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Grabbing her, he wrenched her arms behind her back and tied them.
“Only one of us now, Zander. It won’t be long before they find you. Then what happens?” She continued to taunt him.
“I’ll escape, but not before I put a bullet in you and your man.”
Piper shivered as he nudged her forward with the gun. She didn’t want to die, and all this mess with Dylan now seemed foolish. He’d messed up, and she hadn’t forgiven him, and while she had every right to be pissed, she should have at least let him explain. The thought of not seeing him, Grace, and her family again was too painful to contemplate, so instead she focused on doing what she was told for now. But they’d come, and she’d get through this. She had to believe that; no other option was acceptable.
Chapter 39
His mind was running through scenarios, trying to work out the next step Field’s son would take. Pushing aside thoughts of the two women he loved, he tried to remember everything he could about the case.
“The old man will be running things,” Mickey said from beside him. “He’d have it all planned right down to the last detail, so the boy will be doing what he’s told is my guess. That bastard will have manipulated and messed with his son’s head since birth. We need to get to some cell coverage so I can see if that picture has been emailed through.” Mickey held up his cellphone. “Dale said he’d do it ASAP.”
The Trainers were disappearing every few feet, off the main trail and back again while they searched each section for signs that people had come this way.
“Help!”
“Ava!” Dylan heard his sister’s cry and started running in her direction. “Where are you?”
Crashing through the bush, he knew the others were on his heels.
“Ava!” He heard her coming from the left; seconds later she burst through the trees sobbing his name. He caught her as she threw herself at him.
“It’s all right, I have you now.” His grip was punishing, but he couldn’t make himself release her.
“Where’s Piper?” Joe Trainer appeared.
“H-he has her.”
“Who, Ava?” Dylan eased her off his chest.
“Zander. He’s the one who’s been d-doing all this stuff to us he told me.”
“Zander!” Like everyone, Joe looked shocked.
“He said he’s doing it for his father.”
“Where, Ava? Where has he taken her?”
“I don’t know. Piper knocked into Zander, and screamed at me to run, so I did, but she didn’t follow because he caught her. He has Buzz too.”
“Christ!” Luke Trainer echoed everyone’s thoughts.
“He’s using her as bait to catch you, Dylan.” Ava looked up at him. “He—he said he was going to k-kill us, and make you watch.”
“He’s not killing my cousin!” Joe roared. “Do what you do best, Dylan, and find her now!”
“Where is he going, Ava? I need you to think hard about what he said.”
“Upward.” She looked to the top of the mountain they were currently standing on. “He’s going up until dark to hide, then he’ll come down and implement his plan.”
“Okay, most of us know every inch of these mountains, but still, it’s never easy to track people if they don’t want to be tracked,” Fin said. “Can you lead us back to where you were, Ava? If we can start from there, it would help.”
She grabbed Dylan’s hand and held it tight.
“I know it’s Zander, Ava, and I know this must hurt.”
“It does, but I’m angry too, and scared.”
