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He’d taken him with him to work before he was old enough to ride a bicycle. By the time he started middle school, he was manning the sniper rifle.
Maybe his granny had been right, but it never made sense to him. Why would an all-powerful God allow His creation to fawn over false gods? Why not destroy them all? Start over again? He shook his head at the thought. The idea of a world created by an omnipotent being was a fairytale he’d never ascribed to, and today wouldn’t be the day when that changed. Even if God was out there somewhere, He wouldn’t want anything to do with Reece. No. He was beyond saving.
If he was heading for destruction, he’d take as many of these wackos with him as he could. Dorcas and the twins would live. She would find a way to start over somewhere else once he was gone. He shook his head. Why was he kidding himself? If she found out what he’d been up to, she’d despise him. Maybe that was what she needed. Hate fueled action. If he forced her to watch him kill Becky and her useless son, then maybe she’d realize he was no good. That would force her to move on. Continue living once he was gone. He’d keep an eye on her from afar though. If another man touched her, that man would die.
Slipping from bed, he stepped outside. On the fourth ring, Clarence finally answered. “Where were you?”
“I’m at the park office waiting for Becky’s kid to show up.”
“Forget that. You’re needed here. Bring the redhead back. We’ll deal with Becky’s kid later.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
At first light, Malachi sat up and tapped Gray on the shoulder. When Grayson immediately reached for his weapon, he raised his hands in the air. “It’s just me.”
“Sorry.”
When they exited the tent, a man who looked like a younger version of Grayson sat leaning against a tree with his long legs stretched out before him. “I’m guessing you’re Gavin.”
“And you’re Malachi?”
“In the flesh. When did you get here?”
“After you’d settled in for the night.”
“Why didn’t you wake us?” Gray asked.
“Didn’t seem like there was room for three.”
Malachi nodded. It was true, but they would’ve figured something out rather than leave the man out in the elements all night. It had remained dry. A blessing. March weather was unpredictable giving them anything from sixty-degree sunshine to sleet and snow. Heavy rains were frequent occurrences. A downpour left two inches in its wake less than a week prior.
“My wife is at your house. Didn’t think you’d mind if she hung out with your mom.”
His mom. No, she was his biological mother, not his mom. No question about that, but it wasn’t something he needed to get into with someone he barely knew. “Your wife is welcome at my house. It’ll be good to have someone there keeping an eye on my mother.”
Gavin laughed. He probably thought Malachi was joking.
They packed up the tent then Malachi threw protein bars to each of the Garrison men. “Eat. Then we’ll see if we can track Cate.”
“Boy scout.” Gray unwrapped his and took a giant bite.
Malachi shook his head and rolled his eyes. The bland energy bar tasted like cardboard, but it would provide him with enough nutrition to keep him going. With the daylight on their side, they were easily able to identify Cate’s tracks.
“Here.” Gavin reached for a twig and used it to pick up a scrap of fabric. “This could be something.”
Malachi studied the ground nearby. “This looks like it might be a women’s boot print, but it’s hard to say for sure.”
“Wait. Look.” Gray pointed to what looked like it could be a trail. “There are a few tracks leading away. Maybe she did leave the woods. In which case, where could she have gone?”
Malachi swallowed hard. The prospect of her tangling with a bear was terrifying, but the idea that something else kept her from calling didn’t leave him feeling much better. He didn’t believe she would’ve blown him off intentionally, which left something or someone preventing her from contacting him. He followed along behind the brothers as they traversed the trail.
“Wait.” Malachi stopped. He wasn’t sure what it was, but something didn’t feel right. Then he smelled it. Smoke. “Someone has a campfire near here. We need to find it.”
Gavin came to an abrupt stop. “You’re right. It’s faint, but I smell it.”
“There is no authorized camping in this area, right?” Gray asked.
“I’m not certain, but I don’t think so.”
