“Yes, we are. We’re hoping to find her soon. We would still be out there if this storm hadn’t come up.”
“Hopefully, I can help you devise a plan to help you find them quicker once the storm ends.”
They pulled into the police station’s lot, and Baker popped the van into park. “Let’s head in.”
They piled out of the van and headed inside. After they pulled off some of their gear and used the facilities, they met in a large conference room that doubled as part of the community center that happened to be attached to the station.
They had maps set up and computers at the ready. They’d also brought in sandwiches and chips. Mac wasn’t sure he could eat, but Zeke had told him he had to.
Baker was at a map, pointing out areas to Ethan. “This area here, with the shallow valley, that’s where you were, right?”
Ethan checked the coordinates and nodded. “Yeah, that’s where we stopped. Right there.” Ethan pointed to a place on the map.
“That area presents a unique set of challenges. I’m glad you tracked her there.” Baker pointed to the map. “Right about here, about a mile before where you said you stopped searching, the trail branches off.”
“Are we sure we know where she went?” Mac asked as desperation sifted through him. What if that jerk had taken April down one of those trails?
“We’re sure,” Drew came up behind Mac. “We looked down those trails and found no recent activity.”
Mac nodded, praying these guys really knew what they were doing. Maybe he shouldn’t have talked them into allowing him to go with them. But if he was sitting at home, he would be sick with worry.
“So this area here,” Baker pointed at another valley about four miles from where they’d stopped searching.
“What about it?” Ethan said.
“There’s a cabin right about…” Baker leaned in and narrowed his gaze. “Right here.”
“How do you know about the cabin?” Brock asked.
“My father used to take me there. It’s one of those places no one lives anymore, but the local guys try to keep it standing. I’ve replaced a few boards on the roof and made a few repairs. The windows are hard to keep in. Some hikers think it’s funny to break them.”
“So this cabin, do you think there’s a chance they could be there?”
Baker nodded. “More than a chance. Hopefully, they’ll stay there all night.”
Mac didn’t want to rely on hope. He wanted April in his arms. He couldn’t believe she’d been taken. He’d been too busy worrying about his own crap to think about her problems. He should have worked harder to figure out who had been stalking her. After that woman had come after him, he’d kind of forgotten about April’s troubles. That wasn’t fair to her. He knew she’d been targeted back home at college, and now she was in danger because they hadn’t been vigilant.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Hunger still gnawed at April even after drinking more water. She’d convinced Kester to allow her to set up four bowls outside to collect water. Though he’d abducted her, he was very amenable to suggestions. It shocked her that he hadn’t thought ahead about how to get her out of Fallport. He hadn’t thought far enough ahead to consider that she would try to escape and when she did, he would be in deep trouble.
No one in any town or city would look at her wearing the collar and think everything was okay. The collar was large and clunky, not at all something a person would wear for fashion. Then again, the backwoods folks might not care that she’d been taken prisoner. Some people would, but many in this area tended to want to be left alone. They wouldn’t get involved unless they had to, which maybe was what Kester was relying on.
The storm cleared, and they stepped outside. A cool wind caught her, sending a shiver straight through her still-damp clothes. April was sore, and exhaustion slid through her, leaving her feeling like she wanted to drop. She stepped off the small stoop, and Kester moved quickly, grabbing her arm.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“The bowls. We need to get the water so leaves don’t fall in them.”
“Oh.”
They moved to the bowls, and she took a sip from one, glad they’d been able to collect more water. She didn’t want to keep moving but feared Kester wouldn’t want to stay in any one place for long. At least, that’s what she would do if she’d abducted someone. Then again, she wouldn’t take someone hostage.
“It’s dark again,” Kester said as he stared at the cloudy sky.
The sun hadn’t gone down, but the clouds were thick, blocking most of the light. April grunted, not wanting to suggest anything that would get her zapped. Though it had been a full day since he’d hit her with the zapper, she remembered its sting and didn’t want to experience it again.
“We should sleep here,” Kester suggested.
A part of April wanted to rejoice, but she also was upset that she would have to stay in this small cabin with him. She wanted somewhere safe, somewhere out of sight of her captor so when morning came, she could make an escape plan without him noticing. But she really had no choice but to accept his decisions.
She didn’t relish staying in this cabin with him. There was one bed, and she really didn’t want to share. Sadness hit hard. She wanted to be at home in bed with Mac. Her eyes stung, but she pushed away the gloom.
Once inside, April put the bowls of water down, then decided to pour them into mugs she could cover. She reached for the first mug, and Kester grabbed her. A scream escaped her mouth, and she dropped the mug, sending it crashing to the floor. Shards of ceramic littered the space.
Fear hit seconds before his fist flew, knocking her back. She stumbled into the table as her hand flew to her cheek. Shock and revulsion twisted through her.
“See what you made me do? You broke my favorite mug. I’m going to have to punish you for that.”
April didn’t like the gleam in his eyes and turned, running for the door. She didn’t get far before the electric shot took her to her knees then she was on the ground, writhing as pain washed through her.
How long he zapped her, she didn’t know. Hate rose with the pain. She wanted to kill him, but he had all the power.
After a moment, he sat on the floor and cradled her head, brushing his hand over her hair, saying words that made her stomach turn as he apologized at the same time he blamed her for his own actions. This literally was a fucking nightmare. She was sure she’d either watched a movie or dreamed something like this, and she just wanted to be free. Nothing like this ever ended good.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Mac closed his eyes and shook his head. Brock was there beside him, squeezing his shoulder.
“This storm will pass quickly. The clouds will thin out after that storm, and we’ll go. With the moon up, it will be up enough that, along with our equipment and our skill, we can get to the cabin before the sun comes up. We’ll be there when they wake up.”
Mac nodded, trying to keep calm and in control. Brock moved to a chair and sat, closing his eyes. They’d slept at a local motel for a few hours, getting warm before waking up at three and getting dressed. This storm had built from nothing but was blowing through quickly.