Hunter checked in with Byte, who said Charlee was still heading in the same direction. Just as he hung up, Pete called for an update. “I just talked to Charlee. She’s okay. Rattled but hiding it well. Says she still has a couple errands to run tonight before she puts her kayak in.”
Pete bit back a curse. “He wants her on the rapids in the dark.”
“That’s my guess. It also means he’s betting her skills are sharp, because if she’s the ultimate target, he won’t want anything happening to her that he didn’t cause.”
“She’ll handle it. Charlee’s amazing on those rapids. She laughs and shouts like a little kid. It’s always been her favorite thing.” Pete sobered. “It used to be, anyway. Before.”
“I know. And it will be again. We’re going to get her out of this, make sure she can enjoy them any time she wants. Stay focused, Pete. You have to think like a cop, not a brother.”
“This is my sister—both my sisters—we’re talking about.”
“I know. Believe me, I know. But we have to leave emotion out of it if we’re going to get them out alive.”
Pete muttered several choice words. “Hate that you’re right.” He heaved out a breath. “What now?”
“The outfitter she worked for was Suwannee Paddlers, right?”
“Right.”
“Meet me there as soon as you can. Tell Josh. I’ll call Sanchez and Fish. Do not try to get out there without me, or I’ll shoot you myself. We clear?”
“Clear, Lieutenant.”
“We’re going to get this guy.”
* * *
Sammy sat in the passenger seat of the dusty old pickup truck, trying to figure out what was happening. The windows were rolled down, and the wind blew in his face, just like always, but something was wrong. Tool Man was acting really different today. He wasn’t smiling or saying nice things; he was just grumpy.
“Can we stop for cupcakes? I bet Charlee brought in some more today.” Maybe cupcakes would make Tool Man smile. They always made Sammy smile. They were so good.
Tool Man shot him a look. “No cupcakes. Not today.”
Sammy’s face fell, and he nodded. “Okay.”
He got socked in the arm. “Don’t worry, Sammy, we’ll get some tomorrow. Today, we have some things to do, important things.”
“What things? Do I get to help?”
Tool Man smiled then, but it wasn’t the right smile. This smile was scary and made Sammy want to hide. “Yes, Sammy. You are definitely going to help me.”
Sammy nodded. “I’m hungry.” He peeked sideways to be sure Tool Man wasn’t going to hit him. Sometimes he didn’t like it when Sammy reminded him that he needed food.
The truck pulled off the road and into the parking lot of a fast food joint. “You stand next to the truck. Don’t let anyone near the stuff in the back, okay?”
Sammy climbed out and stood by the tailgate. Inside the bed was some big lumpy stuff, but it was covered by a tarp, so he couldn’t tell what it was. He reached in to lift a corner of the tarp, and Tool Man smacked his hand away. Hard. “Ouch.”
“Hands off. And no peeking, or you’ll be sorry. Got it?”
Sammy nodded miserably as Tool Man went inside. He didn’t know what was happening, but he wanted to go home.
* * *
Charlee arrived at Suwannee Paddlers long after the chain had been hung across the entrance and the padlock secured for the night. She climbed out of the car and let out a relieved breath when she turned the tumblers and the lock popped open.
She pulled through and then locked the gate behind her. If Jennings came this way, she wasn’t making things easy for him. She parked in the gravel parking area by the office, loaded her backpack, and quickly sprayed deet all over herself before she headed for the canoe/kayak launch. She didn’t want the bugs that swarmed at dusk ruining her concentration on the rapids.
The kayaks were kept on racks, also locked, but Charlee was betting the combination hadn’t been changed on these either. She was right.
She hauled one of the kayaks off the lowest rack, grabbed paddles and a life jacket from the nearby storage cabinet, and dragged the kayak to the water’s edge.
She strapped on the life jacket, secured the headlamp to her forehead, and tucked the backpack on her lap, making sure the pocket holding her loaded gun was open for easy access.
Hang on, Natalie. I’m coming.
She pushed off and headed into the water, her phone in a plastic bag, GPS showing her location.
* * *
Hunter and the team rendezvoused in the parking lot of a dentist’s office just south of White Springs.
“This scumbag is smart, so we have to be smarter. We don’t know why he killed his brother, Tommy, or why he attempted to kill you and Pete.” He nodded to Josh.
“You think JJ’s death goes back to his mother’s dying somehow?” Sanchez asked.
“There’s a lot we don’t know. JJ’s death could have been an accident. What we do know is that he has both Charlee and Natalie. I think it’s safe to say he has Nora, too. My gut says he wants Charlee at the place where JJ died.”
“Agreed,” Pete said, and everyone nodded.
“So here’s what I’m thinking.” Hunter pulled up a map of the area and outlined his plan. Within minutes, they were back on the road. Hunter just prayed they got there in time.
* * *
Sammy’s worry increased as they kept driving and it started to get dark. “Don’t we have to get ready for work?”
“We have other work to do tonight, Sammy.”
“But who will give the kids their prizes?”
Tool Man laughed. “Don’t worry. They’ll all get what they deserve. Promise.”
Sammy wanted to believe him, but that didn’t sound…right.
A little while later, when Sammy thought his bladder would burst, they finally pulled off the paved road and onto a dirt road. The road kept getting narrower and narrower, and branches swept into the cab of the truck and scratched his arms. He rolled up the window a little and tried not to pee his pants, but the bumpy road was making it really hard.
They finally stopped in a little clearing, and Tool Man turned off the ignition. “Time to go, Sammy. You’re going to learn a lot tonight. I’m going to need your help. Are you ready?”
“Yes, sir,” Sammy said, but just then, he wasn’t sure. Something in his tummy was telling him things were really wrong. But he trusted Tool Man, so he got out. “I have to pee,” he whispered.
“Go on. Make it quick.”
Sammy went a few feet into the woods, then came back to where Tool Man stood by the bed of the truck. He dropped the tailgate and flipped up the tarp. At first, Sammy didn’t know what he was looking at, but then Tool Man turned on a great big flashlight, and the ache in Sammy’s tummy got real bad.
There were ladies in there, two of them, and their hands and feet were tied with duct tape, and there was duct tape over their mouths. But it was their eyes that got to Sammy; they were wide and scared, and they made Sammy scared, too.
“Who are they? Why are they tied up?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.” Tool Man nodded to the smaller of the girls. “You grab that one, and I’ll get the other.”
Sammy did as he was told and swung the girl over his shoulder just like Tool Man did with the other one. But his hands were shaking, and he wanted to run away and hide.
Something bad was going to happen.