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“There’s a white sedan parked off-road ahead.” Kane slowed the car then pulled up. “Do you want to stop or continue, ma’am?”
Jenna shook her head. “No, keep going. Pull up just before the turn; we’ll go in from there. Rowley, run the plate.”
“Oh, mother of God.” Rowley’s voice came out in a rush of emotion. “He has Alison. That’s her car.”
57
It never ceased to amaze Jenna the way Kane could slip from his deputy persona into combat mode in the blink of an eye and move without making a sound. He changed noticeably and his expression became fixed, almost robotic, but his eyes moved constantly, scanning the area. With him in the lead, if someone was in the forest waiting to take a shot at them, they would not get past his scrutiny.
As they rounded the sweeping curve leading to the clearing surrounding the cabin with Kane in the lead, Jenna heard his voice in her earbud.
“If we cross the road, we’ll be able to come up around the back of the cabin.”
“Roger that.” She could see him using a pair of binoculars to check out the cabin. “Can you see any movement inside?”
“Nope. There is a truck parked out front.”
A strangled scream came from the forest, sending a flock of birds rising high in the air. In front of her, Kane froze and scanned the area with his binoculars. Jenna waved the other deputies into the trees and moved slowly to his side, taking cover behind a pine two feet wide. “Bobcat?”
Another scream and this time, a long wailing voice shattered the silence. “Pleeeease stop.”
Torn between checking the cabin for a kidnapped girl and saving a pedophile from potential murder, Jenna glanced toward Kane. “Check out who is screaming. If Alison is in danger, take action immediately. I’ll take Rowley and Bradford and clear the cabin.”
When Kane gave her a curt nod then took a well-worn trail blended into the forest without as much as a crack of twigs, she pressed her mic. “Rowley, Bradford, with me. We’ll cross the road here one at a time then go around the back of the cabin. Kane is heading toward the person in trouble.”
Without waiting, she dashed across the road and slipped into the cover of trees. Seconds later Rowley then Bradford sans dog were beside her. “Where’s Duke?”
“I told him to lie down; he is in the bushes.” Bradford gave her a worried look. “I thought he might get in the way.”
“Okay, follow me.”
Jenna approached the back door of the cabin with caution; no sound came from within and the screaming had obviously not disturbed the inhabitants. The back door hung open and she could clearly see the kitchen inside. “Sheriff’s department. Mr. Brandon, are you there?”
She turkey-peeked around the door and then drawing her weapon took a few cautious steps inside. The strong odor of unwashed man and beer accosted her nostrils. The kitchen was empty but her attention went straight to a gaping hole in the wall and the splintered wood fragments littering the floor. Only a gun could make that much damage. She hit her mic. “Kane, there is a hole as big as Texas in the wall in here.”
“Blood?”
“Not that I can see and it’s quiet.” She took a deep breath and moved into the kitchen. “The back door was open. It looks like one shot and a maybe a chase.”
“I can’t see anyone from my position. The screaming is coming from closer to the falls. I figure you’re good to go.”
“Okay.” She could see through to the small living room. Another open door was on her right. “Mr. Brandon?”
With Rowley hot on her heels, she edged along the wall and peered into the bedroom. She could smell the filthy bed linen from the doorway and, heart pounding, moved inside to check the small bathroom. “Clear.”
No one appeared to be home and yet a truck sat in the driveway and Alison’s car was on the road. Worry knotted her stomach. Where are they? She led the way to the kitchen, opening cupboards to search for the concealed entrance to a cellar. She turned to Rowley. “Search for a cellar door. It might be under a mat.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Kane, the place is empty. I’m still searching for Alison and the girl.” Jenna waved Bradford inside.
“The screaming has stopped. It wasn’t a kid’s voice; it sounded like a man. I figure the killer wouldn’t hurt a kid. Sandra and Alison must still be in the house. I’m climbing to a higher position.”
Glad she h
ad Kane on the outside watching their backs, Jenna holstered her weapon. “Roger that.”
In the kitchen, Bradford stood with one hand pressed to her mouth and stared at a laptop on the table. Concerned by the deputy’s ashen face, Jenna walked to her side. “What is it?”
