Brock stared at the stolen car found in the park in an area with dense vegetation. The rear of the vehicle sticking out of thick brush caught a deputy sheriff’s attention as law enforcement officers scoured the five-hundred-acre woodlands with hiking trails. Brock stood back, holding Bella’s leash while Clay and a deputy thoroughly checked the sedan.
Clay motioned to Brock. “Bring Bella.”
He let his golden retriever smell Sadie’s jacket then handed it to a nearby officer who took it to another handler with his dog. “Find Sadie.” Brock headed to the sheriff.
Bella went to the sedan, stopped at the backseat, hopped in, and barked.
Again Brock gave her the command to keep looking for Sadie. His dog left the car on the other side. “Stay.” Brock had dropped her leash rather than crawl through the vehicle, like Bella had done. He didn’t want to disturb the evidence gathered from the scene.
Brock picked up the leash and said again, “Find Sadie.”
Bella took off into the trees, pausing and sniffing the air every once in a while. Clay followed them. She came to a halt at a dirt-packed parking lot at the edge of the Black Bear Park for people who might hike up the mountain nearby. The trail had evaporated.
Frustrated, Brock raked his fingers through his black hair. “You think she was put into another car?”
“Probably. Have Bella go over the whole parking lot then the perimeter just to make sure.”
Brock did, and Bella kept coming back to the same place. “And we have no idea what that car looks like.”
“Not unless someone saw a vehicle leave here or reports one stolen soon. At least it would give us something to check. Up the mountain or back into the town.” Clay gestured at the tire tracks in the dirt. “This is the only thing we have.” He took pictures of them then called for a deputy to make a cast of the tracks. “We’ll even do the footprints around this area, but that might be a long shot.”
“I think they went up this mountain.” Where Brock lived was on a mountain on the other side of Butte City. “Maybe we should visit each cabin.”
“I agree. We can put up a road block and check each car that leaves. This is the only road up to the top of the mountain and down it.”
Brock started across the parking lot. “Let’s go.”
“Give me a minute. I know you’re impatient to get started, but I need to set up the road block and get more searchers here than just you and me. There are a couple of other SAR dogs we’re using in the park, and we need to get them over here and smell the jacket.” Clay walked back to his patrol car to contact his second-in-command about what was necessary for a mountain search for Sadie.
Brock stood back, remembering not only the searches he had been involved in since returning to Colorado with Bella, but also the ones he took part in Afghanistan. He tried to focus on the successful ones, but the battle to stay positive that they would find Sadie was hard to maintain since he couldn’t forget the ones where he didn’t find the victim in time.
Live in the moment. I can’t change the past. He repeated those words over and over, and a calmness descended. Brock turned to find Clay still on his phone.
“Contact me if you need me. Brock and I are starting on the right side of the road at the bottom. Have the searchers meet where the no cell reception sign is. Keep me informed on any developments. Also get me the list of any recently stolen vehicles in case we find one.” After he hung up, Clay slipped behind his steering wheel. “Since they’ve stolen three cars that we know of, they might be driving another one.”
“I hope so. It would make things easier for us.” Brock hurried to his car and followed Clay’s patrol car as other law enforcement officers came to join the growing search party.
Brock had been keeping his brother informed when he could. Before he lost his cell reception, he called Simon to see if anything had happened at Katie’s house or his.
“It’s been quiet. Have you found her?” Simon asked.
“No, but we searched Black Bear Park and found the car that had been seen at Sadie’s duplex. It was abandoned. We’re searching the southwest side of Black Bear Mountain now. Bella followed her scent, and it appears that they changed cars again. We’re hoping she’s somewhere on the mountain. I’ll be out of cell reception soon. I’ll call when I have it again. If anything happens, phone the sheriff’s office. They’ll be able to get through with the radio. That’s how Clay’s staying in contact with the rest of the search party.”
Brock disconnected and pocketed his cell phone. Half the group went to the top where the road came to an end and were working their way down while Brock set off with Clay up the mountain on the right side of the highway with other searchers spread out. Brock checked his watch. It had been hours since Sadie had been taken. Every minute that passed decreased her chances of being alive when they found her. He would search until he located her.
* * *
Lord, I need Your help. How do I get out of here? What can I do?
Sadie scanned the darkness before her. An idea popped into her mind. There might be a weapon somewhere in this room. Since she’d been able to move herself to the window, she could go to a different place to look for anything that would help her get out of here.
She used her head to manipulate her way between the shade and the window, widening the gap so more light could pour into the room. It was bare of knickknacks and only had a few pieces of furniture—a couch, the end table with a metal lamp but no light bulb, and an overstuffed chair along another wall to the left of the sofa. She could only see the window she was at. There was another door near the one the man used to come into the room. A closet? Maybe there was something inside that would help her get out of here.
But the distance to it seemed yards and yards away. The effects of whatever they gave her still lingered and made her exhausted from her exertion to inch the chair to the window. But she wouldn’t let that stop her. She drew in a deep breath.
As she started to maneuver one side forward then the other, another idea came to her. What if she could wiggle the rope down and off the leg of the chair? If that worked, she could do the other one. Then she could try to slide down and work to slip the rope around her chest up, so she could stand. Walking across the room even with her hands still tied would be better and quieter in case the stocky man was still here. She didn’t know if it would work, but the one thing she did know was she had to do something to try and get away.
She wedged herself at an angle against the table and the window, lifting one of the front chair legs off the floor while leaning in the opposite direction. She grasped the table with both of her hands that were behind her back. Pulling her limb out as far as the rope would allow—maybe half an inch—she wiggled it slowly down the piece of wood at the same time she had to sink lower in the seat. Her flexibility made it a little easier, but if she didn’t get this accomplished soon, she was afraid the man would return when he didn’t find the flash drive, and her chance to escape would be gone.
When she managed to free one foot, she set the leg of the chair quietly on the floor. Her weariness had doubled, but she couldn’t give up. She took a moment to breathe deeply and rest before working the other foot loose. She wiggled her upper body back up partway, so it was easier to lean the chair to allow her to raise its opposite front leg off the floor.
The sound of a door closing caused her to pause. Her heartbeat increased. Then she heard footsteps coming toward the room she was in.
* * *
Brock stood behind Clay as he knocked on a door to a log cabin set in a grove of trees. A middle-aged woman answered. A little girl clung to the lady’s leg. He smiled at the child, and she ducked behind the woman.
“I’m Sheriff Maxwell. Have you seen this young lady in the past day?” He showed her a picture of Sadie that Brock had given to him to use.
“No, but then I haven’t left my house today. I’m babysitting my granddaughter.”
The little girl peeked around her grandmother and stared at Bella who stood between Brock and the sheriff. The child took a step out from behind her grandmother then another, reaching her arm out to touch his golden retriever.
“Claire, don’t touch the strange dog.”
The girl, no more than four years old, snatched her arm back and dropped her head forward.
“It’s okay with me if your granddaughter pets Bella. She’s gentle and loves children.”
“Please, Granny.” Claire’s large gray eyes fixed on his dog reminded him of Sadie’s. What if he never saw Sadie again? The thought that could happen stiffened his resolve. He would find her alive one way or another.
“Fine,” the older woman said.
Her granddaughter approached Bella cautiously. She lifted her hand and patted Bella’s head for a few seconds then backed away. Brock couldn’t help but wonder if they were even looking in the right place. Did the kidnappers think that Sadie was Katie? If they did realize the truth, what would they do to Sadie? She wouldn’t be of any use to them. Brock had to shut down the mounting doubts. It never helped him when he searched for a person lost in the mountains or a comrade in a war zone. He’d always managed to overcome those doubts and forge ahead—but this was Sadie, a woman he’d once asked to marry him.
Brock and Bella walked away from the cabin with Clay. “Whose name are you saying is missing?”
Clay stopped. “For now, it’s Katie Williams. I’d wanted to keep it as if it was only Katie, but after I found out the next-door neighbor knew it was Sadie because of her cooking podcasts, I realized it would probably come out by the end of the day. I’ve asked the couple next door to keep it quiet and told the press her identity isn’t being revealed because the next of kin hasn’t been notified. At the moment, only my officers and the neighbor know about Sadie’s disappearance. The search teams and press are using Katie’s photo. So far the press doesn’t know yet, but that won’t last long, especially with the fact Katie’s supervisor at work was murdered. It’ll be all over the news and probably go national when it breaks.”
Which could force the people who took Sadie to kill her and escape. “When the kidnappers realize they don’t have Katie, if they don’t already know that, they’ll probably get rid of Sadie and return to looking for her sister, ”Brock said to Clay, hoping his friend could reassure him that wasn’t likely.
“That could happen, but we’re going to do everything to keep it from occurring.”
For a few minutes, Brock felt defenseless like he had when he was in the hospital. He wasn’t going to let that feeling of helplessness overwhelm him as it had four years ago. He didn’t want to lose a possible second chance with Sadie. Instead, he would turn to the Lord. Sadie and Katie were in His hands.
After checking the area around the cabin, Clay started toward the next residence. “Mr. Taylor lives at the house through the woods.” He pointed in that direction.
Brock caught sight of the place, two stories tall and rundown. He unclipped the leash from Bella’s collar then took out a piece of the shirt he had with Sadie’s scent on it. The other canine teams had taken the jacket and fragments of the shirt he held. He let his dog smell it again then said, “Find Sadie.” He did that with each house they approached, and so far, eight places hadn’t triggered Bella’s response that Sadie was nearby.
His dog sniffed the air and headed into the fir and pine trees between the pieces of property.
Brock picked up his gait. “She’s on to something.”
As they emerged from the forest, Bella rushed for the porch to the two-story white house. At the door she sat and barked over and over.
Brock glanced at Clay beside him. “She’s here.”
As they approached the entrance, Clay called for backup, which was the two deputies across the road.“I’ll go around the place to see if there’s another way out. Calm Bella down,” Clay said to Brock.
When Clay left to circle the place, an old man in his seventies or eighties and hunched over a cane opened the door. “That mutt could wake the dead. I was trying to take a nap. What do you want?” The whole time he spoke, he darted his eyes to the right.
Brock knew fear when he saw it, and this man was afraid. “I’m sorry she woke you up. My dog just took off and ran to your place. Probably saw a squirrel or rabbit. I’ll put her on her leash.” He leaned over to snap it on the leather collar, but before he could, Bella charged through the gap in the doorway, nearly knocking the elderly man down.
The gentleman had both of his hands on the cane to keep from falling over. Brock reached out to steady the guy.
The front door slammed closed—by someone else.
* * *
The sound of a dog barking overrode all other noise. Sadie quickly leaned the chair back, hoping she could free her other foot before whoever was out in the hallway came into the room. Maybe the noise the animal was making would deter the person who kidnapped her. Maybe it was a search party for her nearing the house. She had to figure out a way to get their attention.
She righted her chair and moved it around, so she could look out the window and let them know where she was. As she stuck her head between the shade and the window, she scanned the area for the sight of anyone. A uniformed man rounded the corner to the front. Clay? All she could do was bang her head against the thick glass. He disappeared from her view.
She sagged against the glass, feeling helpless. She’d missed her chance.
* * *
Brock slammed his shoulder against the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Clay returning to the front. “Bella went inside. Sadie’s got to be there.”
The sheriff arrived on the porch as two deputies hurried across the yard. He motioned for one to go around the rear then waved Brock back. “Leave this to me and my deputies. Stand aside.”
“But Bella and probably Sadie are in there.”
“You’re a civilian.” Clay waited until Brock obeyed then stood next to his deputy and put up one finger, followed by two then three.
They put all their force behind their kicks against the wooden entrance. Their first attempt rattled the door, but it remained shut.
While Clay called for a battering ram, Brock moved toward the side of the house. If he could find which room Sadie was in, that might help. He was afraid that this would turn into a hostage situation with Sadie and Bella in the middle. In the military, he’d been involved in such settings and too many hadn’t ended well.
As he headed along the side of the house, he noticed all the shades over the windows were closed on the first floor. He looked up and caught sight of Sadie with her face against the glass. Her eyes widened. Then she was wrenched away by a man.
* * *
When the kidnapper clasped her shoulders, Sadie screamed. He forced her lips closed them slapped a large piece of heavy-duty tape over her mouth. She kicked at him with her free leg, making several strikes in tender places before he hit her across the face.
“You’re gonna regret this,” he said, his voice husky as he dragged her away from the window and toward the open door, still mostly tied to the chair but twisted away so she couldn’t kick him anymore.
With her back to him, she heard the sound of a low growl nearby. She turned her head at the moment Bella launched herself at the short, stocky man with his ski mask on. He dropped her against the hardwood floor next to him and took out his gun. Still sitting in the chair, tied to it, Sadie couldn’t let him shoot Bella. Using all her energy, she flung herself and the attached chair against the kidnapper at the same time a shot rang out.