Page 109 of Silent Bones

Avery.

Her blonde hair was visible even in the infrared footage, hanging loose as Dale adjusted his grip and moved toward the creek. Her hands appeared to be bound behind her back, and a dark strip across her mouth suggested a gag.

“That’s him,” McKenzie muttered.

Dale paused at the creek's edge, looking back toward the house as if checking for any sign he'd been detected. For amoment, his face was turned directly toward the camera, giving them the clearest image they'd seen yet. His expression was calm, focused. It was the look of a man executing a carefully planned operation.

Then he disappeared into the trees on the far side of the creek, and down to the lake carrying Avery with him.

The timestamp showed the entire sequence had lasted less than three minutes.

"That's our confirmation," Noah said. "No question it's him. No question now. He has her."

Callie ejected the SD card and sealed it in an evidence envelope. "Forensics will want to go through the whole card, see if there's any pattern to his surveillance. But this gives us what we need for now."

Noah stared across the creek toward the dense forest beyond. Somewhere out there in the wilderness, Dale was holding Avery captive, playing out whatever twisted endgame he had planned.

"He's been watching for weeks," Noah said. "Learning their routine, timing his approach. This wasn't rage or impulse. This was strategy. He planned to take her. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was watching all of the teens."

"Which means he's thought through what comes next," McKenzie added. "He's got a plan, and we're still playing catch-up."

Bill Calder emerged from the house and walked toward them, his face set in grim lines. "Find anything?"

Noah hesitated, then decided on honesty. "We found proof beyond Avery’s phone that he was here. He took her."

Bill's shoulders sagged slightly. “She better be alive.”

“I hope so."

“What now?" Calder asked.

Noah met his eyes. "We're going to find out. But first we need to search his home. See what else he might have left behind."

They packed up their equipment quickly, the trail camera and its contents secured as evidence. As they prepared to leave, Noah took one last look at the forest where Dale had disappeared. The morning sun was higher now, burning off the frost and casting long shadows between the trees.

Somewhere in that wilderness, a clock was ticking.

Dale Thurston'shouse looked exactly as Noah remembered it from his visit earlier. The small, weathered structure seemed to grow out of the forest around it like something organic. The paint was peeling, the front porch sagged under the weight of stacked firewood, and the windows were dark and empty.

But something was different.

The silence felt deeper, more complete. No smoke from the chimney. No sound of movement from inside. Even the birds seemed to have abandoned the surrounding trees.

"Looks empty," McKenzie said, stepping out of the SUV.

SWAT formed up twenty yards from the front door, weapons ready. Noah held up a closed fist. The team froze in position. McKenzie checked his gear one final time while Callie adjusted her grip on her rifle. It was standard procedure for a potentially hostile entry, though Noah's instincts told him they'd find the house abandoned.

Noah signaled forward. They moved as one unit, boots silent on the packed earth, until they flanked the entrance. He pressed his back against the wall beside the door frame, McKenzie mirroring him on the opposite side. Callie took overwatch position, rifle trained on the windows.

Noah pounded on the wooden door with his fist, the sound echoing across the clearing. "Dale Thurston! State Police. We need to speak with you."

Silence.

He tried the handle. Locked. Noah nodded to the SWAT breacher, who stepped forward with a tactical ram. The door frame exploded inward with a thunderous crack.

"Go, go, go."

Noah swept inside first, weapon raised, flashlight cutting through the dim interior. "Police! Dale! Avery!”