Page 93 of Inside Silence

“You can’t go in there. You’re too close and you know that,” I enforce, poking a finger in his chest. “Dad, get over here and fucking sit on him if you have to,” I snap at my father.

Then I turn to Auden. “Let’s go, before this shitshow gets any worse. And be careful, keep your eyes open, because there’s no way whoever is in there could’ve missed our arrival.”

As we start moving yet another cruiser pulls into the parking lot. Yeah, a stealth approach, trying to catch any potential perp unaware is no longer an option. We have to go in prepared for anything.

I notice an open basement window when we approach the church hall’s side door but I choose to ignore it; I could probably get through, but there’s no way Auden would. Door it is. I’m prepared to kick it in, but am surprised to find it unlocked.

I slip my sidearm from its holster and fit it securely in my hand, aiming the barrel at the ground in front of me. The soft snick of a snap being undone behind me suggests Auden has done the same.

We step into a small foyer with the hall to the left and the church straight ahead. A stairway to the right leads up to the choir loft and down to the basement.

Footsteps sound behind us as Lloyd and Warren catch up.

“You guys clear the choir loft and the church; we’ve got the basement.”

I don’t wait for their acknowledgement and head toward the stairwell going down. At the bottom of the stairs, we find the basement door locked from the outside. It’s a simple keyed door knob, but we don’t have a key.

“Kick it down?” I whisper, looking over my shoulder at Auden.

He shakes his head. “Let me try something first.”

He reaches into the chest pocket of his uniform shirt and fishes out what looks like a credit card or hotel key or something. Slipping it between the door and the post right above the latch, he jiggles it slightly as he works it down the crack. I can hear the soft click of the latch releasing as he eases the door open.

I flash him a tight smile and a thumbs-up, before I support my gun hand with the other, and slowly move ahead into the dark basement.

Nate

* * *

It goes against everything I value to stand here and watch Savvy disappear inside that church.

Especially with Auden covering her back. Sure, he’s come a long way from the scrawny kid I remember, but I still don’t trust him. The guy rubs me the wrong way, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like me any better. I don’t even know the two other deputies following them inside.

“My kid’s in there,” I hear Hugo protest as Savvy’s dad is doing his best to contain him.

The rational part of me knows Savvy is right to sideline both of us, but I’m not feeling very rational right now. Apparently, neither is Hugo.

“I hear you,” I mumble, taking a step toward the church.

But when Brant Colter calmly states, “My kid is in there too, but I trust Savvy. I know she can look after herself, and she’s the best person to look after your kids as well. Have a little faith,” I stop in my tracks.

“I fucking hate it when you’re being sensible,” Hugo grumbles.

I’m about to agree with him when I hear my name called. I turn my head and find Roy waving me toward him from the edge of the parking lot.

I hurry toward him, hearing the footfalls of someone else behind me. My bet would be on Hugo.

“What the hell happened? We fucking tried calling you.”

“Left my phone in the truck. Look, I’ve got Tate.”

My eyes immediately scan the woods beyond him.

“What? Where is she? Is she okay?”

“I was able to pull her out of the basement window. She was scared, rambling, and as soon as you guys pulled in, she took off running. She fucking climbed up a tree like a monkey, man. I can’t get her to come down.”

“Did you see my boy?”