Page 126 of Freeing Lark

Hoot’s heart slammed against his ribs. “Then where the hell are they?”

“I found them.” He stopped breathing. Haley continued. “The girls never left the property. Someone used the SUV to pull our attention toward the east side while another vehicle moved somewhere else.”

“Where?”

“Far western edge of the estate. There’s an old maintenance garage about a quarter mile from the main house. It’s barely visible from the road.” Hoot was already moving. “I’m sending you the coordinates.”

“Don't bother.” Spark was beside him. “Already got them.”

They took off. Hoot didn’t wait for permission. He sprinted across the grounds, Spark close behind. His injured shoulder protested with every stride, but he ignored it.

“Flint,” he barked into his comm. “We found them. Old garage, west side of the property.”

Flint answered immediately. “On our way back to you now.”

Hoot rounded the corner of the mansion. The sprawling estate stretched before them, manicured gardens giving way to thick stands of trees. Rain had turned the ground slick, and his dress shoes slipped more than once.

He didn’t slow. “Haley,” he demanded. “How many inside?”

“I don’t know.”

“Cameras?”

“There’s one mounted on the outside of the garage.”

“Can you see inside?”

“Not yet. The interior cameras were disconnected.”

Hoot’s jaw clenched. “Can you get them back?”

“Working on it.”

Spark caught up. “Maybe don’t blow through the door until we know what’s on the other side.” Hoot shot him a look. Spark raised both hands. “Just a suggestion.”

Hoot reached the treeline. The old garage was barely visible beyond it. A weather-beaten structure sat at the bottom of a shallow slope, half-hidden by trees and overgrown brush. The paint had peeled away in large strips, exposing gray wood beneath.

No lights. No vehicles. No movement. It looked abandoned. Which meant Hoot trusted it even less.

He crouched behind a tree and pulled his weapon. Spark did the same. A moment later, Voodoo and Jeeves appeared through the trees.

Flint’s voice came through the comm. “Hold position.”

Hoot’s grip tightened. “Negative.”

“Hoot.”

“I’ve got a feeling.”

“You’ve got a lot of feelings right now.” Hoot ignored him.

Then Haley’s voice cut through the channel. “I’ve got something.”

Everyone froze. “Interior audio just came online.” Static filled Hoot’s earpiece. Then a voice. A woman’s voice.

“Bradley?” Lark. Hoot’s entire world narrowed to that single word. She was alive. He closed his eyes for half a second. Relief crashed through him so hard it nearly brought him to his knees.

Then another voice came through. Male. Calloway’s. Hoot’s expression hardened. “She’s in there.”