta. We have a missing person.”

All hands meant every local agency with trained search and rescue staff would get the call. Quickly, Greta explained what they knew about the missing person to the coordinator for the all-hands teams, Jim Reilly.

“Yeah, Tor’s here already. One sec.” She pulled the phone away from her mouth and asked Casey, “What are the coordinates again?” He told her and she repeated them to Jim.

“All right, hopefully this will be a quick one.” Ending the call, Greta tucked the phone back into her backpack. “Let’s get started.”

Shoulder to shoulder, they began to slowly make their way down the mountainside in the direction they hoped Carlos had headed, looking for signs that someone had passed that way recently. Nothing like a rescue mission to reinforce the square acreage of the forest.

“Snowflake in a blizzard, eh?”

“I think we have a better chance of finding that needle in a haystack you mentioned, to be honest,” grumbled Casey.

They started walking, and a steady, slushy snow began falling. Yay for precipitation, Casey thought, but maybe not today while they had a missing person. They were dressed for the weather, of course, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t get cold. And so would Carlos Garcia.

“So, your new neighbor,” said Greta as they moved along.

“Seriously, Greta? We’re on a rescue.”

“I can probe into your life and search at the same time,” she insisted.

“No, you cannot. We find this guy and you can ask all the questions you want.”

She grinned and Casey realized he’d fallen into her trap. “I’m holding you to that.”