Page 109 of The Search

Logan was leaning against the fence, talking on his phone. He lifted his hand in greeting but kept on talking. Monty was lying at his feet until he saw Sarah, and then he leaped up and bounded toward her, his fluffy tail wagging his whole body in joyful greeting.

“Now you’re happy to see me,” she murmured as she crouched to pet him. “Where were you last night, when I needed you?”

But she had not really needed him. Logan had been there, holding her. Maybe Monty had derived the same comfort from being with Maggie.

“Is breakfast ready?” Logan had hung up his phone and was watching her and Monty.

“Not yet. I was disturbing Galen and he sent me to you.”

“I’m surprised. It takes a lot to disturb Galen. But I’m glad he has his priorities straight.”

“Who were you talking to?”

“Lieutenant Carmichael. He’s sending someone to take your statement this afternoon.”

“Any word on Rudzak?”

“No.”

She hadn’t thought there would be. “What about the kids? How did they die?”

He shook his head. “You don’t want to know.”

“The hell I don’t.”

“One was shot. The others drowned. They were alive when they went into the water.”

She flinched. “Christ.”

“I told you that you didn’t want to know.”

“I had to know.” She closed her eyes and held tight to Monty. “I have to know everything.”

“Why? So you can tear yourself apart?” he said roughly.

“Because Rudzak hasn’t been real to me. I knew he had killed those people in Colombia, but I couldn’t really make the connection from him to me or my life.” She opened her lids and stared at him with tear-wet eyes. “I’m making the connection now, Logan.”

“And it’s killing you.”

“No, that would mean that Rudzak had won. I won’t let that happen. I won’t let him hurt me.” She rose to her feet. “And I won’t let him hurt anyone else. Not ever.”

His gaze narrowed on her face. “What does that mean?”

“It means I’m going to find him before he kills anyone again.”

“And then what?”

“You tell me. You said Rudzak was smart. Even if he’s caught, it doesn’t mean he’d get convicted. And if he was convicted, he got out of prison once. He could do it again, couldn’t he?”

“It would be more difficult.”

“But he could do it.”

“Hell, yes, he could do it. What are you getting at, Sarah?”

“You know what I’m getting at.” Her voice was shaking with rage. “Galen believes in an eye for an eye. You do too.”

“But you don’t. It’s not your nature.”