“Someone needs to take this dog to the vet,” Melisa said, as her fiancé, Rob, the emergency room doctor examined Sierra. “She’s not dead yet, but she’s very weak.”
“Okay, let’s not panic.” Connor put his hands in a circle in front of his mouth. “Rob and Melisa, take the dog to the vet in Rob’s car. Larry and I will take my truck and look for Cait.
“Mom, Dad, and Jenna, you guys stay here in case they return.
“Grady, go back to town with the sheriff and get the firemen to lend us their radios. Nadine, I want you to go with Grady and contact the friends Cait mentioned in her phone call.”
“That would be my family,” Todd said, stepping forward. “I’m Sheriff Todd Colson, and I’m in charge here.”
“I’m Becca Colson, Brian’s lawyer.” Becca shook Connor’s hand. “I’ll go with the team back to town to rally the search. We’d better take your truck so my brother can lead the search.”
“We’re taking the dog,” Melisa said. “Let me get a blanket from the bedroom.”
Connor clapped Larry on the back. “Then we’re going with the sheriff to find Cait.”
“Hold it.” Brian used his hands as a megaphone. “Before you all charge out there, we need to brief you on what we know so far. Melisa and Rob, you two go ahead. Becca can update Grady and Nadine on the way down the mountain, but the rest of us should know that we think someone kidnapped Cait and he could be dangerous.”
“Oh, my stars.” Cait’s mother flapped her hands and made hyperventilating sounds.
Jenna buried her face in Larry’s chest. “I should never have driven Cait away from doing the wedding planning. If I hadn’t been so mean, she wouldn’t have been up here all by her lonesome. This is all my fault.”
“Everyone calm down and let Brian speak.” Todd clapped his hands. “Otherwise, I’m going to order you civilians to stay here and not interfere with official police business.”
Rob and Melisa wrapped Sierra up in a blanket and took her out the door, followed by Grady, Nadine, and Becca.
Brian’s nerves prickled at being surrounded by Cait’s family. It felt like all of them were blaming him for Cait going missing. As if it weren’t bad enough that the last time he saw them was when Cait was in the hospital because the brakes on his car had failed.
He took a deep breath and faced Cait’s parents. “Todd and I suspect Cait was taken to Senator Thornton’s vacation home. We were on our way over there, well, actually, we were going to go back to town to organize a search party. Now, Becca can relay the message and save us time. We think Thornton’s son, Glen, and the other dog, Melia, are with Cait. We don’t think the senator’s minions would necessarily hurt any of them, but I’m sure Cait didn’t go willingly.”
“It could get dangerous,” Todd said. “So I want all you firemen to stand back and wait for orders. When we get there, let me handle it. You’re there to search and rescue, not confront the perps.”
“What about us?” Jenna said, surfacing from her fiancé’s bear hug. “What can we do to help?”
Brian patted his sister-in-law’s back. “Keep your mom and dad company. Pray for us.”
He glanced at Cait’s parents who were huddled together, her father comforting her mother.
“Mom, Dad,” he said, joining them in a group hug. “I promise you I’ll bring her back to you.”
“Go, now, son,” Pete, Cait’s father, said. “We’ll stay here in case anyone comes back. I’ll light the fire and keep the hearth warm.”
“We might as well make soup and hot drinks for everyone,” her mother said, wiping her eyes. “And we’ll pray for all of you, especially Cait and that missing boy.”
She hugged Brian and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m counting on you to bring my daughter back. I know you love her and care for her very much.”
