“Just remember what I’m saying. You and Amy are a good team, on and off the playing field.”
“Right. We’re passing the biker bar, Roger. We have to get a handle on this.”
“It’s a busy day in hell!” Roger said.
The biker bar was hopping that day, so it seemed. There were a lot of cars in the lot for a town this size when it wasn’t even noon.
A meeting of the faithful? Hunter wondered.
“Something going on there, right?” Roger said. “Let’s see, an early memorial for their friend Phin Harrison?”
“And maybe someone is preaching that he did the right thing, what is expected of all of them, if they love their faith, believe—and want a taste of heaven themselves,” Hunter said.
“Maybe once we get Casey out of this town and on her way, we should stop back in.”
“Two of us?”
“I think we’d shake them up. They know who you are, and some of them saw me yesterday. At this point, they’d know that you can have a small federal army down on them in minutes.”
“He’ll refuse to serve us, I’m sure.”
“But do we care?” Roger asked.
“Maybe not a bad idea. I’m going to call Garza, see if there’s anything new.”
Roger nodded. “Kids in the park. Looks like the happiest little old town in the world, doesn’t it?”
They were passing the park. And Roger was right.
There was an area for children with swings and monkey bars and a small carousel. Several young mothers with toddlers were there, watching over their children, chatting with one another. The baseball field was quiet; the picnic tables were empty. There was nothing where the podium had been the day before.
Casey had slowed, as if hoping that she might see one of her brothers in the park.
Then she increased her speed.
At the end of the park, they came to the town’s one light; it turned red.
Casey didn’t stop; she kept going through the empty intersection.
Roger stopped.
Hunter stared at him.
“Hey! It’s a red light,” Roger protested.
It changed quickly. Then they were moving again and it only took a minute to catch back up with Casey Colby.
Hunter’s phone rang; it was Ellison. A trooper from the highway patrol was going to pick up Casey and follow her to Ocala where a local officer would take over.
They followed her until they saw the trooper waiting on the side of the road. He waved to them, and they let him ease his FHP car onto the road.
Then Roger made a U-turn and they started back.
Hunter swore softly. “I’ve got to let Amy know what happened. She’s expecting to meet up with us at the inn and we’re going to be later than I thought.”
Roger grinned. “If I know Amy, she’s not worried about us. She has her nose in a computer. When she’s not physically in the field, she’s still in the field.”
“Probably. I think she’s read every translation of Revelation known to man,” Hunter said.
Amy’s number rang and rang. Her phone went to voice mail.
“Amy, it’s Hunter. Give me a call. We caught up with Casey. She was heading to Maclamara. We got her through, and we’re heading back now.”
She would call him right back, Hunter was certain.
But she didn’t.
“Why isn’t she answering?” he muttered aloud.
“You called ten minutes ago—give it a chance.”
But Hunter was dialing again.
And, again, getting her voice mail message.
He called the inn and asked to be put through to the suite. No answer.
Pete Perkins, the owner, had answered the phone. Hunter had no problem asking him if he’d take a look outside and see if his car was out there.
Pete put him on hold and then came back in a minute.
“Sorry, I guess she just isn’t back yet. Her car—or your car—isn’t out front.”
“Thanks, Pete. Please have Amy call me right away if you do see her.”
“Will do.”
“Thanks.”
He dialed information for the number at the diner. A friendly woman answered at the restaurant. She, too, put him on hold. She returned to the phone to assure him that neither Amy nor his sedan was there.
Finally, Hunter was out of calls to make.
Hunter looked over at Roger and swore explosively.
“What the hell could have happened? She was at the car when we drove away,” Roger said. “Don’t panic—”
“Roger, they had a poisonous spider bite a woman, and they let ants and other creatures eat her flesh as she lay dying.”
“Amy is smart.”
“Yes. But they have her, Roger. Somehow—” He broke off and looked at his friend. “Casey,” he said.
“What?”
“Is she really a frightened innocent, here to save her brothers? Or was that a setup, a way for them to abduct Amy? Roger, they were trying to get Amy when they held Patty and Martin hostage—they wanted her! Damn it, I was a fool. I shouldn’t have left her alone for a minute. The lying bastard wants her—a woman who would stand up against him and everything he’s managed to create. Roger, we must find her. Now! And I will call out every cop and agent—”
“Slow down. Think, Hunter—use the brains and the training that your years have given you,” Roger said firmly. “Call in an army, and we’ll have corpses everywhere—and they’ll make sure that Amy is the first to go.”
“They have something planned for her. Something...” He paused, gritting his teeth.
“Something that buys us time, Hunter. Something that buys us time to find her.”
Roger was right and Hunter knew it. He just hated himself at the moment; she was capable, yes, she was a damned good agent, yes.
But they had targeted her.
And he hadn’t been watching...
He steeled himself to be calm and methodical. He put through a call to Ellison. He needed someone who could bring Casey in, not down in Ocala, but back where they’d interrogated Phin—back in Ellison’s realm. “What are we arresting her for?” Ellison asked.
“Highway violation. We watched her run a red light,” Hunter said. “Just get her in, where she’s watched, where we can talk to her and get the truth.”