Mick fought the panic. He had to stay objective. He wouldn’t be able to do his sister a single bit of good if he lost his cool right now. She had been perfectly fine on the phone, Nugent had said.
But she and Paige were in definite trouble. And needed help.
They were five miles away, at least, in near whiteout conditions. He wasn’t certain how long it would take to get to them. Or what they would find when they got there.
“It’s Carroll. It has to be,” Sebastian said.
Mick wasn’t even certain how the guy had made it to the rental SUV as fast as he had, but the team leader had been only a few steps behind Mick. “Allenski’s with Cody. Jacobs is checking cars on one end of the city limits. Hendricks and the chief of the fire department, the other. But Carroll is unaccounted for.”
“Makes sense. Guy was in the same class. Same neighborhood as a kid.” Mick didn’t give a damn who it was. He just wanted to make certain no one else got hurt. And then he’d shake his sister and Paige for going off and doing something so reckless. They had no business out there without backup.
None at all.
And he was going to tell them that. And then Director Dennis.
Whether that was what the older man wanted to hear or not.
The blue lights were a beacon. Mick drove straight toward them.
The highway was dark as sin, and the lights were seen above the tree line a good ways away.
There were two squad cars blocking the road, except for a small nine-foot width on the shoulder. Mick parked behind the first.
No one was visible. Mick checked the van after pulling his weapon free.
He wasn’t required to carry, but after nearly dying in his own damned driveway, he was never going to be caught without a weapon again.
Mick followed the crushed boot prints through the snow.
He almost tripped over the body. Agent Therez leaned down and checked vitals quickly. “It’s Troy Linsey. And I have a pulse. He’s been shot.”
Mick cursed. “Stay with him. I’m going on.”
“There’s most likely an active shooter out there, sir.”
“And my two federal agents. I’m going out there.”
“Three,” Nugent said, coming up behind them. “Agent Cody’s bag is in the front seat of the rear squad car. She was with Deputy Allenski. Footprints indicate both went into the woods.”
“Along with Deputy Carroll.” Mick knew the lead deputy was dirty. But they’d have to catch him before they could prove it. After they got Al, Cody, and Paige back where they belonged.
So he could tell them what fools they’d been. Even if what they’d done hadn’t violated PAVAD procedure at all.
“And two missing kids,” Therez said. “We have to find them. The kids could be injured already.”
“Then let’s get moving.” Seven people out there somewhere.
In these conditions.
Odds were against them now.