“Let’s stay calm. He loves hiding in small, tight places. Like closets. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found him in one with the door shut. Are there any caves or dens around? Let’s see what we can find.” He didn’t think there was anything like that in the area, but for all he knew, his brother could have wedged himself in an old well or a raccoon den.
Alarm fired along his spine at the thought that Levi might be in trouble.
Blake shouted for him again and traipsed through last year’s dead leaves as they circled every tree and looked up into the overhanging branches. After half an hour Blake pulled out his phone. “I’d better call for help. Something’s wrong.”
Tears rushed to Paradise’s eyes. “I’m going to keep looking while you make the call.”
Blake placed the 911 call and reported his brother missing. His voice skipped when he had to say the wordmissing. He watched Paradise search, and some secret part of his soul knew Levi was in trouble. Had someone taken him? The thought nearly buckled his knees.
He ended the call so he could shout for his little brother. “Levi!” Panic edged closer as he joined Paradise, who was staring at something in her hand. “What do you have?”
“It’s a note.” She gulped and read it. “‘You’ll find Levi by the Knights in the Woods. The next time, you’ll never find him. Vacate The Sanctuary.’” She stared up at him. “We were looking in the wrong direction.”
He grabbed her hand, and they ran toward the marina.
Levi’s face was muddy and tearstained when Paradise and Blake knelt beside him. Paradise gently pulled away the tape over his mouth while Blake worked at freeing his hands and feet. Tears spilled down his cheeks.
Paradise pulled him into her lap and rocked back and forth. “I’ve got you. You’re okay.”
“I want my mama,” he wailed as Blake tore away the last of the duct tape on his ankles. “I’m never playing hide-and-seek again.”
Blake balled up the tape and tossed it into a trash receptacle. “I’m with you, buddy.” He held out his arms and Levi lunged into them.
“I’ll call your mom.” Paradise pulled out her phone and called Jenna, who sounded frantic as she promised to come right away. They’d taken a shortcut to the knights through the trees and Jenna hadn’t heard everything yet. The note wasn’t something they could talk about in front of the boys.
Blake’s truck came fast up the road, the tires spitting gravel as it came to a hard stop. The door flew open, and Jenna leaped out with Isaac right behind her. “Levi!” She ran to them and fell to her knees to take him in her arms. “You scared us so much.”
“There was a boogeyman.” Levi’s brown eyes were wide with fear, and he held out his hand for Isaac. “Stay close to me, bro. He might take you next.”
“I’ll punch him!” Isaac stood back, wide-eyed and with his fists clenched at his sides. “Did he hurt you? If he did, I’ll beat him up.” He took a fighter stance and flung his arms out in jerky moves.
“You can’t beat him. He’s the boogeyman.” Levi buried his face in his mom’s chest. “I want to sleep with you, Mommy.”
Jenna smoothed the tufts of his dark brown hair that stuck up. “You sure can.” She took his face in her palms and nudged him back from her so she could see his face. “What did he look like, Levi?”
“I don’t want to think about it!” He buried his face against his mother again.
Paradise exchanged a glance with Blake.Counselor, she mouthed. He nodded. “You’d better let the police know we found him but he was abducted.”
The police would have a child expert ask questions and try to get a detailed description of the abductor. Who would have been depraved enough to use a little boy? She needed to discuss all this with Blake and Jenna, but it would have to wait for now. Levi was much more important, and he needed a lot of comfort and reassurance. Tonight would probably be rough.
It was dark by the time the police cars left and the boys and Jenna were safely curled up on the sofa in her cottage. The food she had prepared had gone cold, and Paradise whipped up some grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken noodle soup. She made brownies while they gobbled up their meal, and the chocolaty aroma calmed the jitters she’d had since she first read the note.
Blake joined her in the kitchen. “He doesn’t want Mom out of his sight. He’ll probably have nightmares tonight.”
“I thought so too. I think I’ll stay. I can sleep with Isaac. He’s probably going to need comfort too. He cries when he thinks no one is looking.”
“I know. I can sleep in his room, but I’ll feel better if you’re here with us.” Blake ran his hand through his thick dark hair.“We all need each other tonight. I’ve never been so terrified in my life. Not even with artillery landing all around me in Afghanistan. Mom wants to move, like, right now. Turn the will over and get out of here. She’s as traumatized as the boys.”
“You think it was Dean?”
“I don’t think so. The police sent me the composite sketch the artist drew. Take a look.” He pulled up a picture on his phone and showed her.
She gasped. “It’s Adams.”
“I think so too. We know he’s working on running us off. I don’t know how he got hooked up with Dean, but I’m sure they’re both involved. He’s probably doing what he’s told.” Blake turned the phone’s screen back around to face him and stared at it. “I emailed Jane and told her it looked like Adams. She’s still got officers out on the hunt for him, but he must have a good hidey-hole to have evaded them all this time.” His eyes narrowed and his mouth grew tight. “I’d better not run into him myself, because he wouldn’t make it to jail.”
“Do you really think Adams would hurt a child next time?”
