His friend’s expression softened some. “I get it. This whole thing just blows donkey balls, you know?”
“Big, hairy ones. Yeah, I know.” Nate thought for a minute. “Hey, you bringing up the VA reminds me. So, Craig Wyatt—one of the patients at the hospital where Gracie volunteered—gets murdered, then she goes missing a few days later. They’ve got to be connected, don’t you think?”
Kole perked up. “Sure is one hell of a coincidence if they’re not.”
“Exactly.” Nate rubbed his eyes. “I’m going to do some more digging on Wyatt. See what I can come up with.”
“You know, what we told Sarah holds true for us, too.”
“What’s that?”
“We need to get some rest, man. We’ve both been going non-stop since we landed. You, more than anyone. Go home. Get some sleep. You’ve got the spare key, so come back whenever you’re ready.”
Nate considered this. “Everything’s already set up, here. I’ll just crash on your couch again.”
“You and I both know you don’t sleep for shit when you’re not in your own bed.”
His friend was right. Not that hecouldn’tsleep somewhere else. Hell, during his time in the Navy, he’d actually mastered the art of sleeping while sitting up in his computer chair. But he always felt like shit after.
“Come on, man. Let your programs do their thing. I’m a light sleeper, so if it dings or buzzes…or whatever the fuck it’s supposed to do when it finds something, I’ll hear it.”
Nodding, Nate relented. “Fine, I’ll go. I’ll set up duplicate programs on the computers I left at my apartment. That way, if one of us misses something, hopefully the other will catch it.”
Nate grabbed his keys and sunglasses and both men walked to the door. Sliding the glasses onto the collar of his V-neck, he said the one thing he hated to admit.
“I’ll keep checking, but…” Nate glanced back toward the closed bedroom door at the end of the hallway. “Tomorrow will be a week since anyone’s seen Gracie. You know our chances of finding her alive are—”
“I know,” Kole cut him off. Grimacing, the man swallowed hard and said, “But we can’t give up.”
“Never going to happen,” Nate assured him. “I just want you and Sarah to be prepared in case this whole thing ends badly.” God, he prayed that wouldn’t happen.
“I understand.” Kole nodded. “Unfortunately, so does Sarah.”
Nate turned and opened the door, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“Listen. About all that shit I said.”
Confused, Nate looked back at his friend. “What shit?”
“About you and Gracie. I know you’re a good man, Nathan. I never meant to imply otherwise.”
“None of that shit’s important, right now, Kole. What matters is finding Gracie. Let’s focus on that, yeah?”
Kole bobbed his head in agreement. “Yeah. Thanks.”
Nate’s heart hurt for the pain he saw in the other man’s eyes. “It’s what friends do, man. I’ll be back first thing in the morning, unless I find something before then.”
With a shared look, Nate left and headed home. Once there, he got everything up and running and took a quick shower. Knowing he wouldn’t get much sleep anyway, he sat in one of his two office chairs and watched the monitors closely.
For the next hour, he remained diligent. Checking program after program, Nate prayed with everything he had that something would pop up and tell them where Gracie was.
But there was nothing.
Her credit cards were useless, since her purse had been left behind. Her phone was in shambles, and what had been recovered was of no help whatsoever. It was as if she’d simply vanished into thin air.
“Goddamn it!” Nate’s arm flew out across his desk, knocking several papers and his empty travel mug onto the floor.
Shoving his chair back, he stood and locked his fingers behind his head, pacing the short length of his office. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this helpless.
