“Walker’s a good man,” she said.
“He took his eye off the ball. Didn’t put you first,” Mr. Smith retorted. He switched from C-SPAN to a news channel. “‘Scientists face off with would-be polluters,’” he read off the screen. “Bunch of crybabies.”
“When the hell are they getting back from dinner?” Owen complained an eternity later, when Mr. Smith flipped back to C-SPAN just to check. There was nothing to see yet. “Who takes two hours to eat a meal?”
“Politicians,” Mr. Smith said scornfully. He found another game, checking C-SPAN now and then. He called Elizabeth continually.
She never answered.
“There they are,” Owen exclaimed finally as people began to file into the Senate chamber on-screen a couple of hours later.
Avery straightened. They kept their eyes on the screen but sighed when a man took a seat at the table where all day long witnesses had given testimony.
“State your full name and occupation, please,” the man chairing the meeting said.
“My name is Bryce Wollcroft, and I work with the Department of the Interior.”
“This is getting us nowhere,” Owen said. “If you don’t call Base Camp, I will.”
“We’re stopping vehicles leaving Chance Creek,” Cab said. “We’ve got the highways blocked in every direction. Choppers in the air.”
“We must have called everyone in town by now,” Clay added. “We’ve checked the motels and bed-and-breakfasts.”
“We’ve got search parties everywhere,” Boone said. “Where is she?”
Walker wished to hell he knew. They were standing in front of the community center, where they’d convened to swap information. He and Boone had been almost to Wyoming before they gave up and turned around. They’d been searching for hours, but there was no sign of Avery. He couldn’t help wondering if her kidnappers had made it out of town and eluded Cab’s blockades before they were set up. If so, she could be anywhere by now.
“What about Silver Falls?” Riley asked. “There are plenty of places up there to hide.”
“We’re on it,” Cab told her. “But you’re right; there’s a lot of ground to cover.”
Walker’s phone buzzed, and everyone stilled.
“Walker here.”
“You’re about to get a message. Watch the video,” a man’s voice said and hung up. His phone blipped again, and Walker tapped it when the message appeared. A video began to play on the tiny screen. He sucked in a breath when he saw Avery. She was trussed up, her hands tied behind her back, her wedding gown looking the worse for wear. The kidnappers’ faces weren’t visible, but a man’s hand pressed the barrel of a Glock to Avery’s temple.
“Hell,” Clay breathed.
“Avery!” Riley cried.
An iron band of pain and fury tightened around Walker’s heart. He needed to find her. Save her.
“Look for clues. Where are they?” Boone asked.
Walker snapped back to his training. “That’s no motel.” It wasn’t generic enough. He could see a bed’s headboard. A side table.
“We need to grab screenshots and post them,” Renata said. “Someone’s going to recognize that comforter.”
She was right, Walker realized. That daisy comforter was unique.
“This is Mr. Smith. Expect a call from me soon. If Elizabeth Blaine testifies, your friend dies. It’s up to you to stop her,” said the voice on-screen. The Glock pressed harder against Avery’s temple, and she shut her eyes. “When I call, you tell me the good news—that you’ve persuaded Blaine to walk away.”
Walker’s heart squeezed. There was no way Elizabeth would walk away now. Even if she did, there was no guarantee that man wouldn’t shoot Avery anyway. The minute the screen went blank, he got to work, though. “Sent you a few images,” he said to Renata.
She got busy with her own phone.
Walker forced himself to take a deep breath. Focus.
“Where are you going?” Boone called after him.
“To find her.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know!”
“I’m coming with you.”
Walker kept going.
“That ought to light a fire under your friends’ asses,” Mr. Smith said.
When the pressure of the Glock’s barrel against her temple lifted, Avery opened her eyes again. Swallowed against the fear that had threatened to close her throat. She knew these men needed to keep her alive for now to motivate Walker and the others, but what would happen when Elizabeth testified?
Because Elizabeth was going to testify—whether or not Walker or anyone else asked her to stop.
Her only hope was for Walker to find her. Surely he’d check the vacation rentals like this one—anywhere an out-of-towner might stay. Didn’t places like this have to be licensed? There’d be a list of them somewhere.
Mr. Smith’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen. Made a sound of impatience and accepted the call.
“Yes?”
Avery could make out a woman’s voice on the other end of the line.
Elizabeth?
She didn’t think so, especially given the way Mr. Smith was acting. Owen crossed to her and aimed his weapon at her head, lifting a finger to his lips to shush her.
“Yes, it’s very nice,” Mr. Smith said in a smooth voice. “Yes, we love Chance Creek so far. The weather? It’s been lovely. Couldn’t ask for better. How is it in Florida?” He listened again. “Your management company is doing a fine job. Everything was ready for us. The keypad worked fine. Yes, we found the extra pillows. Thank you. Thank you very much. Yes, we’re off for a walk. Thank you again.” He tapped to end the call. “Nosy bitch.”
“We’re her first customers, remember,” Owen drawled as he slid his handgun into its holster. They both chuckled.
Avery swallowed. First customers? This was a new rental?
Did anyone know it was here?
She must have made a noise. Owen was back, his weapon pressed to her temple. “What?”
“What?” she parroted. “What do you mean, what? I’ve been sitting here for hours. My arms hurt, everything hurts, I’m tired—I’m scared.”
“Settle down,” Mr. Smith said. He came to stand beside her. Pushed her forward and sliced through the ties around her wrists with a knife he pulled out of his waistband. Tangled a hand in her hair, dragged her off the
