She blew out a breath at the truth in his words. The thought of her sister being desperate was a stab to the heart. And that Opal hadn’t felt safe enough to reach out was an even deeper pain. They were sisters. Didn’t Opal know Maren would always have her back?
Apparently not.
Shame and regret twisted her up inside like a pretzel.
He parked and they climbed out of the vehicle, leashed up their dogs and met the others.
The task force leader, Emmett, was already there with his K-9, a female, brown-and-white Newfoundland named Gemma, who specialized in snow and water rescue.
Emmett was setting up a command post at the back of his rig while Gemma supervised.
Maren watched as K-9 Officer Autumn Riley of the Canyon Creek PD approached. Tall and fit in cargo pants and a T-shirt with the task force logo on the pocket, the blonde cop strode over with her partner, a male bloodhound named Bear.
A shudder of dread prickled Maren’s skin. She hoped Bear’s specialty skill of cadaver detection wouldn’t be necessary today.
Lizzie and her retriever, Reena, arrived along with K-9 Officer River Jameson of the Ridge PD. River, a tall, blue-eyed officer, and his female yellow Lab, Frankie, were rock stars at search and rescue.
Two more vehicles arrived. The first contained dark-haired and dark-eyed, Lavender PD K-9 Officer Trevor Slate, with his female English springer spaniel, Lark. They worked the arson cases. And from the last vehicle exited Boulder PD Detective and K-9 Officer Melody Rust, a redhead with bright hazel eyes, and her male chocolate Lab, Dusty. Dusty was trained in detecting explosive materials.
They all gathered around the task force leader. Anticipation hung heavy in the air. This could be the biggest break yet in finding Mia and solving the case.
“We’ll split up into groups,” Emmett said, and divided the members. “Trevor, you’re with me. We’ll approach from the east side of the house. Lizzie and Autumn, you circle around the block and come at the house from the west. River and Melody approach from the rear,” Emmett instructed. “Maren and Colt, make your presence known at the front door.”
Trevor stepped forward with several evidence bags. “We’ll have each of our partners, of the four-legged type,” he said with a grin at Maren and Colt, “sniff from each of these bags. We need to at least know if any of the deceased women were ever in the house. Or if Mia Andrews is still there.”
Maren wished she had something of her sister’s to offer for the K-9s to sniff. But she didn’t. She would have to be content with visually searching for Opal.
After all the dogs were given an opportunity to sniff from each bag, Emmett handed out earpiece communication devices. “Wait for my signal. Once Maren and Colt have initiated contact, we move in. If anyone tries to leave, take them into custody.”
“You got it, boss,” several task force members said as they dispersed into their groups.
Maren and Colt decided not to drive up to the house but rather walk. They cut through the parking lot and down the alley behind the grocery store. In tandem, with their dogs at their heels, they made their way to the door.
Colt remained a step behind Maren. “You do the honors.”
Taking a breath to calm her racing heart, she rapped her knuckles on the door and then stepped back, putting her hand on her sidearm. So much was riding on this moment. Mia, Opal or others could be held hostage on the other side of that door.
Fragile hope hovered but could shatter at any moment like spun sugar. The deep longing to see her sister, to make sure she was safe and unharmed, created more tension, tightening Maren’s shoulders.
The need to find Mia was a palpable entity that made Maren antsy. Her fingers flexed on the butt of her weapon as the silence stretched.
After several long moments without any sign of life inside the house, Colt stepped forward. Anticipating he was going to try the knob, Maren opened her mouth intending to caution him to check for booby traps, when he squatted down and used a penlight to check the door’s threshold, shining the light up and around the doorframe.
Maren nodded her approval as he checked for wires to make sure the door wasn’t going to explode in their faces if they opened it.
He stepped back. “It’s not rigged as far as I can tell.”
“Doesn’t mean it still isn’t,” she said. She shuffled Haven off to the one side of the wall next to the door and Colt did the same.
“We’re going to breach,” Maren told the team through the communication piece lodged in her right ear.
Emmett’s voice rang clearly in response. “Go for it.”
Since Colt was on the side of the door’s handle, Maren gave the nod, and he reached forward with a piece of cloth that would protect his fingers in case there was any sort of poisonous substance on the metal. He twisted the knob and pushed the door open while at the same time turning away and bracing.
Maren also turned away and counted to ten. When nothing happened, she peeked around the doorjamb into a very barren-looking house.
Disappointment and frustration ran rampant through her system. “Empty.”
