T-Wolf and Bear checking roads.
A moment later, Elias watched Bear’s truck drive past the house.
Hold position. Coming in behind you.
It killed him to wait even a moment but Ben was right—he’d be stupid to go in alone, crossing the lawn, fully exposed. He wouldn’t be a damn bit of good to Wren with a bullet in his head.
Elias tried to calculate how much time could have passed since Wren disappeared. She was in a hurry to return to the party, so she wouldn’t dally, didn’t even program in a new emergency flight path.
Thank God, or I’d still be at the party shooting the shit with Waylon while my woman?—
Stop that thought right there.
He estimated that it took her fifteen minutes to arrive at the house, say hi to Chase, and set up the drone. Its fly time was thirty minutes max before the battery died and it dropped out of the sky like a brick. The drone had started its emergency flight path when it still had enough juice to get to its pre-set landing at Gina and Lach’s place. Considering its speed, the drone had been aloft for twenty to twenty-five minutes total. Kevin spotted the drone?—
He checked the time.
Ten minutes ago.
If someone grabbed her right after she launched the drone, she’d been gone roughly twenty-five minutes. If the drone was coming back in from its flight and running on fumes when she was taken, then that happened ten to twelve minutes ago.
She could be twenty-five minutes away by car. Or, she could be only ten minutes away. Roads were few and traffic non-existent up here in the sticks. God-willing, Bear or Gabe would find and follow any car they found on the road, and she’d be in it.
Elias had been within sight of the road the entire time Wren was gone. He didn’t recall seeing a strange car pass Gina and Lach’s place.
They could have driven the other direction, in which case he wished Bear godspeed. T-Wolf would have gone the opposite direction to search.
He typed quickly:
T-wolf they didn’t go your direction. Circle back. Bear look out.
The other possibilities? Wren was still in the house.
Contained. Good.
Or anywhere in the woods.
Not good.
Ben, Waylon, and Shane appeared like shadows at his side. A fourth, shorter shape accompanied them. A Malinois, one of Watchdog’s retired military working dogs no doubt.
Twelve minutes since the phone call.
Ben used hand signals.House first. He pointed to himself, then Elias, then the back door. Shane signaled the dog to heel as he and Waylon followed the tree line toward the front of the house.
Weapons drawn, Ben and Elias started across the open space between the trees and the back patio, crouching as they moved. They were exposed, but at least they were in the shadow of the house.
So help me, if Chase has her inside, if he’s hurting her?—
The back door opened. Ben and Elias froze.
Chase stepped out and walked to the edge of the patio. Looking to the left toward the drone case, he stopped.
“Wren?” He lifted his hand to shade his eyes from the late-afternoon sun stretching across the lawn. “Where’d you go? I’m done inside,” he called. “Did she go to her car?” he added as he scanned the yard. “Wren?”
Ben and Elias shared a look. By now, Shane and the dog would be at the front door, waiting for the message from Ben to breach the house. They holstered their guns and stood up straight. Ben took out his phone and texted Shane. They approached Chase.
When he looked in their direction and saw them he startled, then relaxed as he recognized Elias. Chase frowned.
