As I’m getting out, two figures come walking out of the woods: Tony Ramirez and Jay VanDyken.
“Anything?”
“We just got here too,” Ramirez says, looking behind me. “We’ve got how many? Seven and a dog? We make a decent search party.”
Means a fuckofalot these guys are back out here at the crack of dawn.
“Thanks.”
Nowhere near sufficient to describe my gratitude, but I have a feeling they get the message.
VanDyken claps a hand on my shoulder.
“Hang in there,” he mumbles under his breath.
“Here’s my thinking,” Ramirez continues. “The kid’s how old? Fourteen?”
“Will be next week,” Wapi answers.
I turn to him, surprised he knows and at the same time embarrassed I forgot. Not like the kid ever mentioned it. Not since the camping trip anyway.
Goddammit. If we get them back…No, fuck that…When we get them back, I’m gonna personally see to it Ravi gets the best damn birthday celebration he’s ever had. I know all too well what it’s like to go without. To have every year pass without anyone even noticing. If it’s up to me that kid will remember every fucking birthday from here on out.
“And he’s smart,” Ramirez continues.
“As a whip,” I respond this time.
“Then I don’t think he’s gonna have wandered too far from familiar territory. So here’s what I suggest. We go in on this side and spread out parallel to the road about twenty-five yards apart. Head up toward the house, then cross the road, circle the house and make our way back here on the other side.”
With everyone in agreement, we head into the woods. I bend down and let Van sniff the pillowcase.
“Find the boy, buddy. Find the boy.”
I start walking, trying to stay level with Paco and VanDyken on either side of me as we make our way through the trees. Here and there the underbrush is heavy, snagging at my jeans, but I trudge ahead, only stopping to check the occasional fallen or hollow trees for hiding spots.
Every so often I let Van have a sniff of the bag I’m holding, but so far he hasn’t given any signs of picking up a scent. It was a long shot, tracking dogs have trained noses and given the abuse this dog has seen in his life, I’m not even sure his nose works properly.
I’ve all but given up on the dog when he stops, one of his front paws pulled up to his chest and his snout in the air, standing on alert and furiously sniffing. I’m guessing we’re almost level with Sophia’s house. Van takes two steps forward and then suddenly veers to the right, toward the road.
“Dog’s locked in on something,” I call out as we cross right in front of Paco.
Ramirez, closest to the road, must’ve heard me because he’s waiting.
“What’s going on?” he asks, falling into step beside me.
“I’m not sure, but whatever it is he’s eager to get at it.”
The dog has his head down and is pulling on the leash. I’m almost running to keep up with him. He doesn’t bother slowing down when we get to the road and almost yanks the lead from my hand when I try to. No cars, thank God.
I hear footfalls on the asphalt behind me as Van pulls me into the trees on this side. The farther he gets away from the road, the more worried I get he’s on the trail of some animal, instead of the boy, and is taking us farther away.
But then we cross a path I’ve walked before. When Sophia and I went to look at Paco’s place.
The leash is ripped from my hold when Van makes a sudden right and starts running down the path. Toward the new build.
It makes sense. Ravi feels safe in the unfinished house. He knows every nook and cranny since he spends almost all of his time here. He must’ve realized, other than the brothers, it’s not likely many know about the place since it’s not visible from the road.
“Paco!” I yell behind me. “He’s at your place!”
By the time I see the house through the trees, I’m sucking air into my lungs and my legs are on fire. I’m out of shape and I fucking feel it.
The front door is in, but we haven’t installed the sliding doors in the rear yet. I immediately head that way. Ramirez is first through the door and I hear a deep, fierce growl from inside.
“Tse…in here.”
He’s standing in the doorway to what is going to be the master bath. I look over his shoulder and see Van, the hair on his back up, his head low, and his teeth bared. In the corner behind him is Ravi, making himself as small as possible, his face turned into the wall. The smell of terror is thick in the air.
I recognize it.
It’s been so long since I’ve lived on the edge of fear, I’d forgotten how paralyzing it can be.
“It’s okay, Van,” I coo at the dog, never taking my eyes off him as I ease Ramirez out of the way. “Ravi, it’s me, kid.”
“Tse?”
“Right here.”
In a flurry of movement the boy is on his feet and running toward me, barreling into me so hard I stumble back and land on my ass. My arms instinctively close around him.
“You’re okay,” I repeat, over and over again, barely cognizant of the men filing in behind me.
“He took her.” His voice is raspy but firm as his large brown eyes search out mine. “Sophia. He hit her on the head and put her in the trunk. The other one too.”
“Other one?”
He nods. “The blonde girl that was lying in the road. She wasn’t moving either.”
That’s why Sophia pulled over. The girl was a decoy.
“Did you get a look at who took her?”
I try to keep the urgent hope out of my voice, afraid to put too much pressure on him.
“Not the front, but I could see his back when he was putting her
