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* * *
They made it over without being detected and hid among the bushes while they surveyed the grounds with night-vision goggles.
“Doesn’t look like anyone’s home,” Peter whispered. “Is that what you expected?”
“No. There should be guards patrolling.” Will had noticed the odd calm as soon as his feet hit the grass. The place looked deserted, but he didn’t want to admit to himself what that could mean.
“Maybe all hands are on deck to find you?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Could they be gone?” Peter’s voice was soft and searching. He knew this was their worst-case scenario.
“They have to be here. They couldn’t have moved her already.”
“Why not?”
He looked at Peter. “Because. I can’t lose her too.”
Peter nodded. “Then we’ll keep looking.” He led the way as they continued their search.
* * *
“I hate to say this,” Peter said once they’d checked the grounds. “But there’s no one here.”
“They can’t be gone.” Will went to a window, peering inside. “They have to be here. She can’t be gone.”
Peter put a hand on his shoulder. “You said you can’t lose her too. Has this happened before?”
“Not exactly like this, but yeah. I lost someone. I can’t go through this again.”
“We’ll figure something out.”
“Will we? You said you were glad we were both relying on God here, but I’m not really. In the last year, the only time I’ve spoken to Him is praying for her—the first girl I lost. It’s only today that I’ve turned back to Him in desperation. But it’s too late. Now I’ve lost Charlotte too.”
“God doesn’t care how you come back to him. The prodigal son was desperate too.”
Will dropped to the ground in a defeated crouch, his head hanging between his shoulders. “I didn’t want to do it. Maybe I knew in my spirit, but I didn’t listen. I could have stopped this.”
“Maddy told me about the plan to use Charlie to take her place.”
“Yeah.”
“I know Maddy’s your partner, but what’s your relationship with Charlie?”
“There is none. I didn’t meet her until recently.”
“But you’ve gotten to know her?”
“Yeah. I’ve been training her. Why?”
“It’s just that I know that look.”
“What look?”
“You care about her.”
“Sure. She’s Maddy’s sister. I was supposed to be the one protecting her.”
