Page 49

Both he and Keaton had been at the sheriff’s station until two in the morning, trying to figure out where Adam had taken Lucia and silently hoping she wasn’t dead in a ditch somewhere.

Every time someone’s phone rang, he’d tensed, worried a body had been found.

He’d seen the same thought also appear each time in Noelle’s eyes.

Around midnight they’d learned that Savannah was still holding on and the surgery had removed the bullet and part of her small intestine. It was considered successful, but her prognosis was guarded. The doctors were worried about infection.

Noelle had visibly sunk into herself in relief. She swayed gently in her seat and was unsteady when she stood to get more coffee. Bolton asked Detective Shults to take her to Shults’s home and stay with her. Noelle’s lack of protest gave all of them a clue to how deeply exhausted she was.

She’d been attacked physically and emotionally. Max couldn’t imagine the toll it was taking on her. When he’d seen her covered in blood, his heart had skipped a beat, terrified she’d been shot even though he knew there was only one victim.

He swung his legs out of bed and pushed to his feet. His room was freezing, and he liked it that way when he slept—but not when it was time to get up.

His cell phone vibrated on the nightstand. It was Bolton.

He’s got something.

Max grabbed his shirt and tucked the phone between his neck and shoulder.

“Rhodes.” He slipped his arms into the sleeves and looked around for his pants.

“Noelle’s 4Runner has been found,” said Bolton without a greeting. “Adam parked it off a rural road southeast of here. State trooper spotted it. Said someone tried to hide the 4Runner in the brush, but his headlights caught one of its rear reflectors.”

“Anyone there?” Phone still held at his neck, Max pulled on his pants.

“Empty. But it’s in a foot of snow. The trooper said there are footprints that head into the brush. He called it in before following them and was told to back off. He’s probably lucky he didn’t get shot.”

“That’s assuming Adam was nearby. Maybe he dumped it and got picked up by someone. Faked the prints going into the brush and doubled back. Were there two sets of prints?”

“The trooper thought there were at least two.”

“Thought?”

“Said they were erratic.”

“Shit. Where are you?”

“Headed to the scene.”

“Text me the address.”

“Just did. I’ve got Detective Shults meeting me there, along with three other units.”

“Did you tell the detective to inform Noelle?” asked Max, slipping on his boots.

There was a long pause. “No. This isn’t Noelle’s place,” said Bolton.

True.

“She’ll disagree.”

“Too bad for her. See you in a bit.” Bolton ended the call.

Max looked at his screen and opened the address Bolton had sent in his map app.

He could be there in thirty minutes. He quickly called Keaton and passed on the information.

Two minutes later he was getting into his freezing car in the dark.

He started the engine and backed out of his sister’s driveway.

Someone should let Noelle know.

He shook his head, knowing she would blow a gasket when she discovered no one had informed her. Her sister was with a very dangerous man.

We’ve got nothing concrete to tell her.

I’ll update her when we do.

Thirty-five minutes later Max parked his rental on the narrow shoulder of the country road.

He’d had to drive slowly the last few miles.

It appeared the roads had been plowed yesterday, but a thin layer of snow had fallen since then.

The area was at a higher elevation than Bend and had received much more snow.

It was still dark, so he left his headlights on as the other six vehicles had done.

There were no streetlights on the winding country road, and groups of trees and brush darkened the sides of the road.

He spotted the state trooper in his wide-brimmed hat talking to Detectives Bolton and Shults.

County deputies were off the road in some brush, their flashlights highlighting their positions as they studied the 4Runner and footprints.

Max sat in his vehicle for a long moment, studying the terrain on the satellite map on his phone.

The area was consistently covered with brush and trees but occasionally broken up with home and farm buildings.

From this location, he saw three possible homes or farms where Adam could have gone to take cover.

Assuming he wasn’t picked up.

He got out of the vehicle and approached the Deschutes detectives and the trooper.

The trooper looked very young. He was baby-faced but had the carriage of former military, and his eyes were wide with excitement over his find.

The state troopers out here covered a lot of territory on their own.

Finding the 4Runner was probably the most interesting thing that had happened so far in what had to have been a short career.

“Rhodes,” Bolton greeted him, and he made introductions. The trooper was Findley.

“What have the deputies found?” Max asked.

Bolton pointed down the road to where two deputies held flashlights.

“There’s an odd formation in the snow back there and then footprints leading from it.

I think Lucia bailed out of the vehicle, fell, and then ran.

Tire tracks show that the 4Runner stopped in the road and the driver got out.

He ran toward the first set of prints, turned around, came back, then got in the vehicle and moved it off the road to there.

” He pointed at the 4Runner in the brush.

“He must have realized it would take longer to find Lucia than he first believed, so he parked it and left. Both sets of prints head south.”

“Can you tell if he caught up with her?” asked Max.

“I’ve got two deputies following the prints, and I’ve requested a K9,” said Bolton.

“It’s slowly getting lighter, but the sun won’t be up for another half hour.

What I don’t like is that there are homes in that direction.

I was just about to send Findley and a deputy to knock on those doors, telling them to keep everything locked up.

We don’t need a hostage situation.” His mouth tightened in a grim expression.

“More of a hostage situation than we already have with Lucia. It’s an impossible location to set up a perimeter.

There are a few long, winding driveways and a ton of open space. ”

“And who knows how long ago they left,” added Lori. “The vehicle is cold, but it was twenty-two degrees overnight. Currently thirty-one.”

Max was glad he’d put on an extra sweatshirt under his coat. “They’ll need to have found shelter. Quickly.”

This could turn ugly.

“Keaton will be here soon. Which homes need to be approached?” asked Max.

Bolton pulled out his phone. “I’m sending two deputies here,” he said, tapping a building on his satellite view.

He enlarged the view and indicated another house.

“You two can take this one.” Max studied the house, noting the three outbuildings and where the driveway turned off the road they were on.

He glanced back as another vehicle stopped and he recognized Keaton.

“I’ll be right back,” Max said. Bolton’s phone rang as Max strode toward Keaton. As the other agent got out of the car, Max updated him on their assignment.

“Rhodes!” The stress in Bolton’s voice made him spin around. “Someone just called 911 and said they’ve got a man with a gun in their home! It’s the house I assigned you!”

It just got ugly.