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Danika nodded, resigned. “I understand. I just… It was a split-second decision. I’ve regretted it every second since.”
As Sam cuffed Danika, he glanced at Travis, whose face was etched with concern and guilt. “We’ll need to talk more, Travis. There are still pieces to put together, and you lied as well.”
“He didn’t have anything to do with April’s death,” Danika said.
With Danika in custody, Sam led her outside, his mind heavy with the weight of her confession. Lucy followed, sensing the gravity of the situation, her demeanor serious. As they left, Sam’s thoughts lingered on Jo’s whereabouts. One mystery was closer to resolution, but another concern gnawed at him. Where in the world was Jo?
CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE
The drive into the heart of the woods on Mountain Loop Road felt like a descent into another world. Dense foliage and towering trees flanked the dirt road, creating a tunnel of shadows that swallowed Bridget and Kevin’s car. Bridget sat rigidly in the passenger seat, her hands clenched tightly in her lap, while Kevin focused intently on the road, his eyes occasionally flicking to the GPS.
“This place feels… forgotten,” Bridget murmured, gazing out at the darkening woods. Her breath fogged up the window, blurring the eerie landscape outside.
Kevin nodded, his jaw set. “Yeah, it’s like we’ve stepped out of time.” He slowed the car, peering ahead where the road seemed to dissolve into the encroaching wilderness.
The GPS beeped, indicating they had reached the vicinity of the coordinates. Kevin pulled the car onto the side of the dirt road, parking under the cover of a large oak tree. The engine’s shutdown echoed eerily in the silence of the woods.
“We’ll have to go on foot from here,” Kevin said, his voice steady but with an undercurrent of tension.
Bridget nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. She grabbed the flashlight from the glove compartment, her fingers brushing against Kevin’s as she did so. The brief contact was grounding, offering a moment of human connection amidst the fear and uncertainty.
They stepped out of the car, the doors closing with a thud that seemed too loud in the quiet of the forest. Bridget’s flashlight cut a bright swath through the twilight as they ventured away from the road, guided only by the dim light and the GPS.
Every crunch of leaves underfoot sounded magnified, and the occasional rustle in the bushes sent jolts of fear through Bridget. Kevin led the way, his own flashlight moving methodically from side to side, scanning for any signs of the mysterious beech trees.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Bridget whispered, her voice barely audible over the rustling leaves underfoot.
Kevin nodded, his eyes fixed on the GPS. “This is where the coordinates lead.” Kevin turned to look around. “Right here.”
Bridget scanned the tree trunks with her flashlight. “There,” Bridget whispered, her voice barely audible. The beam of her flashlight revealed the distinct broken branches and the same stripped bark in the photo that Jo had. Of course, it looked a little different since so many years had passed. The trees had grown, but there was no mistaking those lower branches.
A cold shiver ran down Bridget’s spine as she realized the significance of their discovery. This was it—the connection to her sister’s disappearance. But their discovery was overshadowed by the ominous feeling of being watched, the woods around them holding secrets that were yet to be revealed.
As Kevin and Bridget crept through the dense underbrush, a faint glow caught Kevin’s attention. “Wait, what’s that?” he murmured, peering into the darkness.
Bridget followed his gaze, her eyes straining to make out the source of the light in the enveloping gloom of the forest. At first, it was just a dim, almost-imperceptible glimmer, but as they cautiously moved closer, the soft illumination gradually took shape.
“There’s a house,” Kevin whispered, disbelief coloring his tone. The presence of any structure in this isolated part of the woods was unexpected, to say the least.
They moved closer, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet of fallen leaves. The house, obscured by the trees, slowly came into view. It was an old farmhouse, its once-vibrant colors faded and peeling under the relentless assault of time and weather. The windows, dirty and cracked, emitted the faint light they had seen from afar, casting eerie shadows on the gnarled trees surrounding the house.
Kevin’s attention was abruptly drawn to a familiar shape in the dim light. “Hold up,” he whispered, squinting through the trees.
Bridget paused, following his gaze. There, parked in a clearing beside the old farmhouse, was the White Rock Police Department Crown Victoria sedan.
“Jo or Wyatt must be here. Sam always drives the Tahoe,” Bridget breathed, a mix of relief and new anxiety coloring her voice.
Kevin nodded. “But why? This is too much of a coincidence. Something isn’t right.”
As they inched closer to the house, a chill ran down Bridget’s spine. The silhouette of someone holding a gun in the window froze her in her tracks.
“Get down!” Kevin hissed, pulling her to the ground.
Kevin crept up to the side of the house, Bridget right behind him.
Bridget peered through the window, the sight that met her eyes sending her into a panic. It was Jo, her sister, tied to a chair, a gun pointed at her by an old woman.
Bridget’s heart raced as she stared at the house, the shadowy figure with the gun visible through the window. Panic and determination warred within her. “We can’t just stand here,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
