“I do.” Maya worked to ignore his sarcasm and focus on the task. Hope’s scared expression and puffy eyes from crying helped her concentrate. What an awful thing to go through. Anger coursed through Maya that Abigail had done this to not only a child, but her niece. Everything Abigail did was personal and filled with vengeance. They had to find her.
“What makes you think Abigail’s back in this area?” Agent Ross asked.
“I told you, she wants to kill me. I knew she’d make contact, but wouldn’t make it easy. Be quiet so I can think.”
Maya heard Ross mutter some choice words, but she ignored him and instead focused on the picture behind Hope. From the little bit that showed, she could tell it was a painting of an elk in the wintertime. Where had she seen that picture?
Think, Maya, think.
She closed her eyes. Her therapist, Dr. Meyers, had worked with her on sorting through memories. She used some mindfulness techniques to think about theroom where she’d seen that artwork. Dr. Meyers had taught her that mindfulness could help her focus and shut out stressors like Agent Ross. This helped her stay in the present, which improved her ability to recall memories. She was always amazed at how much the technique could be of use. There were pictures of elk in all sorts of places around Pinecone Junction. Restaurants, gift shops, hotels and visitor centers. Visitor center.
Maya opened her eyes. “I know where she’s being held.”
“What?” Kessler whipped around and faced Maya. “Where?”
“It’s the visitor center over by Stone Creek Falls. The Forest Service has a bigger building there and I’ve seen that painting in a back room.”
Pops looked at the picture too and said, “You’re right. It’s been a while since I’ve been over there for anything, but I bought a fishing license there a while ago at the Colorado Fish and Game office that shares the building. I’ve seen that picture too.”
“Wouldn’t there be people around?” Agent Ross asked. “Why would she be there?”
Maya worked to keep her patience. Agent Ross worked cases in Denver and dealt with city issues, not forest service visitor centers. “Normally there would be people, but the fire evacuated this area. It’s in a voluntary evacuation zone, but I know that all the Forest Service employees headed out. Many of them live in areas that are under mandatory evacuation, so the office and visitor center was shut down. There mightbe cameras in the building we can access. I can find out. If that’s the case maybe between Juniper and the HRT guys, we can go in and get her.”
Agent Ross glared at Maya. “You better be right about this. We don’t need to send our guys into this building for nothing again.”
Maya didn’t break eye contact with Ross. She wouldn’t be intimidated by some guy who thought because he was in the FBI he was going to call the shots. “I’m certain.”
“Okay, okay,” Kessler said, stepping between them. “We’re all tired and cranky, but let’s focus on what’s important here—Hope. I don’t care how many empty buildings we have to send our guys into. I’ll ask for them to deploy if it means there’s a chance we can find this young lady.”
“I have an idea.”
Maya turned around. It was the other agent, Bernardo. He’d been very quiet.
“What’s that?” Kessler asked.
“When I met Eric, I thought I looked like him,” Bernardo said.
Maya had no idea where he was going with this.
“You kind of do,” Kessler said. “I can see that. Why?”
“If Abigail wants Eric, then I’ll go. I’ll put on a hat so she won’t be able to see me well enough to know I’m not him,” Bernardo said. “I could distract Abigail and if Maya knows what room Hope is being held in, then I could keep Abigail out of the way so the hostage rescue team can get Hope.”
“I like it,” Kessler said. “But how do we keep Abigail and Hope separate? I think there’s a chance Abigail might keep Hope with her as a hostage.”
“True,” Bernardo said. “But we can send her directions.”
“She might see through it,” Agent Ross said.
“She might,” Bernardo said. “But I have a daughter about Hope’s age. I would rather have us try this than to go in guns blazing with the HRT guys and risk Hope getting shot.”
There was silence. Maya had to agree it was worth a try. She knew though that cell phone service was non-existent in the building. They’d have to use radios and Abigail was probably listening to the law enforcement channels. She would know which ones were utilized for emergencies.
“I think it’s worth a try,” Kessler said. “Thompson, can you talk the HRT guys through the building layout?”
“I can,” Maya said.
“Then let’s start making a plan,” Kessler said. “I’ll call my supervisor and get an approval in regards to Bernardo posing as Eric.”
