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I take a deep breath and look around for anything that might give me some kind of clue as to my location, but there’s nothing.
I step inside this new cabin with trepidation, my heart racing as I take in my surroundings. It’s dark and musty. Dean Alder turns on a light, revealing a small living space with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a large, stone fireplace at one end of the room. Next to that fireplace is a large, steel crate for a dog.
“Put her in.” Dean Alder gestures to the crate and I balk. When Scott doesn’t immediately force me into the dog crate, the dean’s eyes narrow. “Do we have a problem?” He taps his gun against his leg as he speaks, emphasizing his point.
I swallow hard as I try to process what’s happening. Fear engulfs me like never before.
Scott steps forward and speaks up. “I’m not putting her in a cage.”
“Why not? It’s secure.”
“I’ll chain her to my bed.” His voice is softer than before. More timid, but he doesn’t back down. “She’s not going anywhere.”
“You take risks you shouldn’t.” Dean Alder points to my feet. “You want her chained to your bed instead of the crate? Then give me her shoes and strip her down.” He turns his hawkish gaze on me. “If she tries to escape, she’ll die out there; either from exposure, wolves, or bears.”
“She won’t run.” Scott looks directly into my eyes with an intensity that takes my breath away. His gaze is both comforting and threatening all at once; it’s like he’s sayingtrust me.
But do I dare?
THIRTY-FOUR
Zeb
The walkto the Omega Facility, leaves me out of breath. Doc Summers may have released me from the hospital, but it’s clear I’m not at the top of my game. When we walk into the conference room, it’s a buzz of activity, with the FBI and Mitzy’s team working side by side.
Monitors cover every wall, displaying photographs of each girl. They look so young and vibrant, filled with promise and hope for a bright future; all of which is gone. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating all at once.
“We need to find what connects these girls.” Mitzy stands at the front of the room, directing the combined efforts of Guardian HRS and the FBI. “Anything other than they were students in Scott’s class and lodged complaints against him. Anything can point us in the right direction, so keep an open mind.”
The general noise level in the room picks up as everyone gets back to work. Monitors cover every wall. Six in a row display pictures of the missing girls.
When Mitzy notices me, she gives a jerk of her chin, then waves for me to join her at the front of the room. Sam and CJ follow as we wade through the press of people.
“Nice to see you out of bed.” Mitzy flashes a pretty smile.
“Good to be on my feet. Heard the FBI was called in.”
“We stumbled upon something Scott and Alder have tried hard to hide.” Her lips purse, but she says nothing else.
“I need more than that.”
“Working theory is serial kidnappers or serial killers. Either way, it doesn’t look good. And now that Alec and Barbi are missing…” She doesn’t complete her thought, leaving me reeling.
“What can I do?” I feel helpless standing around doing nothing.
“For now, I’d say head to your bullpen. Get your gear ready.”
“Where’s my team?”
“Bravo’s back,” CJ answers instead of Mitzy. “They’re on mandatory downtime until we spin you guys up again. I agree with Mitzy. Pack your gear and you might as well rest while you can.”
In his own way, CJ lets me know he noticed how out of breath I got during the short walk over.
“Copy that.” I turn to leave, but my feet don’t move right away. There’s too much going on in this room for me to walk away without processing it somehow.
“Okay, we’ve combed through every detail of these women’s lives,” Mitzy mutters to anyone listening. “Student records, social media, web searches, you name it. But we haven’t been able to find any direct links between the missing girls.”
“Professor Parker and Dean Alder didn’t just wake up one day and decide they were going to work together. How are they connected?” I scratch at the bandage over my side, then stop, not wanting to irritate the wound.
