Page 29 of Whisper Through the Pines

“That might be showing our hand.” Jo tapped her pen against her legal pad and stared at Jenna. “I figure keeping this guy under surveillance or even placing a tracker on his vehicle would be a better idea. What if I go and hang around the school? I can check him out if he shows. I can also watch for any stragglers. It’s usually the kids walking home or the ones that trail behind a group who are targeted.”

Knowing Jo’s expertise, she couldn’t refuse. “You might need more than one person. What if you see more kids alone?”

“It’s not a perfect plan, Jenna, but it’s better than no plan at all.” Jo leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “I’m really no use to you at a crime scene. That’s Carter’s expertise.”

“I’ll go with Jo.” Kalo closed his laptop. “I know Raya and she’ll be there collecting Tauri. It gives me an excuse if I’m questioned about loitering outside a school.” He gave Jo a side-eye. “She won’t even be noticed. She’ll blend in with all the other moms.”

Rubbing her temple to stave off a headache, Jenna nodded. “Thanks, that would be a great help.” She turned to Carter. “Would you mind riding with Raven? Jo can take my truck, but maybe park some ways away and go in on foot?”

“We can do that.” Jo smiled and closed her notebook.

“Okay by me.” Carter stood and clicked his fingers for Zorro to follow him. “I’ll grab my vest from the truck before we leave. If that is a hunting area, I want to be seen.”

Jenna glanced at Kane. “I’ll call Wolfe. Can you fill the Thermoses? It’s going to be a long day.”

“I’ll do that.” Jo stood and went to the counter. “Carter, before you go grab a box of energy bars…” She opened a closet and pulled out a box and handed it to him. “Stay safe out there.”

“I always do.” Carter smiled at her and followed Raven out of the door.

Minutes later Jenna and Kane drove along Main and onto Stanton. Jenna’s phone chimed and Rhett’s voice came through the Bluetooth screen on the dashboard. “Hi, Rhett, how are things going with Jill?”

“She is in seeing the doctor with Emily.” The sounds of the hospital surrounded Rhett. “Before we left, I ran Jill’s and her sister’s names through the files. Her bus ticket tells us she came from Missoula, but I found zip in the files. I spread the search throughout Montana. Placing a child in foster care takes a court order, and so far, I’ve found no record of Jill or her sister.” He cleared his throat. “We can keep her for forty-eight hours and then we’re going for an emergency court hearing. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve contacted Beth Katz. She’ll be searching all states. This is very unusual and flags something more sinister.”

Closing her eyes and shaking her head, Jenna understood clearly what he had implied. “Yes, well, she’ll need to search for missing kids as well. Jill doesn’t have any idea what happened to her parents apart from the fact that they just didn’t come home. We could be talking about child abduction—or worse, child slavery. You won’t need to worry about finding her a place to stay. Father Derry will make sure she is comfortable at Her Broken Wings. We have a number of children staying there and I’m sure she’ll be happy until we can get her settled or find her parents.”

“Yes, Father Derry arrived just before with a set of clean clothes for her. He is a very nice man and explained how the foundation runs. If this is a case of child abduction, Jill escaped and was returned by the local cop. This is something that needs to be investigated. How does this work with jurisdiction?”

Jenna exchanged a look with Kane. “Well, it’s my case, so I’ll be in the loop. I can’t go barging into another county and start throwing my weight around, but the FBI can. Jill mentioned the cops and not the sheriff, so if needs be, I can contact the local sheriff and be deputized as a special officer. This works if the local sheriff is happy to work my case alongside me. If there’s a hint of corruption in the local police, I’d say he’d been right on them.”

“So we might be talking about a dirty cop?” Rhett sucked in a deep breath. “That will take some time to unravel.”

Scratching her cheek thinking, Jenna stared at Rhett’s name displayed on the screen. “Yeah, but it can be done, if it’s planned right. Our first priority is making sure Jill is safe and protected. We’ll keep searching for her sister. You know Beth and Styles and will be in good hands; this is in their wheelhouse. The moment I can wrap up this case, I’ll put all my resources into the investigation. If there’s a dirty cop and a group of people abducting or trading kids, we’ll bring them down.”

“That’s good to know.” Rhett let his breath out in a long sigh. “Don’t worry about Jill. She’s very safe and working alongside Agents Katz and Styles. I’ll be able to gather as much information as possible about her previous situation. Ah, there’s Julie now. I’ll catch you later.” He disconnected.

Jenna leaned back in her seat. She’d worked very hard to remove child predators from her county, but they were like cockroaches. Where she found one, a whole nest of them would be close by.

Twenty-Eight

Dim light surrounded Kane as he drove the Beast along the dirt road following Rio’s truck to the cabin. The stillness of the forest surprised him. It was as if every living thing had been removed. A thick fog clung low and heavy to the trees making them appear to be covered by cotton. It moved like a sea of white, its waves moving through the forest and leaving everything it touched dripping with water. The silhouette of Rio’s trunk slowed in a clearing almost lost in the fog. He pulled up beside it, and alongside him Raven’s truck and then Wolfe’s van slowed to a halt. Kane slid from behind the wheel and inhaled. The taste in the back of his throat was like walking into a freezer. Snow was coming, although the metallic odor caught in the mist told him something else. After spending time in battle, the distinctive smell of blood brought back memories he’d rather forget.

He waited for Jenna to join him as Rio and Rowley walked toward them. Their rigid body language told him they were trying to hold it together. He waited for everyone to climb from their vehicles and join them. The need for the group to stay closely together was important until they confirmed the Axman wasn’t in their vicinity. He scanned the forest. The small prickle at the base of his skull sent up a red flag that someone was watching them. He looked at the dogs. Both Ben’s and Zorro’s ears pricked as if listening for a sound. He turned to Jenna. “Stay close. This doesn’t feel right. It’s too quiet. If there are bodies close by, the clearing should be teaming with crows and other wildlife.”

“We saw crows earlier.” Rowley moved up beside him. “That was before the fog became this thick.” He gestured into the swirling mist. “The cabin’s over there.”

Kane turned around slowly, his eyes never leaving the forest. “Ready? Stick close together. Carter and Raven take up the rear. Listen and watch all around. The Axman loves a reaction. He could be close by and just waiting for ours. Keep your dogs on high alert. We don’t need anyone sneaking up on us.”

He gave Jenna a nod and headed into the mist. The old cabin emerged from the fog like something from a nightmare. He couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to stay there overnight. The cabin’s lichen-covered horizontal logs had long since been blackened by time and sat at a strange angle, as if one small puff of wind would topple it in a second. The roof looked okay and water ran from a gutter into an old wooden barrel sitting on the corner. The front door stood open as if inviting any passerby to step inside. He glanced at Jenna. “I’m going in.”

“Not without me.” Jenna met his gaze with a determined stare. “I’ve seen severed heads before.”

“I’m right behind y’all.” Wolfe moved closer and stared at the cabin. “Watch where you walk. I don’t want the crime scene contaminated.”

Carefully avoiding the small bloody footprints on the floorboards, Kane moved up onto the porch. The stench hit him first. Remnants of cooking, wood smoke, and that coppery smell that could only be blood. He drew his weapon and as usual he went high and Jenna went low each side of the door. The open door did nothing to light the interior of the cabin. Cold seeped into his clothes, the damp air trying to creep down the neck of his jacket. Mist curled around his feet and through the front door like an unwelcome visitor. He pulled out his Maglite and the powerful beam lit up the interior. Two severed heads sat side by side on a table on one side of the room. Their pale waxy skin appeared more like a mannequin’s than real. He gave his head a little shake, trying to take in the sight before him. He’d seen many dead bodies in his lifetime, but these had their eyes and mouths wide open, which gave him the unsettling illusion of a fairground attraction where people put balls into clowns’ mouths to win a prize.

“That’s nasty.” Jenna shot him a startled glance, but her hands remained rock steady on her M18 pistol.

Kane remained fixed in position. Focusing every instinct on his surroundings. Everything about this crime scene made him uneasy. It wasn’t the heads—he’d seen much worse—but the silence of the forest that concerned him. Wildlife had always been a good indicator of trouble close by. Animals and birds watched for their own self-preservation. The team’s entry into the clearing wouldn’t have disturbed the wildlife. Even the dogs hadn’t made a sound and remained close to their owners. A faint creak came from above, and as he glanced up, the unmistakable sound of footsteps walked straight past him. On the other side of the doorway, he caught Jenna’s sharp intake of breath. He glanced at her and gave his head a shake. She believed in ghosts and this was a clever trick to unnerve them.