She disappears around the corner toward the kitchen.
I switch cameras.
The kitchen feed shows her slipping through the back door.
I check the timestamp.
7:44 a.m.
This has to be right after I left for the warehouse.
My jaw clenches.
She fucking waited for me to leave.
I switch to the exterior cameras, tracking her movement across the back lawn.
She's running now, her arms pumping at her sides.
She reaches the wall, scales it, hops over the fence, and disappears into the treeline.
"Looks like she went into the woods, sir," Tommy says.
"Send men now," I say, handing the iPad back to him. "Scour every inch of those woods. I want her found."
"Yes, sir.”
"And Tommy?"
"Yeah?"
"If anyone helped her leave, I want them brought to me. Alive."
"Understood."
He walks away, and the only thing keeping me together is that I know I'll find her, and when I do, she's going to wish she never fucked with me.
I turn around and head to my office. I need a god damn drink.
As I walk down the hall, I hear my name.
"Cal."
"What!" I yell, turning around to see my mom and Keira standing there.
"Shit, well fucking hi to you too," Keira says.
"Damn, sorry. Hi, Mom," I say and walk over and kiss her cheek. "I didn't know you were coming."
"Remember last week? You said to bring her over for lunch on Wednesday?"
"Oh, yes. I forgot. It's…" I pause for a second. I don't want to even get into the shit I'm dealing with.
"Is this a bad time, dear? We can reschedule," my mom says.
"No, please. Come with me. I'll get Linda to make us something," I say, turning around. "I could use the distraction."
32
