Page 68 of Two Favors Repaid

Lorraine nodded.

“They’re in the forest.”

Lorraine’s eyes went dark with disappointment. “If you’re right, that could be tens of thousands of acres to cover. We need to get a larger team in,” she said.

Rob turned to look out the window. It was going to be a beautiful summer day. Perfect for a hike. Rob knew the forest well. He and Darryl went for a run there every weekend. If Ford thought he could hide there, he was in a for a surprise.

For the first time since Emma disappeared, Rob felt like he had a chance to get her back.

“Did you bring your hiking boots, Lorraine?” Rob asked.

“I have trainers,” the agent replied.

“How about you?” he asked her partner.

James Ramsay’s eyebrow shot up. “I can hike perfectly well in these,” he said, pointing to his shiny dress shoes.

The man slept five hours at best. Did he really set his alarm early to polish his shoes?

Shrugging, Rob grabbed an old pair of boots from his locker, once again glad he’d chosen to keep all these things at work. He tightened the laces.

“Come on, I’ll drive,” he said.

Fifteen minutes later they reached the exact same spot the car had been in fifteen hours earlier. Lorraine sat in the passenger seat, the tablet in her hand.

“Yes, this is the right place. She stopped at this traffic light for a moment, then turned left.”

Rob followed Lorraine’s instructions. He drove past a couple empty lots and kept going, soon leaving behind all traces of civilization.

“We need to learn more about this car. Is it hers? Did they steal it?”

It was James who replied from the back of the car. “I’m on it. The license plate is not in any of the databases. I think it’s a fake.”

Lorraine brought the tablet even closer to her face. “It looks like an old Chevy. I’ll send it to the team, see if they can identify the model and year. We can run a search using that information.”

It sounded like a slim possibility to Rob, but he didn’t say anything.

He used the hands-free to call Natalie, who was probably on her way to the station by now.

“Any news?” she said by way of greeting. Her voice sounded strong.

“Lorraine found the car at the intersection of Moor and Pike Road.”

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other side of the line. Natalie knew her town well.

“He’s headed into the forest,” she said.

Rob nodded. “I think so. He’s not alone, either. The driver is a woman.”

“A woman?”

“We think she’s his partner.”

“Are you out there now? Hunter and I can be there—"

Rob interrupted her before she could get any further. Of course Natalie was going to want to be out here, but there was something else she could do that nobody else could do as well as she could.

She’ll be safer this way as well.