Colt eased upright to look out the window.
“It won’t take them long to come back this way.” Colt hit the emergency onboard service system button on the SUV’s rearview mirror.
A disembodied, female voice spoke through the speakers. “This is Start Assist, my name is Helen,” the voice said. “Are you having car trouble?”
“This is DEA Agent Colt Dawson,” Colt said and rattled off his badge number.
“And this is Officer Maren Anderson,” Maren said and spoke her badge number. “We’re being chased. Our lives are being threatened.”
“I will dispatch officers to your location,” Helen offered.
“Thank you, Helen,” Colt said. He told her the license plate of the black truck and signed off.
Hopefully, the local police would stop the truck, which would give them time to get farther away.
Colt started the vehicle, shifted into Reverse, and backed the SUV out of the parking space. Slowly, he drove out of the parking structure.
Maren kept low as the “borrowed” SUV hummed along the highway. Adrenaline ebbed and fatigue pulled at her as the late afternoon sun sparked off the hood. She could hardly believe it had been only that morning she’d left her house before dawn to travel to Barren Valley. So much had happened.
Her sister was alive and in danger.
It was up to Maren and Colt to save her.
She turned toward her new partner. “Let’s lose these guys and go find Vinnie Homer.”
Then she lifted up a prayer that the man would have the information they needed.
SEVEN
Colt managed to evade their pursuers by slipping into city traffic undetected. He kept an eye on the rearview mirror as he wove through the throng of cars, and they remained clear as they left town. Now he drove slowly toward where Pine Creek flowed under the I-25 interstate near Woodman Avenue. A large encampment had been constructed with tents and makeshift shelters of plywood and boxes.
Sadness invaded his chest. He knew many of these people had no other choice than to live on public property. For some it was a lifestyle of their own design. But many had issues that the system couldn’t deal with. The unhoused situation was one the whole country had yet to solve. Colt had no answers either. The only way he could help was by stopping the drug supply chain. Which meant bringing down Shadow.
He parked several blocks away from the encampment, tucking the SUV behind a building with the hope that no one would mess with the vehicle while they were gone.
It was by the grace of God that they had managed to evade the men in the black 4x4 truck that had chased them into the parking garage. Just because the men on the street hadn’t had weapons at that time didn’t mean by the time they got into their vehicle and followed them they hadn’t armed themselves.
And telling Maren about his cousin and the young boy he hadn’t been able to save left him feeling drained. He’d known it was the right thing to do since he knew her story, but sharing didn’t come easy.
And now an awkwardness rested between them as they leashed up the dogs and headed down the street to the houseless encampment.
Armed with a photo of Vinnie Homer on their phones, they split up, showing the photo to anyone who would talk to them. An hour later, they were no closer to finding Vinnie.
Frustrated and fatigued as the sun began to set, he sent up a prayer asking God for help, for some sign or direction. Anything that would lead them to Vinnie, who could lead them to Opal and ultimately to Shadow.
His phone rang.
Maren.
Pushing the talk button, he said, “Everything okay?”
“I found someone who might know where Vinnie went.” Her voice vibrated with anticipation. “I’m at the far end of the encampment.”
“On our way.” He hung up and handed some cash to the old woman who was petting Rusk.
“Bless you,” the woman said, tucking the money into the pocket of her pants.
With anticipation making his and Rusk’s stride hurried, Colt sent up a quick prayer, asking God to lead them in the right direction so they could find Opal before it was too late.
