Page 175 of The Ampersand Effect

Tobin didn’t have time for this. “Eddie…” she chided, her tone infused with a firmness that she knew would catch her friend’s attention. “Grier’s missing… in the forest.”

A beat of silence—barely more than the breadth of a heartbeat— passed as Eddie absorbed the news and started calculating.

“Fuck, Blur. Lead with that next time.”

“There better not be a next time.”

“I’ll call Aetheridge HyPo. They’re probably a bit bogged down at the moment. Can you try to prevent yourself from getting arrested until your escort arrives?”

This wasn’t the time for sarcasm, but Tobin appreciated Eddie’s attempt all the same. “No promises.”

“What’s the plan when you get here?” Eddie asked, and Tobin could hear the telltale rustle of fingers running through her hair— the characteristic sign she’d surrendered to whatever plot Tobin had concocted. “What are you getting me into?”

“Grier’s brother is on his way. He’s got her last known location, but I already know where she is. Just watch her location in case it comes back live.”

“That’s not an answer,” Eddie complained.

“You already know what the plan is, Eddie.” Tobin gritted her teeth, her anxiety and speed were rising in tandem. She wasn’t just a little nervous—it wouldn’t serve anyone if she crashed and burned before she could rescue Grier. But her foot stayed leaden against the accelerator. There was no convincing her to slow down. Not when Grier’s life was hanging in the balance.

Eddie sighed in defeat. “Calling HyPo now. Be safe, Tobin. That’s an order.” She ended the call without waiting for a response.

Daringly, Tobin texted Eddie the details of her rental vehicle so the HyPo would know what to look for. As she exited the messaging app, she noticed an unread voicemail from Anchor, left thirty minutes earlier. Her stomach dropped for at least the third time in as many hours.

Fetch a Friend was nestled on the outskirts of town, surrounded on three sides by open fields, and bordered by inland forest on the fourth.

She hit play, holding her breath as Anchor’s frantic, defeated voice filled the car.

“Tobin… the rescue… there’s an electrical storm. We were hit. Lightning—on the kennel roof. It sparked a fire. I was here feeding the dogs. Jodi, Eli, and I managed to get everyone out. But… the dogs… we… we’re homeless. The fire department hasn’t even been here yet—they’re too busy with the wildfires. It’s… I know you’re in Iceland… I’m sorry for unloading on you while you’re away. I… I just thought you should know.”

Tobin let out a breath and gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. She hadn’t felt settled since the volcano exploded, and now it seemed Mother Nature had apersonal vendetta against her—one she was intent on settling. She couldn’t escape.

She didn’t waste time thinking of what to say. She tapped Anchor’s name and called her back.

Her eyes flicked to the street just in time to see an Aetheridge Highway Patrol car slip in front of her, flashing its lights—her escort had arrived.

Tobin lifted a hand in acknowledgement, grateful when she caught the trooper’s approving nod through the windshields.

Anchor’s phone rang through to voicemail. Too much chaos to answer, obviously. Tobin felt a flicker of relief—there was so little she could say, and even less time to say it. Grier was her priority. But she swore to herself—and to Anchor, in the tangle of that discombobulated voicemail—that she’d help however she could. Just as soon as she got to Grier.

These thoughts filled her mind as she and the escort rounded the clifftop that initiated their descent into the shallow coastal valley where Aetheridge nestled between cliffs, forest and its beloved lake. The city lay before her, shrouded in a thick, choking haze of smoke hanging over the dim skyline. Its normally bright and welcoming lights were depleted, dimmed by the fires consuming buildings.

A subtle orange glow flanked the city to the east and west— wildfires spreading through the coastal forest and fields alike, indifferent to what fed them, caring only that they were sated.

Tobin choked at the sight. The town looked desecrated. She spotted the beacon lights of the hospital, tucked safely in the city’s heart, with Lake Aether stretching out behind it like an expansive backyard. Emergency vehicles’ blue and red lights flashed sporadically, rushing in vain attempts to staunch fires or tend to the injured.

She sighed in relief when the escort vehicle pulled to the side of the road, letting her pass with a sympathetic wave. Sheturned her vehicle onto the road leading to the hangar—Eddie’s sanctuary. She’d made better time than she’d dared hoped.

She didn’t bother with the parking lot, driving directly onto the tarmac in front of the hangar. Halfway out of the vehicle, she hit park and bolted toward Eddie and Grant waiting at the entrance.

Eddie shook her head slightly—a mix of disbelief and resignation—then turned on her heels and led them to the table serving as their command post. It was strewn with maps that Eddie had used to triangulate Grier’s possible position.

Tobin glanced at Grant. “Any updates from her watch?”

He was dirty—his whiteAetheridge Baseballshirt smeared with soot and torn at the collar. He looked tired, but more than that, scared. Tobin saw him fighting to maintain composure; the whites of his eyes shone through the relatively permanent furrow of his brow, betraying the emotion behind his eyes.

Grant shook his head, then glanced toward the couch where Delta lay under Lake, the dog’s bulk and wayward fur covering the girl’s torso. From Tobin’s view, both trembled—Lake valiantly acting as a security blanket. The image humbled Tobin, but a pang of guilt shot through her as she remembered Anchor and Fetch a Friend. She promised herself she’d check in with them, just as soon as she found Grier.

Without breaking his gaze from the two, Grant handed Tobin a bottle of water. “She doesn’t know how bad it is…” His eyes locked onto hers. The impact of his pleading hit Tobin with the force of a battering rod to the chest. “… but she knows it’s bad.”