The shadow was back, only now it was moving toward the street. It was still at the two story gray house, moving along the driveway slowly. There was a hump on the back, like a book bag. Small figure.
He stared, waiting. He couldn’t be absolutely sure, but he was pretty sure it was the younger daughter.
“What in the world...” He stopped short, breathed in and held it, as if the girl down the road might hear him.
He continue to study her, trying to be sure. Is it really? Yes, it has to be. She had such a small frame, and the height was hers. It was also the way she walked, the way she kept her head down. She never looked up.
She stopped at the street, and waited.
At first he wondered if someone was about to pick her up. Somehow, he didn’t think so.
For the past few weeks, the younger girl always snuck out the back door, dashed to the woods behind her house, and walked the trails. He knew, because he spotted her a few times.
Each time he tried to find her, though, he either lost her, or when he got close, she dashed out of the woods. He understood her to be shy, which was probably why she never simply waked the street where someone might see or approach her.
When he realized he probably wouldn’t be able to approach her normally, he spent time in the woods, waiting. She’d come around, climb a tree, and sit and watch the day pass. Daydreaming.
The thought of her face flashed in front of him. Sweet. Pretty. Haunted.
He felt it the moment he saw her. She was scared. He didn’t know what of.
She stood now at the end of her drive, still waiting.
His heart leapt, and he pressed his hands against the window, his breath causing a slight fog against the glass. He was silently urging her to go back inside.
What are you doing, crazy girl? It’s late and it’s raining. Where are you going?
It wasn’t likely he’d get answers just watching her. He waited, watching.
She stood still, alone. Did she do this every night and he’d never noticed? Or was this something more serious. She had a backpack. He had a feeling this wasn’t a nightly event. She wasn’t just going for a stroll. Maybe she was running away. What could she be running away from?
The only problem was, what should he do now? He continued to watch, not wanting to take his eyes off of her in case she took off somewhere. Should he get involved?
Echoes swept through his mind, of Mr. Blackbourne warning about getting involved in situations you didn’t know. It was basic Academy training. Never put yourself in front of someone if you don’t know who they are and what they are capable of. Don’t expose yourself to people you don’t know. Don’t get involved unless you know for sure what the story is.
The problem was, there might not be a story to discover if she was running away.
His heart told him if he didn’t take this chance, he may never have another. He couldn’t get over those haunted eyes. Could he stand by and watch her disappear forever?
No, even Mr. Blackbourne would have sent him out.
He thought about calling Nathan, maybe waking him up to join him in following her to see where she went. Kota’s problem was, if she took off and ran for it, two guys chasing after her probably wasn’t the best way to make an introduction. As it was, he hesitated because he had no idea how to approach her. He’d tried before to cut her off just to say hello while she was walking in the woods, and she always took off running if he got anywhere close. Her hearing was excellent. Even with his training, he was never quiet enough to approach her undetected.
He didn’t have much time.
In a flash, he calculated his options. He had one shot at this. He’d either scare her off into the night, or maybe if he was lucky, he’d simply scare her back inside the house. He’d have to watch out for her, make sure she stayed inside. Hopefully he wasn’t sending her back in to be hurt, or into a dangerous situation. She didn’t look abused, but abuse didn’t have to be visible on the surface. He knew that too well.
“Max,” he said in a whisper. “Let’s go.”
Max was up and at the stairs in an instant. Kota stuffed his shoes back on, grabbed a poncho and was throwing it over his body as he dashed toward the stairs.
Out in the garage, he stopped, checking out the scene again. For a moment, he lost her in the dark. He swallowed, hoping she didn’t take off in the minute it took him to get outside.
No. There she was. Standing. Waiting. For what?
His heart thundered. His hands were normally steady. Nothing shook him up, not after so many years of seeing such disturbing and amazing things. The Academy trains you to think on your feet, to be aware, that no matter what, you are protected, so never fear anything. Fear weighs you down and can be distracting.
He was afraid now. What if he tried to stop her, and she called the cops? What if her parents heard her rushing back in, fearing for her life, and they came out looking for him? Or what if doing so caused her to get into major trouble?
Max stood by his feet. His nose was up, sniffing the air. Kota sensed his dog could tell someone was out there. He was being quiet, waiting for a command. Kota reached for his lead hanging from the wall. He was forming a plan, but unsure exactly how to execute.
Kota wouldn’t move until she did. He was wondering if she was reconsidering. Maybe she realized it was a mistake. It was raining, a little cool for an August evening. It was only going
