I climbed into the jeep and then pulled the cap down over my head. I added some dark glasses to finish off my look and then started the jeep and began driving toward the station building.
The three SUVs were still parked on the far side of the building, several men dressed in camo standing in front of the first one. They seemed to be in deep conversation with the station master. He was pointing to a map in his hand and then pointing to the road that led farther into the campground.
One of the men spotted my Jeep and gestured to me before walking toward me. My heart thundered in my chest. I casually slid my hand down to my pocket, pulling out the switchblade knife I kept there.
I held it down along side my thigh.
When the rather tall man reached my window, he glanced inside the Jeep. My breath caught when he looked to the backseat and I remembered the car seat.
This wasn't good.
"Have you seen a young light brown haired man and a small child here at the camp?"
The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but the dark glasses the blond haired man wore made it hard to place if I knew him or not.
"I have not," I replied, "but I haven't really seen anyone since I checked in."
"Are you sure?" The man reached up and pulled his glasses down the bridge of his nose, showing off his golden eyes. Eyes that I knew very well.
The blond hair threw me.
"I'm sure."
"There are a lot of people looking for this young man. Anyone adding and abetting him could be in a lot of trouble with the council."
My brow flickered with unease. "I'm sure," I repeated.
"We'll catch him eventually." The man snorted. "It's way too easy to track cell phones nowadays."
Shit!
"Best you be on your way," the man stated. "We have to search this campground before we move on to the next one. We don't have time to sit and chat. It'll take at least two hours to search this campground alone. I'd rather be sitting in that bar at the edge of town having a beer. If I'm lucky, we'll be done here soon and I'll be able to knock off early so I can have that beer."
The man slid his glasses back up his face and then waved me on with his hand. I dropped my checkout sheet in the drop box and then drove down the driveway, trying not to look toward the other men standing around in front of the line of SUVs.
As soon as I hit the main road, I took a right and drove as fast as I could within the speed limit to reach the bridge where Ajag and Sy should be waiting for me.
The bridge was only a mile down the road, which was a little close to danger for my liking. As soon as I reached it, I pulled off to the side of the road, hit my emergency flashers, and climbed out of the Jeep.
I hurried down the embankment calling out Ajag's name, praying I would get to him in time. I had to find him and Sy and get them out of the area as quickly as I could.
And then I needed to go for a beer.
Chapter Ten
~ Ajag ~
I was rubbing my hands up and down Sy's arms to keep him warm when I heard someone call out my name. I stiffened, glancing toward where the voice was coming from.
When Rad appeared at the bottom of the small cement incline we were sitting on, I breathed a sigh of relief and pushed Sy to his feet. "Come on, little man."
I carefully helped him down, but Rad met us halfway up.
"Are you two okay?"
I nodded.
"Come on." Rad held out his hand. "We need to get the two of you out of here."
