You’d better get to her.”
Merrick’s last words to him.
Cole couldn’t get to the safe house fast enough. He wished he had his own personal helicopter like Hawk. He wished he had asked Hawk to fly his helicopter and come and get him. Jo could have ridden along too.
At least while he drove to the safe house, Sanders was working on getting anewsafe house and, at the same time, putting out the appropriate warnings to law enforcement channels to find Troy Martin, whom Merrick had accused while confessing his own crimes.
The WSP detective had loaned Cole a burner cell and assured Cole that he would keep him updated. In the meantime, Cole had tried to call Hawk again, but in this part of the Olympic Peninsula, the cell wouldn’t work. At least he’d been able to reach his brother once and warn him. Hawk knew to remain on guard and vigilant and to be ready to move.
Fear churned in his gut.
He steered up the rough drive. The power was out. Infact, no lights were on inside, that he could see. No security lights lit up the grounds. That could be from the storm, or something else entirely. The trees he could see within the circle of light from his vehicle swayed back and forth. At least the rain had slowed.
A rare flash of lightning silhouetted the house against the cliff. Cole parked behind Hawk’s vehicle.
He was still here? Why didn’t he answer? His brother’s lack of response jacked up Cole’s internal warning signals. He left the lights on and hopped from the vehicle with his handgun out—locked and loaded. Approaching the house on the cliff, he felt like he was in a creepy novel. Even creepier at the moment because the power was out.
Gun ready, he skirted around Hawk’s vehicle and then forward. He didn’t want to get shot by his brother—friendly fire—approaching the way he was, so he texted Hawk.
I’m here.
And heard nothing back. But that didn’t mean anything. Or it could mean everything. His pulse skyrocketed. Two people he loved were in that house.
Orhadbeen in that house.
Lord,please let Hawk and Jo bealive and well in the house.
Cole could be getting worked up for nothing. Sanders could have secured a safe house and Hawk taken Jo to it. Still, Cole had heard nothing from Hawk or Sanders. They would have informed him of the move. Something else was going on here.
The garage door was open, which wasn’t in keeping with security protocol. Illumination from his vehicle gave just enough light that he could see where he was going. He cleared the garage, found the breaker panel. The main circuit had been flipped. He switched it back on and thenentered the house through the garage door. And he could also see that he was alone.
Or ... maybe not alone.
Inside the house, a few lights had come on, and he continued in clearance mode, leading with his loaded gun. Hawk’s laptop remained open on the table. Not like Hawk. Panic crept up Cole’s spine and tightened around his throat. Pulse racing, he cleared the rest of the house as quickly as possible.
Jo wasn’t here. Her bag remained on the bed. Unpacked.
Hawk wasn’t here. But his vehicle was still outside.
This was. Not. Good.
A noise drew him around, and he aimed his handgun, then quickly lowered it. “Hawk?”
His brother stumbled forward, holding his head. “I’m sorry.”
“Hawk!” Cole rushed forward, then ushered his brother to the sofa. “You’re hurt. What happened?”
“I don’t know. Someone hit me in the head. Jo ... where is she?”
Fear gripped Cole’s chest and squeezed. “She isn’t here.”
“Then you’d better find her. I’ll be fine.” Hawk fumbled around and found his cell, then dropped it.
Heart pounding, Cole grabbed the cell, got Sanders on the line this time. “Hawk’s hurt. Jo is gone. Get here. Send backup. Send an ambulance. Send everyone. We have to find her!”
He ended the call. He didn’t have time to talk. “Where could he have taken her?”
“Who?”
