“You can gloat and give high-fives to your cops, but I know all about your pretty niece who’s working the case. Don’t worry, she’ll just be collateral damage.” He laughed again. “I won’t kill you right away. I want you to suffer just like Bruce Collins madeussuffer.”
“Your dad took care of him.”
“Oh, you have it all wrong.Wetook care of Collins.”
The sheriff swallowed. “The four of you?”
“Yeah, it was the best thing we ever did and we almost took it to our grave. We knew where Mrs. Collins and Misty were buried.”
“And look at you now,” he scoffed.
The sheriff knew Junior’s confession meant the younger man was going to kill him. His thoughts went to Katie. He wasn’t sure how much more pain he could endure, but he wasn’t going to let Junior win with the satisfaction of seeing him suffer.
But then Junior laughed. “And your poorgirlfriend… she died easily. It was a way to weaken you and make you more vulnerable.”
“What about your father?”
“What about him,” he snapped.
“You two were cut from the same cloth.”
Junior chuckled. “Maybe at one time, but he was weak and questioned me at every turn. He was beginning to lose his edge… and well… the weakest link had to go first…”
The sheriff closed his eyes, but as hard as he tried, he could still hear that laugh resonating in his mind.
FIFTY-FIVE
Thursday 0045 hours
Katie, with Cisco tucked in at her side, watched the lights sweeping around in the forest from a safe distance in between a set of dense trees. She knew it was SWAT operators as well as fugitive apprehension officers trying to cover ground in hopes of finding a clue as to where the sheriff was. They were expertly trained and had heavy fire power if necessary. They seemed to be looking in the areas where she had been attacked and where Buck might be. They were pulling out all the stops from the investigation reports as a point of origin. This was one instance where they were wrong, but without any other evidence they had to start somewhere. She knew McGaven and John were either at the department working information or at her house and her uncle’s condo.
Katie still tried to work out why anyone would want to abduct and hurt the sheriff, but her idea was that the construction project might be the reason. Then her thoughts considered the four boys, including the Young brothers. They would be allstill alive if it weren’t for Junior killing Grand. She also thought about the retired detective, Ventura, and his cases.
Katie stayed out of sight and wasn’t worried that someone would find them. The search crew seemed to going in the opposite direction—southeast. Closing her eyes, Katie had a difficult time pushing out some of the memories from the Army when she and Cisco had to stay hidden because of impending danger. The sounds of gunfire and larger weapons rattled through her body. The smell from the expelled arsenals along with the intense heat was something she would never forget.
Cisco moved slightly against her side, repositioning himself, but she could still feel the heat from his body. It was as if he too had memories of that time.
When it was safe and she wouldn’t be seen traveling through the trees, Katie and Cisco pushed on in hopes of finding Buck. With the dog’s help, he might be able to pick up a recent scent and guide her to the cabin. She checked her compass a few times to make sure they weren’t moving in circles. They were heading deeper into the woods that bordered a vast property of more than two hundred acres.
They came across a clearing of pine trees and California oaks. They seemed almost perfectly positioned, as if someone planted them that way. It was a good place to rest and drink water. She and Cisco hydrated and she made a plan. She knew she had to be close to Buck’s place, but wasn’t sure the exact path to take.
Katie’s instinct kicked into high gear and she contemplated whether to keep Cisco hidden and safe. If something were to happen to Katie, she knew the dog would find his way back to the main area and be found. He had identification on his collar. But she decided to keep him at her side and they moved through the woods at a steady pace. There was a faint smell of smoke, like of a fire burning. She recalled there were once crudecabins in the woods used by lumberjacks and rogue gold seekers in the early 1900s, but after all the decades that had passed they would be nothing more than a part of the forest now. And yet Katie knew she smelled something from a fire.
She took extra care to sweep areas before they passed through. Her heart raced, keeping her alert as they moved deeper into the forest.
McGaven and John arrived at Katie’s home. Once inside, they began searching and calling Katie’s name. Cisco wasn’t there either.
“Gav!” called John.
McGaven rushed to Katie’s room, where John was leaning into the closet. There was a space on the floor where something was missing.
“Look,” said John. “Everything from her military gear to extra ammo is gone. She always kept it here.”
“She’s going after Junior and trying to find the sheriff.”
“How would she know where to look?” said John.
“I don’t know. Unless?—”
