—I’m sorry, Theo. I made a mistake. Coming back.—
Another text came right after it. Then, more.
—Took a wrong turn and car ran out of gas. So stupid I didn’t check.—
—Pulled off the street at Indian Point Road, I think.—
—There was a sign for Squid Cove maybe.—
—Please, come get me.—
Taking a deep breath, Theo stared at his friend. “Indian Point Road covers half the island.”
Rico narrowed his eyes. “Why is he telling you their location? You know it’s a setup of some kind.”
“I know, but I can’t sit around waiting for someone else to fix this. It’ll take a while to find her car, especially since it’ll be dark by the time I get to the other side of the island.”
“Squid Cove is more north,” Rico stated. “How about we split up and both search?”
Theo nodded. “I’ll contact Aiden and have him head that way.” Fishing his keys out of his pocket, he ran to his shiny new SUV. The one Chelsea had insisted she buy for him.
As Rico moved toward his vehicle, he called out, “I’ll contact Kim and have her standby. Just in case.”
Yeah, Rico didn’t have to finish that sentence. Theo didn’t want to think of anyjust in casescenario. Starting the car, he put it in gear, and tore off down the street. After calling Aiden with the information, his mind raced as he flew over the pavement toward the west side of the island. What possible reason did this Frank character have for wanting him hurt or dead? And what had he done to Chelsea?
The head lights of the SUV cut through the dark as he drove along. Once he reached Indian Point Road, he slowed down. It would be easy to miss Chelsea’s car if he went too fast, especially if it was pulled off to the side.
Time moved on, and Theo grew antsy. He’d gone almost the whole way down the road and was about to turn around when he saw a light-colored sedan pulled slightly off the road, near a broken-down shack that was hidden in the woods. Not wanting to alert Frank that he was here, Theo turned his lights off and pulled over a few hundred feet farther up the road.
After closing his car door softly, he picked his way through the woods and noted it was Chelsea’s car. Empty. He quickly sent off a group text with his location, then shut off the ringer, so anything coming in wouldn’t give away where he was. A soft light glowed through the window of the shack. Theo headed in that direction.
When he peeked in, shadows filled the room, but he could make out a table with a small candle on it, some chairs, and a mattress shoved near the wall. He didn’t see anyone inside. The bright colors that lay in a clump on the bed shouted at him. It was the blanket Chelsea always kept in the car. Peering in closer, he tried to see if it was his wife under the blanket. That could be dark hair at one end of the mattress, but if it was Chelsea, she didn’t appear to be moving. Crap. Where was Frank?
“Did you want a closer look?”
The deep voice at Theo’s back spun him around. A tall, blond man with a solemn face stood there. Even in the darkness, Theo could see the glint of what he held in his hand. A gun. Pointed straight at him.
Chapter twenty-six
“Frank?”
Surprise flashed across the man’s face as Theo said his name. It only lasted a second before Frank held the weapon up and smirked.
“So you know who I am?”
“Chelsea’s mentioned you. What have you done to her, and what do you want?”
“Let’s go inside to chat.” He waved the gun at Theo, who considered, for only a moment, trying to disarm him. He had no idea how much Frank knew about weapons or how well he could use them. If Theo got injured or killed out here, who knew what he’d do to Chelsea? Better to play along and give Rico and Aiden time to arrive with trained help. Theo could rappel down the side of a cliff to rescue a fallen hiker or navigate his way out of the thick foliage anywhere on the island. Hand-to-hand combat with an armed assailant hadn’t been in his training.
“Open it,” Frank said to Theo as they approached the door. The inside was dim with only the candle providing light.
“Chelsea?” he called out, hoping he’d get a response from the lump on the mattress.
“She’s sleeping.” Frank brandished the gun, directing Theo further into the room.
As he approached the table, the blanket shifted slightly. Pivoting toward Frank, he shoved his hands in his pockets. Could he manage to get a message to his friends? Probably not without seeing the screen.
“What did you do to her?” Theo’s gaze moved to the shiny hair spread out on the dirty mattress.
