She thought about dropping it, but then it would be wasted. Would an animal try to eat a meat stick wrapped in plastic?
She was far from out of the woods. Figuratively and literally.
Cara peeled open the plastic wrapper, broke the Slim Jim into pieces, and shoved the whole thing into her mouth. Then she started running up the hill behind the store.
FIFTEEN
JORDAN
Check this video OUT! @carasloveisgold in the flesh! Badly in need of moisturizer but alive and well at the general store. #CaraOnTheLoose #Fugitive #AmericasMostWanted #Influencer #InfluencerLyfe #GlamLife #BadHairDay #Busted
—@momneedswine77
Lights flashing and siren howling, Jordan slalomed from lane to lane on a road so narrow there wasn’t much shoulder for drivers to get out of his way. He knew this road well; Wen didn’t. He had lost her some miles back.
The tip had been another Amber Alert, a text from his wife with siren emojis and a link to a TikTok video. When he opened it, it took him a moment to cut through the audiovisual overkill—subtitles competing with captions and a song that had been added as a soundtrack—and see what was actually happening.
It was her. Cara Campbell had a black eye and was wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt as she tried to check out at the cash register at Ye Olde Country Store. She still had a Slim Jim inher hand as she hurried away from the TikToker. According to Amber, it had been posted twelve minutes ago.
Somehow Cara had gotten eleven miles away from the Thornberry Mountain Trailhead and somehow she’d found some money. Hitchhiking? Begging?
If he couldn’t catch her now, he would canvass for more witnesses.
Ten minutes later, he braked to a halt in front of the store. A dozen people were milling around out front, talking and showing each other their phones. Nothing moved faster than social media.
He killed the lights and siren and stepped out of the car. “Has anyone here seen Cara Campbell?”
“Yeah, we all did, dude,” said a kid with a braided chin beard and an embroidered Mexican blouse.
“In person,” Jordan clarified.
The kid looked down at his phone and shrugged. Nobody else volunteered.
He tried again, raising his voice. “Did any of you take the video of Cara Campbell in the store that was posted to TikTok?”
A woman in shorts and anI READ BANNED BOOKST-shirt smiled and shook her head. “I think she left before I got here.”
Jordan realized that several people in the group were now aiming their phones at him. He was about to be all over the internet. He ducked inside the store—then, as everyone started to follow him inside, opened the door to address them.
“I need you all to stay outside. This is an active investigation.” Seeing looks ranging from resignation to outrage, he added, “I appreciate your cooperation.”
Only one of the two checkout lanes was open. The cashier was talking to a stock boy, who backed away nervously as Jordan approached.
“She was totally just here!” the cashier told Jordan with a broad smile. “See?”
Jordan looked down at the conveyor belt. A nonfat vanilla yogurt, three granola bars, and a package of Reese’s peanut butter cups, plus a Mountain Spring water and a small box of Tampax. Which made him realize something about the blood trail. She might not be injured after all, which would explain why she was covering so much ground.
“I didn’t touch it in case you need to dust for fingerprints or something,” said the cashier proudly.
“Smart move,” Jordan said politely. “It would help even more if you can show me your security video.”
“No can do.”
“Look, a warrant’s going to take too long. Every minute matters right now.”
“I don’t have the access code. You think my manager trusts me with shit like that? I’m lucky she lets me handle money, and I’m a cashier.”
“Get her.”
