Tracker

The man hopped back in the van and started it up. Penny raised the gun again and shot toward the moving target. She missed but she thought she heard something else over the sound of the dog’s barks.

The cries of a child.

* * *

Zeke followed the trail of broken bramble and loose rocks along the craggy ridge, stopping to take a photo each time he saw drops of blood on the rocks or dirt. Cheetah had at least injured his brother. Probably not a deep bite since Jake had been wearing heavy leather boots, but enough that a crime scene tech could get a sample to back up whatever Penny could tell them. The K-9 team could gather evidence and get it to Billings. They all wanted Jake.

Deciding he couldn’t keep going along blindly, Zeke stopped at the top of the ridge and glanced down through the woods. It was hard to see with the growing dusk but he stilled and waited. Nothing. Jake had to be hiding down there somewhere but until help arrived, he had no choice but to turn around. He didn’t want to leave Penny alone. Pivoting, he heard a crashing noise down below. Could be an animal or it could be his brother on the move again. He hurried to check it out.

The sound of gunshots in the area where he’d left Penny had him running back in that direction instead. When he heard Cheetah’s fierce bark, he knew she was in trouble. Had Jake set up yet another distraction so he could get to Penny?

* * *

After what seemed like hours but had only been a few minutes, Zeke returned, winded, fatigue coloring his eyes.

Rushing up to where she sat against the tree with the gun held tightly against her, tears streaming down her face, he sank onto the ground by her. “Cheetah, sit.” Then he gently cupped Penny’s arms in his hands. “Are you okay?”

She handed Zeke his gun, thankful that he’d come back so quickly. But she was so scared of what she might have done it took her a while to speak. “A black van, big with no windows. A man got out and searched the area. I decided to scare him away so I shot toward him.” With each word, she began to sob in earnest.

Zeke nodded, concern deepening his frown. “Good, that’s good. Did you get a look at him?”

She swallowed, trying desperately to tamp down the fear that assailed her. “Yes. Not too tall. Long, stringy blond hair and glasses. And a really big rifle.” Then she grabbed his shirt. “Zeke, I can’t be sure since it all happened so fast and Cheetah was barking, but I...I think I heard a cry. Inside the van.” The terror took over and she started shaking. “I think I heard a child crying.” Then she fell against him, the sick fear engulfing her, the reality of her fears paralyzing her. “Zeke, I shot at the man and I missed. But I heard a child’s cry.” Pulling away, she stared up at him. “What if my son’s in that van?”

Zeke’s eyes went wide. Lifting her up, he pulled her closer and looked down at her. “We’re going to the inn. We’ll find Kevin.” Then, still holding her near, he took out his phone and reported everything she’d just told him. “Yes, sir. We’ll be there as soon as we can get back to my vehicle.”

He ended the call and turned to her. “Let’s get you back to the inn.”

She tugged at his arm and pointed toward the road. “We need to go after them. They went that way. I...I have to find Kevin.”

She started to go around him and tried to reach for her backpack.

“I’ll get it.” He snatched up the flower-encased bundle, their gazes locking for a brief moment. “Let’s go.”

Zeke pulled her with him across the rocky terrain at a furious trot. “My SAC—special agent in charge—Max West, and another agent are already headed to the Wild Iris, and the whole team is here and scattered throughout the woods. We’ve put out a BOLO on the van and we’ve got Jake’s face plastered all over the news and social media outlets. Max made sure the locals put out an APB.”

“So you didn’t see him anywhere?”

“No,” Zeke said. “But I did find blood on some of the rocks. I gave Max the locations so the crime scene techs can do a sweep of the area.”

We had him. Penny wished they could have stopped Jake but everything happened so fast. She prayed Kevin was safe, prayed she’d been imagining those wails. She had shot toward that van but thankfully, she’d missed.

Dear God, please, please. I couldn’t bear it if my child were kidnapped. She wished this was just a horrible nightmare. Each step seemed like an eternity and each time she glanced back, she expected Jake to be trailing them.

Then she halted and gasped. “I remember something Jake said earlier.”

“What?” Zeke queried, swiping at buzzing bugs.

“He said he had a van waiting. ‘We’ll have Kevin.’ Then he went on talking about how we’d leave together.”

Realization filled Zeke’s eyes. “That does make it sound like Kevin would already be in the van.”

She bobbed her head. “Yes, yes. I think I heard my baby crying.” Putting her hands to her mouth, she tried to take another breath. “Zeke, what if Jake holding me here was all a distraction so that man could get to Kevin? And now...he could be hurt or—”

Zeke let out a frustrated sigh and took her into his arms. “Penny, think. Where did the shot land?”

She closed her eyes. “It hit a few feet in front of the van, thankfully.”

“So if Kevin was in the van, he’d probably be in the back, maybe in a crib or a seat, or you could have heard something else.” Softening his tone, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Don’t think the worst until we can get to the inn, okay?”

She glanced up at him, wanting to believe him. “Okay. Hurry anyway. We need to find out.”

Zeke started going over things, his voice calm while her heart screamed in agony. “We know someone else was with Jake. I have an eyewitness for that. And they were in a black van. Then you probably saw the same van. The locals and the FBI are searching for it right now.”

“That person could have Kevin already and they could be leaving right now. Can you check? Talk to your person?”

Zeke took out his phone again and made the call. “Yes, sir. Tell them to hurry.” Then he turned to her. “We’ve got people at the inn. We’ll hear soon.”

Penny felt sick, her knees weak. “Hurry, Zeke. Please. We’re wasting time. He went west on the main road.”

He urged her forward. “We can’t get anywhere without my vehicle.”

When they reached a clearing, Zeke scanned the entire area and watched his canine for any signs of a scent. The dog sniffed the air and the ground and looked toward where they’d been before.

“I’ll get you there,” he promised her, his eyes as dark as the tree bark. “I can’t let you out of my sight now.”

She nodded, glad he’d moved quickly. “I need to call Claire.”

He guided her to the SUV and came around to the driver’s side.

Before she could dig for her cell phone, Zeke pulled the official-looking sleek black phone out of his pocket. “Make the call.”

Penny dialed the number to the inn and waited. “She’s not answering. Something’s wrong.”

Zeke took the phone back and pressed on the gas pedal. “We’ll be there in five minutes. In the meantime, we’ve got people already going over the area where I found you with Jake. They’re searching for the van and they might find something we missed.”

Penny nodded and listened while he spoke to someone about the location. She was still shaking and the blast of cold air coming from the vehicle’s air-conditioning made her shiver even more. Interrupting his conversation, she said, “I think we should have tried to find the van. I can identify it. Should we turn around?”

Zeke noticed her discomfort and hit the button to turn down the airflow. After discussing the situation with his superior again, he dropped his cell phone into a cup holder between them. “I have to protect you and Kevin. He’ll keep coming for you. I’m to get you to the inn first. It’s too dangerous to go chasing after that vehicle.”

Frustration roared through Penny. “I was right there! I should have killed that man and looked inside myself.”

Zeke reached over and gripped her arm. “Listen to me, Penny. In situations like this, it’s always best if the parents stay out of the way and let us do our jobs. My team is one of the best. You need to take a breath and trust us.”

“I know,” she said, wondering how she’d ever find her next breath. “I know.” She couldn’t voice the terror ripping her apart. What if it’s too late? What then?

Zeke zoomed the sleek SUV around curves and along dirt roads and watched the rearview mirror. Cheetah stayed in the back in a roomy kennel. She felt safe with these two, but Penny couldn’t relax until she knew Kevin was safe.

When they got to the Wild Iris and saw a local police officer standing with two FBI agents holding canines on leashes, her heart sank. “I have to find my baby,” she cried, hopping out of the vehicle before Zeke could turn off the motor.