There.Her granddad’s treehouse was less than twenty feet away. Hidden between the trunks of four tall pine trees, it melded into the landscape. She had no idea if anyone else had found it but, for now, it was better than stumbling through the forest.
The old rope ladder was covered in moss and fallen branches. Carefully, she pulled on the rungs, hoping it wouldn’t drop out of the trees. It stayed firm. She climbed about two feet into the air. So far, so good.
The rope swayed as she rose higher. For years, her grandfather had climbed the tree, squeezing between the knotted trunks that were older than all of their combined ages. She didn’t know how he’d done it, but that was granddad. He had the stamina and strength of a man half his age. It had taken a drunk driver to show her how fragile life could be.
Natalie looked at the ground and swallowed. If the rope gave way, she wouldn’t need to worry about Leith’s stepbrother. She’d be a splattered mess across the forest floor.
Taking a deep breath, she hauled herself onto the bough of the tree. At some point, the trunk of the four trees had become so intertwined that they formed a single tree. The melding of wood had created a tiny platform—her granddad’s dream space.
Her hands trembled as she pulled the rope ladder toward her. When she was finished, she curled her legs into her chest and leaned backward. With her spine pressed against the trunk and the branches providing shelter, she was as small and unnoticeable as she could make herself.
All she needed was a miracle to keep her safe.
* * *
Gabe arrivedat the cottage before Russell. Caleb’s truck was parked in front of the crime scene tape stretching across the front yard. He looked for his friend, hoping he knew what was going on.
“Gabe!” Caleb ran toward him. “The police won’t let me into the cottage or around the lake.”
Beside Gabe, Sherlock tensed. He stroked his dog’s head, trying to reassure both of them that everything would be all right. Caleb had called him on his way to the cottage, repeating the message that Natalie had sent him.
Gabe attached Sherlock’s leash to his harness. The last thing any of them needed was an excited German Shepherd contaminating evidence.
He studied the grim expressions on the faces of the police. He’d seen the same look so often that it made his heart clench. Something had happened to Natalie.
“Russell will know what’s going on.” Gabe strode toward the black SUV that had stopped beside his truck. He met the detective halfway across the yard. “Where’s Natalie?”
Russell nodded at Caleb. “Good to see you again. You both need to come with me. We’ve set up a command center in Gabe’s side of the cottage.”
Cold sweat broke out on Gabe’s forehead. He breathed deeply as his blood pressure plummeted.
Caleb grabbed his arm. “You need to sit down.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I’ve heard that before,” Caleb muttered. With Russell’s help, he half-walked, half-dragged Gabe to the cottage.
“Sit here,” Russell said as he pulled out a chair.
Caleb poured a glass of water and set it in front of Gabe. “Drink this.”
He couldn’t have drunk anything, even if he wanted to. “What’s happened to Natalie?”
Russell sat in the chair beside him. “We don’t know. The officers who were first on the scene have searched the house and the land immediately around the cottage. Natalie and Jaydon aren’t here.”
All Gabe could focus on was that Natalie wasn’t dead. If they wanted to find her alive, they needed to act fast.
Russell placed his hand on Gabe’s arm. “What we do know is that there was some kind of incident in her kitchen. There’s blood on the back door and on the kitchen floor. It’s not enough to have killed someone, but it is a significant amount. A team of officers is searching the area between the cottage and the lake.”
“Why do you think she headed toward the water?” Caleb asked.
“An officer found fresh blood on the trail leading to the lake. If it isn’t Natalie’s, it will be Jaydon’s.” Russell focused on Gabe. “We’re doing everything we can to find her.”
Gabe looked down at Sherlock. “Can we try?”
The detective shook his head. “That wouldn’t be a good idea. The K-9 unit is on its way. They’ll do their best to find her.”
“We’re racing against the clock. We’ve got even less time if she’s injured.”
