Page 40 of Colorado K-9 Rescue

P ushing the accelerator, Evan drove as fast as he dared to the old ghost town. He had a map, and while it wasn’t necessarily difficult to get to the old town, it wasn’t a fast drive. Currently, he was on pavement, but the next road would be gravel.

He’d called the sheriff before leaving and she knew exactly where Evan was headed.

She’d told him she was short on deputies with all the crime scenes and manpower this case was taking.

She’d promised to call in extra deputies and then head up to the ghost town to back Evan up herself.

She also warned him that there’d be just enough cell service to maybe send a text.

Maybe. It was enough to tease you and then not go through. But radios worked up there at least.

Evan spotted the green county road sign; it was the correct one. He turned and the road quickly went to gravel. It wasn’t smooth. Washboards made his vehicle fishtail and kept his speed down.

“Hold on, Mckenna,” he muttered. Although he didn’t even know if she had gone to the ghost town.

If she wasn’t there…he couldn’t think about it.

Nothing could happen to her. He’d pushed away love his whole life, not wanting to be like his parents with four kids, a divorce and one parent walking out.

He and his sisters had ended up being more like parents to each other and their father.

Every relationship Evan had tried was a failure, but it wasn’t anyone’s fault but his. He didn’t think he could ever love one person so much that he’d give up anything for them, but then along came Mckenna.

He’d been intrigued with her from the start. There was a time that Evan would have just had a fling with Mckenna, like Cassidy said, love her and leave. But he’d known when she spent the night that she was different. This was no fling. The thought of losing her was a punch in the gut.

Please, please be here. You’re tough. You’re a survivor.

Evan rounded another corner and his vehicle continued to bounce all over the road. A bull moose stood out in a meadow grazing. Not a care in the world. No idea that a serial kidnapper was in his territory.

After what seemed like an eternity, Evan spotted old buildings in the distance.

The road’s ruts became deeper. He’d be lucky to have any suspension left by the time he arrived.

Explaining that bill to his boss would be fun, but he didn’t care.

He’d pay for it himself if he had to. All he cared about was finding Mckenna.

The road ended where the old town began.

He could envision the settlers moving up here with high hopes of striking it rich.

Instead, they endured a harsh environment where it was hard to grow anything in the summer and winters were long and cold with deep snow.

No wonder it had been abandoned. They had no idea that over a hundred years later, a sick kidnapper would bring teenage girls here for his own twisted game.

Evan drove down what used to be the street and his heart rate increased. Mckenna’s vehicle was parked in front of the old church. The windows and back hatch were open. Mocha was standing in his crate, nose pressed against the metal.

Evan parked and got out of his vehicle, and heard Mocha’s tail thumping in excitement. “Hey, there, buddy. Where’s your mom? She’d never leave you in the car like this.”

Hands on his hips, Evan stared around. Where was she?

If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.

How long had Mocha been in his crate? He unfolded the portable stairs he’d seen Mckenna use to make it easy on Mocha to get in and out.

He needed to find her, but if he didn’t take care of Mocha, Mckenna would never forgive him.

The dog was happy to see the stairs come out and bounded down, rushing for a dead tree to take care of business.

Once he was done, Evan gave Mocha some water and petted him, letting him lean against his leg.

As much as Evan wanted to put Mocha away and start searching for Mckenna, he knew he better wait for the sheriff to arrive.

He might need backup.

Crouching down, Evan continued scratching and petting Mocha. “I’m glad you’re okay. But your mom. Where is she? Is she always this stubborn and impulsive?”

Mocha gave him some licks and turned in a circle, then came over and leaned against Evan again. Wrapping his arms around the dog, he thought about his childhood dog and how his dad had taught him to track and hunt with his Lab.

Track.

An idea began to form.

“How bad did you flunk out?” he asked Mocha.

The Lab gave a little whine and flopped to the ground, rolling upside down for Evan to pet his belly.

“That bad, huh? What do you think, do you think you could do one track? It would only be once, and it would save us time. I haven’t done this in years, so we’re the perfect pair, an FBI K-9 flunky and someone who hasn’t worked a dog since he told his dad he was joining the FBI and not the K-9 unit.

But I think we could at least try, don’t you? ”

Mocha sat back up.

“Okay, let me find your leash.”