Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
“I’m here. I can’t see anything. The parking lot is empty,” Kestrel reported before yelling, “Zara?”
“Hey, I’m here,” Caesar called out as he joined Kestrel.
“There’s no one here. Keep looking, Magnus. There has to be some sign of them.”
Phoenix arrived with pounding footsteps. “Where are they?”
“Spread out, and let’s check in vehicles,” Kestrel ordered.
Methodically, the guys looked into the interior of each car as they called Zara’s name. The sun was setting, leaving the area illuminated by lighting but with growing shadows. Finding nothing, they regrouped in the middle of the lot. Caesar’s and Phoenix’s headshakes told the whole story. No one was stashed in the parking lot.
“This was the only thing I found,” Phoenix reported, holding a remote-controlled drone. “It was in its own parking space.”
“What is it?” Magnus asked, through the phone connection he still maintained with Kestrel.
When Phoenix shared his discovery, Magnus groaned. “That’s how he did it. He created a distraction with a pre-programmed toy. It must be loaded with a device to interfere with the visuals.”
“I didn’t think I could hate this guy any more. He’s literally playing us, and we fell for it,” Caesar said with a fiery look.
“Magnus, did any vehicles leave the parking lot after the attack?” Kestrel demanded urgently.
“I’ve run the footage for the entire resort. There were seven cars, two vans, and a delivery truck that left the resort during the time after the girls ran down the stairs and now. Thank goodness this isn’t a heavy traffic time. I’m working on running license plates for all but one dark van that didn’t appear to have tags. That one I tracked to the highway.”
“Do you still know where that dark van is?” Kestrel asked, thinking it was the likeliest vehicle.
“Yes. It’s going into an area that isn’t heavily inhabited. Camera coverage will be spotty, and the darkness will challenge any existing footage.”
Kestrel took off for the helicopter pad. When his teammates shouted that they would follow by car, Kestrel waved to acknowledge he’d heard them. Within minutes, he had the helicopter prepped and ready to go, but each second felt like a lifetime. Donning his headset, Kestrel disconnected from the phone call and accessed Magnus through the relay.
“I’m going up. Send me the coordinates.”
After entering the precise information the computer wizard had shared, Kestrel waited, holding his breath for the location to appear on his screen. The moment it did, he guided the helicopter into the air. The copter covered chunks of miles but wasn’t fast enough. He passed over a Danger Bluff SUV driving in the same direction.
“I’m losing it,” reported Magnus.
“I’m almost there,” Kestrel muttered, leaning forward automatically as if that would help him see farther in the growing darkness.
At the last pinpointed location, he found nothing. Making concentric circles around that area, Kestrel shouted, “I’ve got it!” After giving the geographic information, he followed the van. He knew Magnus would relay his information to his teammates on the ground.
The van pulled into a packed parking lot, and a single man left the vehicle and walked into a large building, carrying a large bundle over his shoulder. Kestrel circled, looking for a location to set the helicopter down as he shared the information on autopilot. Fuck! There was no place to land.
He hovered over the building and focused a spotlight on the sign. Fuck!
“What’s happening?” Magnus asked quickly.
“This isn’t it. It’s a rug restoration company. Didn’t Sadie call to have the large entrance rug picked up for repair?” Kestrel asked, feeling his hope collapsing as three men walked out to check on the noise of the helicopter hovering over them.
“Let me check.”
In a few seconds, Magnus was back on the line. “You’re right. They came to pick it up this evening. The guy was running late. You should see the SUV now. Phoenix is almost there.”
From above, Kestrel spotted the Danger Bluff vehicle. He focused. It stopped at the front, and both men piled out to run to the door. “Update the guys,” he requested, peering through the darkness now that the sun had set completely.
The lights of the helicopter and the parking lot allowed him to see a small bit of the action below. He could have focused the spotlight on them but chose not to due to his growing confidence that this was not Mark. He’d either mixed up the van with another similar one as he’d followed, or this had never been the vehicle that had taken Zara away.
Heading back to Danger Bluff, sick to the core, Kestrel wouldn’t sleep until he found her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Zara struggled against the strips of material around her waist that tied her to the piping on the wall. Her wrists burned from the rubbing of the bonds over her delicate skin as she tried to weaken the fabric to free herself. That asshole Mark had delivered her to the brute who had tethered her here.