AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Agent Griffin,” Garrison says from the door. “I have somebody on the line you’re going to want to talkto.”
I run back to his office and grab the phone. Five minutes later, I’m standing at the fax machine with the hot piece of paper sliding into my hand. Before it is even all the way out, the picture on it wakes up every nerve along my spine. Almost as soon as it does, it’s like a splash of cold water rushes down it.
“Oh, shit,” I mutter. I grab the phone and call Jacob. He doesn’t answer. I hang up and try again, but he still doesn’t answer. “Damnit.”
“What’s wrong?” Garrisonasks.
“I need you to have one of your officers keep calling him. Just over and over until he answers. When he does, tell him to come to thestation.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Garrison asks.
“Just keepcalling.”
“Where are you going?” he asks.
“Camp Hollow. And you’re coming withme.”
Dark clouds have rolled across the sky by the time we get to the camp. Late summer storms are common in this area, with some weeks bringing dark clouds and heavy rain every day for weeks at a time. But this feels more foreboding.
“Are you sure about this?” Garrison asks as we get out of the car and start across thecamp.
“Yes. It was right there. This entire time, it was right there. We just couldn’t see it. Now I just hope we aren’t too late,” I tell him.
The rain starts to fall in stinging, cold drops by the time we reach the path to the lake. I have my gun in my hands, ready in case I need to use it. I’ve learned not to be caught off-guard. The path is slick from mud and the wonder and whimsy of it is gone. The silence of the camp is accentuated by the sound of the drops on the trees and the ferns below. It closes in around me, making me feel again like there’s something in the woods watching me.
The lake looks angry ahead of us when we get to the end of the path. It reminds me of when we went into the water in the canoe, only rougher now that it’s punctured by the unrelenting rain. Instead of going down onto the shoreline, I walk along the edge of the woods down a smaller path that leads to the boathouse. I raise a finger to my lips to tell Garrison to stay quiet as we move toward the door. Inside the building feels surprisingly dry. The wind whipping off the surface of the water is cool enough to feel like the first bites of autumn, reminding us that it’s lurking at the end of summer, only a couple of weeksaway.
Camp is over, it seems to say. It’s time to leave.
A figure sits in the middle of the dock, back to us, staring out over the water. The sound of the rain falling on the metal roof of the building is almost deafening. In any other situation, it might be soothing. But right now, it’s closing off a sense, making it harder to be aware of everything around me. I walk a few steps closer, my gun trained in front of me.
“Holden,” I finally say when I’m close enough I think he can hear me.
He turns slowly to look at me but doesn’t move.
“Hello, Agent Griffin,” he says. “I was wondering if you were going to make it. I have to say, I hoped you wouldn’t.”
“Holden, stand up and show me yourhands.”
He complies, holding his hands up as he looks at me with an almost docile smile on his lips.
“Hello, Detective.”
“Where’s Miranda?” Iask.
“She’s not here. I’ve sent her somewhere you’re not going to be able to find her. She doesn’t need the two of you bothering her anymore,” he replies. “Don’t worry. She’s alive. I want to protect her. And she couldn’t be anywhere around here anymore. Not with you sniffing around, Agent.” I lift my gun slightly, which seems to amuse him. “You don’t have to be so tense. I’m no threat toyou.”
“Because I wasn’t a part of running your family out of town and your father killing himself?” Iask.
His eyes go dark, but the smile gets just slightly bigger.
“Well, done,” he says. “I knew you were on to Miranda. She couldn’t handle it as well as she thought she could. But I didn’t think you were going to figure itout.”
“Where’s Jacob?” Iask.
“Tell me, what was your first suspicion aboutMiranda?”
“Where is Jacob?” Irepeat.
