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No other sounds.
Was Caldwell even here?
Or was he out another hunter.
She felt a shiver, and she moved fast, checking one room after the next.
Thankfully, there were no more furry surprises.
But also no sign of the suspect.
Desperate, she began calling out, over the yowls of the Doberman. "Caldwell! Texas Rangers! Answer!"
But there was no response.
The rooms were all empty. She even checked the oven in the kitchen.
He was nowhere to be found.
She cursed under her breath, taking the stairs three at a time as she pulled her phone from her pocket.
But before she could enter a call, her hand began to shake. The phone was vibrating.
"Ethan?" she said hurriedly.
"This is Officer Cortez. Your partner asked me to call you."
"Is he okay?" she said quickly.
"Yes. Yes, but he's busy booking the suspects."
"He handled it?"
"After... er... a fashion, yes."
Rachel nodded in appreciation. "Hey... listen up, I need an APB on a car. You listening? This is a high priority. The vehicle belongs to a man named Theo Caldwell."
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
The static of Rachel's police radio filled her car, the sound cutting through the silence like a knife.
She jolted upright from where she'd been slouched in the seat, driving down the darkened roads outside Dr. Caldwell's residence.
Now, the voice crackled through the speaker. "Ranger Blackwood, we have an APB hit on Theo Caldwell's vehicle. Last seen heading toward the forest preserve."
"Copy that," Rachel replied, her voice tense but steady. The news reignited the fire in her gut, and she gripped the steering wheel tighter as she pressed the accelerator to the floor. Her jet-black hair whipped around her face as the wind whipped through the open window, and her deep brown eyes narrowed.
"Stay on him, I'm en route," she added, her voice heavy with the weight of urgency. Her thoughts raced, a wild horse galloping through her mind. She couldn't afford to let Dr. Caldwell slip away. Did he have another victim with him?
It gave her some sense of ease that Ethan had taken care of things back at the precinct. It almost felt as if it allowed her to focus fully on the chase.
But while Ethan had handled Jeb without anyone getting shot, according to the police scanner, she was still pursuing a potential killer without her partner. It couldn't be helped.
As her car sped down the road, the dim glow of the headlights illuminated the asphalt before her, casting eerie shadows across the barren landscape.
The night seemed to press in on her from all sides, adding a palpable sense of urgency. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, navigating the twisting turns and sudden dips.
The only sounds were her own labored breathing and the hum of her engine as it devoured the miles ahead. Her deep brown eyes scanned the road, seeking any sign of Dr. Caldwell's vehicle. Every moment that passed felt like an eternity.
