Page 96 of The Search

“Years ago. My grandfather brought me. He loved it here.” She looked down at the blue lake. It seemed impossible such still, serene beauty could hide the bodies of those children. The thought was incredibly sad. Just do your job and get out of here. “Where’s the boat?”

Chavez pointed down the incline about fifty yards from where they were standing. “The last tracks we were able to trace were right here. But the shale is harder packed from here on, and they could have traveled for another mile or two.” He started down the incline and reached back to take her hand. “Let me help you. This stuff’s slippery.”

His hand was warm and firm and it felt good. She was still feeling a little chill from that first sight of the lake, and it was nice to have someone to hold on to. She looked back over her shoulder but could see no sign of their footprints on the rocks. She could understand what Chavez was up against in determining where the car went into the water.

“Did you hear something?” Chavez’s gaze was following her own.

“No, just looking at the shale.” She added teasingly, “No bear in sight.”

“I thought I heard— It must have been our footsteps. This shale is damn noisy.” Chavez helped her into the boat and Monty jumped in after her. “Where do you want to start?”

“You tell me.” Her gaze went to a point at the far end of the lake. She could barely discern a few highway patrol cars and sheriff’s vehicles and officers moving around. “Is that your command post?”

“Yep.” He waved his hand at one of the officers and the man waved back. “The parents are there too. I’m glad we’re a good distance away. I told the guys to keep them away from the lake so they wouldn’t see you. Not that they’d know what you were doing with the dog anyway. Not many people have heard about dogs that can find cadavers underwater.”

“Bodies, not cadavers. I hate that word. It dehumanizes.” She shaded her eyes. “How far out could a car hit the water?”

“It depends on how fast the car was going.” He pointed to a hill a few miles away. “If it bounced and went off that incline at a high speed, it could be thirty, forty feet out. If it went into the water here, it could be right underneath us.”

“It’s not right underneath us. Monty would tell me.” She settled back in the boat. “But we’ll start close to the shore.”

12

“It’s about time you got here.” Logan came out of the cabin as Galen parked by the front door. “Hurry. I need to take your rental car.”

“I’ve been exactly two and a half hours,” Galen said as he got out of the car. “And that’s extraordinary considering I was in Dodsworth when you called. Really, Logan, you can’t yank me around all over the country if you expect me to find Rudzak.”

“This is important.”

“She’s all right, you know. I told you she called me to verify Henry Smith’s identity. She’s not being stupid and Smith will watch her.”

Logan got into the driver’s seat. “I want to go myself.”

“Then why didn’t you? Why bring me here?”

He started the car. “Maggie.”

“Maggie?”

“The wolf. Someone Sarah trusts has to take care of her.”

“You want me to baby-sit a wolf? That’s not in my job description.”

“You don’t have a job description. And if you had one, it would be censored. Maggie’s on the back porch. I just changed her bandage, but if I’m not back in a few hours, check it again.”

“You’d better be back. I’m not too enthusiastic about—”

Logan was gone.

Galen shook his head as he watched the taillights disappear. It wasn’t like Logan to roar off in a panic when there was no clear-cut danger. But then, Rudzak had always been the exception to any rule with Logan. Ever since that time with Chen—

Galen jumped as a piercing howl broke the silence.

“Jesus.” He turned and went into the cabin. Back porch, Logan had said.

Maggie lifted her head and snarled when he appeared in the doorway. What the hell had Logan gotten him into? Change a bandage? The wolf wouldn’t let him near her.

He’d better find a way. “Hello.” He moved slowly toward her. “Aren’t you a beauty. It seems we’ve got to become each other’s best friend.” Maggie didn’t take her malevolent gaze from him. “I don’t blame you for not trusting me. I don’t trust many people either.” He sat down a short distance away and crossed his legs. “But we’re probably a lot alike. So I’ll just sit here and talk a bit to you.”