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Josh wouldn’t have walked through a building just to get into another car, not of his own volition.
Gabe rubbed his face. This didn’t make any sense. Where were Josh and Chloe? All the evidence was pointing to them being taken, but why? By whom? And where?
He didn’t even know where to start. This was why he wasn’t a detective; he didn’t like the puzzle of it all. Give him the address, and he’d go break down the door and rescue anyone.
He turned to Buck and Aliza, who had come up behind him. “You two are the puzzle solvers. Solve it!” His voice shook. “Where’s my sister?”
Chapter Twelve
Joshpulledhishandsaway from Chloe’s face. He’d almost kissed her. The longing was intense, but he didn’t know if she was ready for that step.
He dropped his hand to hers. “We should get moving. I have no idea when or if they’ll come back.”
She sat back on her heels. “Who?”
“Whoever it was that dropped us out here.”
“You’re going to have to give me more than that. I remember nothing.”
“That’s probably an indicator we were drugged. I know of a few anesthetics that will cause memory loss for the time prior to being administered.” He told her what he remembered hearing when he woke up.
“Why on earth would someone drug us just to drop us in the woods? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“I’m sure they think they have a good reason.”
She stroked his hand with her thumb. The deep concentration lines on her forehead made him wonder if she even realized what she was doing.
“Do you think this has to do with that threat I got yesterday?”
“Do you have enemies you aren’t telling me about?”
“Only if you have a girlfriend you aren’t telling me about?” Her cheeks turned bright red, and she glanced away.
Josh laughed. Maybe she did recognize what was happening between them.
He untied the ropes from his hands, much easier now without the tension of them being tied one to the other, and stood. Reaching for her, he helped her up.
This place seemed familiar. He’d thought that while banging on the tree, but now that he stood, it struck him again.
“Do you recognize where we are?”
“The woods, up in the mountains.” She shrugged.
“Doesn’t seem familiar?”
“Josh, the woods of eastern Tennessee don’t vary that much. Lots of the same types of trees, similar outcroppings of rocks. It all feels familiar.”
“You’re right. Before we get moving, probably should take inventory. We’ve got a flashlight, my knife,”—he checked his pockets—“and a pair of gloves and hat.”
“I had a scarf but tied it up to help me find the creek again. I don’t have anything else useful, but I do know where a clean-looking water source is.”
“Not really sufficient. No food. No compass or GPS. Assuming you don’t have your phone.”
She tilted her head to the side as she looked past him.
“What is it?”
“Yeah, no phone, but what’s that?” She walked past him and past the tree where he’d been tied.
